IN BRIEF

GOLF

Playing on exemption, Compton shares Greenbrier Classic lead

Double heart transplant recipient Erik Compton shot a 7-under-par 63 on Thursday in the inaugural Greenbrier Classic to share the first-round lead with rookie Matt Every.

Playing on a sponsor's exemption, the 30-year-old Compton made nine birdies at White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

He was diagnosed at age 9 with a disease that inflames the heart and leaves it unable to pump as hard as it needs to. His first transplant came three years later and his second one in 2008.

Every, recently arrested in Iowa and charged with possession of a controlled substance, had an eagle and five birdies. He has denied possessing marijuana.

George McNeill, Pat Perez and Jeff Overton opened with 64s.

Also: Bruce Vaughan shot 4-under 66 to take a two-stroke lead over Loren Roberts and amateur Tim Jackson in the U.S. Senior Open at Sammamish, Wash.

Vaughan, the 2008 Senior British Open champion, made just two bogeys in a steady round at tree-engulfing Sahalee Country Club.

Bernhard Langer, the British Senior Open winner, was three strokes back at 69 with Mark Calcavecchia, Joe Ozaki and Michael Allen.

Tommy Armour III (Bishop Gorman) was tied for 13th after shooting a 1-over 71. Kim Dolan (Clark) and Stacey Hart (Western) each shot a 9-over 79.

Taiwan's Yani Tseng and Australia's Katherine Hull shot 4-under 68s to share the first-round lead in the Women's British Open at Southport, England.

England's David Howell shot a 7-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead in the Irish Open at Killarney, Ireland.

Kyle Helms has been hired as assistant coach for the UNLV women's golf team.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC's Kiffin blames lawsuit
on stormy stint in Tennessee

Lane Kiffin thinks the Tennessee Titans' lawsuit against him and the University of Southern California is more about geography than coaching etiquette.

Kiffin claimed he wasn't allowed to say much Thursday at the Pac-10 media day about the suit facing Kiffin and the Trojans, who angered Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher by abruptly hiring running backs coach Kennedy Pola last weekend.

Yet Kiffin couldn't stop himself from intimating the lawsuit has something to do with his stormy history in the state of Tennessee.

Kiffin left the University of Tennessee in January after just 14 months running the program to take his self-described dream job at USC.

Also: Oregon has been picked to win the Pac-10 in the preseason media poll, edging longtime favorite Southern California 314-311. The voting was the second closest since the poll began in 1961.

MISCELLANEOUS

NASCAR's Roush transferred to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota

NASCAR team owner Jack Roush has been taken to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., after surgery on facial injuries he sustained in a plane crash in Wisconsin.

Roush Fenway Racing said in a statement that Roush was taken to the Mayo Clinic on Wednesday and is in serious but stable condition. The team did not say what kind of injuries he suffered in the accident Tuesday night.

Also: IndyCar series officials plan to meet with driver Helio Castroneves to discuss his conduct after last week's race at Edmonton.

Castroneves was black-flagged for blocking Penske Racing teammate Will Power on the final restart. The Brazilian crossed the finish line first, but the victory was awarded to Scott Dixon, and Castroneves was placed 10th.

Castroneves lost his temper afterward, touching one series official on the chest and grabbing another by the collar.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman expects to learn Saturday whether his salary cap-squeezed team will be able to keep restricted free-agent goaltender Antti Niemi.

After Bowman and Niemi's agent, Bill Zito, were unable to reach contract terms for the 26-year-old netminder, the case advanced to an arbitration hearing.

Bowman and the NHL Players Association presented their cases and undisclosed one-year salary figures to an arbitrator, who has 48 hours to make a decision.

The Atlanta Thrashers avoided arbitration with restricted free agent Andrew Ladd by signing him to a one-year, $2.35 million deal.

Andy Murray had to go the distance in his Los Angeles debut, beating American qualifier Tim Smyczek 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 in a second-round match at the Farmers Classic.

Murray next will play Colombian Alejandro Falla, who beat No. 5 seed Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8).

Smyczek, a 22-year-old from Milwaukee, is ranked 192nd.

Marion Bartoli, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka advanced to the quarterfinals of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford, Calif.