Justin Leonard grabs share of Disney golf lead

Justin Leonard described his round Friday at Disney as a “fun, easy day,” and it was every bit of that. He had a nine-under 63 for his lowest round of the year, putting him in a tie for the lead with Henrik Stenson and Bio Kim at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

By the time he headed for the Magic Kingdom for the parade with his four children, all was well. Leonard, Stenson (64) and Kim (65) were at 12-under 132, two shots clear of Nick O’Hern (66).

Webb Simpson and Luke Donald are battling for the money title, and they both played the opening two rounds at seven-under 137, meaning they will be paired again Saturday. Simpson has a $363,029 lead, so the third round looms large for Donald.

The top-ranked Donald can finish no worse than a two-way tie for second, provided Simpson finishes down the leaderboard.

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Spain’s Azahara Munoz shot a six-under 66 for a share of the second-round lead with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist in the LPGA Taiwan Championship at Yang Mei.

Nordqvist had a 68 to match Munoz at seven-under 137, two shots ahead of top-ranked Yani Tseng (71) and fellow Taiwanese player Candie Kung (68).

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Sergio Garcia shot an eight-under 63 on his home course to take a two-shot lead after the second round of the European Tour’s Castello Masters at Castellon, Spain. Garcia eagled the par-five eighth hole and had seven birdies to reach 12 under. Sweden’s Alexander Noren was second after a 63.

ETC.

Epstein leaves Red Sox to join Cubs

Theo Epstein is joining the Chicago Cubs as president of baseball operations.

Epstein, 37, resigned from the Boston Red Sox on Friday night with a year remaining on his contract as general manager to run a team that has gone 103 years without a World Series championship.

With Epstein at the helm, the Red Sox ended an 86-year World Series championship drought in 2004 and won the title again in 2007.

The Red Sox are expected to announce assistant GM Ben Cherington as Epstein’s replacement.

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Fox outbid incumbent ESPN and NBC to win the English-language U.S. TV rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, FIFA said.

Fox agreed to pay more than $400 million for the two-tournament package, according to an official familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity.

ESPN paid $100 million to screen the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 event in Brazil.

Telemundo was awarded the Spanish-language deal.

The contracts cover tournament finals in all FIFA competitions from 2015 to 2022, giving Fox the women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019. It also secured all radio rights.

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Connor Fields won the men’s title in BMX cycling at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, pushing the United States into triple digits in the medals table.

Fields’ gold, combined with the silver won by Arielle Martin-Verhaaren in the women’s race, gave the United States its 100th medal early on Day 7 of the Games. Nicholas Long took silver behind Fields.

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Lara Jackson of the U.S. won the women’s 50-meter freestyle and the 400 medley relay team claimed gold. Irina Falconi added another American gold in women’s tennis.

Top-seeded Gael Monfils beat South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, 7-5, 7-5, to advance to the semifinals of the Stockholm Open.

Monfils will play the Milos Raonic for a place in the final after the big-serving Canadian hit 14 aces in a 7-5, 6-4 win over Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov.

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Walt Hazzard, who as an All-American guard helped lead UCLA men’s basketball to John Wooden’s first NCAA championship in 1964 and who later became head coach of the Bruins from 1984 to 1988, has been honored by the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles Inc. with the group’s lifetime achievement award.

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Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame guard Gale Gillingham died Thursday at his home in Little Falls, Minn., while lifting weights, his son said. He was 67. He appeared to suffer a heart attack.

Gillingham blocked for Bart Starr when the quarterback was leading the Packers to the first two Super Bowl victories in 1967 and 1968. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, six-time All Pro and played in 128 regular-season games for the Packers.