Jul 28, 2022 3 min read

In golf

Tony Finau, coming off his third career victory on the PGA Tour, and Taylor Pendrith shared the first-round lead at 8-under 64 on Thursday in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, Michael Thompson, Cameron Champ, Lee Hodges and Matt Wallace were two shots back.

Si Woo Kim and Kurt Kitayama, both ranked among the top 70 in the world, were in the pack at 67 at Detroit Golf Club.

The leaderboard was filled with players who took advantage of favorable scoring conditions with morning tee times. In the afternoon, the wind picked up and the scores did as well.

Finau, who rallied from a five-shot deficit with 11 holes left to win the 3M Open by three shots Sunday in Minnesota, opened with a birdie and had five birdies on his front nine.

In auto racing

Two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden was cleared Thursday to practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following his collapse after crashing at Iowa.

Newgarden will be re-evaluated Friday after practice to determine if he can compete Saturday on the road course at Indianapolis.

Newgarden was leading and headed to a sweep of the Iowa doubleheader Sunday when the suspension on his Team Penske car broke and he smashed hard into the wall. The driver from Nashville was evaluated in the Iowa medical center and cleared, but was required to undergo a second check Thursday by IndyCar officials at the speedway.

But not long after leaving the care center, Newgarden lost consciousness and collapsed in the motorhome lot. He hit his head on the pavement, opening a wound, and was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital and held overnight.

• Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel will retire at the end of the season to spend more time with his family, the German driver said.

In the NBA

James Harden decided to grow his beard and shear his annual salary in Philadelphia.

Harden signed a deal worth slightly over $68 million, paying him about $33 million this season with a $35 million player option for the 2023-24 season. Harden, though, will make about $14.5 million less this coming season than he could have earned under his previous deal. Harden had a $47.4 million option for this coming season that he declined last month, saying he wanted to give the 76ers flexibility to improve their roster and compete for a championship.

“This is where I want to be. This is where I want to win, and I think we have the pieces to accomplish that goal,” Harden said Wednesday. “From my first day with the 76ers organization, the team and the fans have helped me feel at home here in Philadelphia. I’m excited to build off of last season and I can’t wait to get out on the court with the guys and start this journey.”