Associated Press
NORTON, Mass. ó Steve Stricker squeezed everything he could out of his final shot Sunday in the Deutsche Bank Championship, setting up an eagle that gave him a share of the lead with Retief Goosen and Sean O’Hair.
Stricker, who can overtake Tiger Woods atop the FedEx Cup standings with a victory, hit his hybrid to 5 feet on the par-5 18th for a 6-under 65. He was among a dozen players separated by three shots going into the Labor Day finish at TPC Boston.
– PRIDDIS, Alberta ó Norway’s Suzann Pettersen won the Canadian Women’s Open for her first LPGA Tour win in nearly two years, closing with a 1-under 70 for a five-stroke victory at Priddis Greens.
– PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. ó Jeff Sluman overcame a six-stroke deficit at Pebble Beach to successfully defend his Walmart First Tee Open title, acing the fifth hole and finishing with a 4-under 68 for a two-stroke victory.
– LEON, Mexico ó Former Boise State player Troy Merritt won the Mexico Open on for his first Nationwide Tour victory, beating Australia’s Adam Bland with a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff.
NFL
SAN DIEGO ó San Diego Chargers star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested Sunday and accused of choking and restraining his girlfriend, reality TV star Tila Tequila, as she tried to leave his suburban home.
Tequila, 27, signed a citizen’s arrest warrant, charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Steadman said.
Deputies responded about 3:45 a.m. to Merriman’s house in Poway, north of San Diego, after a woman called to say she was choked by the player and thrown to the ground when she tried to leave, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jan Caldwell said at a news conference.
– ALAMEDA, Calif. ó The Oakland Raiders took a big step toward improving their struggling run defense by acquiring five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour from the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The move does not come without its risks as the Raiders gave up a first-round pick in 2011, which could be in the top 10 based on Oakland’s recent history, to acquire a lineman who turns 30 next month and is in the final year of a contract paying him $3.7 million this season.
Raiders owner Al Davis wanted immediate help for a defense that has struggled to stop the run in recent seasons. Since going to the Super Bowl following the 2002 season, Oakland has had the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 141.7 yards per game on the ground and 122 touchdowns rushing.
The Raiders have allowed a 100-yard rusher in more than half of their games the past three years.
– ATLANTA ó Cornerback Brian Williams, who started all 16 games for Jacksonville last season, has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons.
Williams, a fourth-round pick by Minnesota in 2002, played four seasons with the Vikings before spending three seasons with the Jaguars.
– ENGLEWOOD, Colo. ó Defensive end Vonnie Holliday, who joined the Denver Broncos on Sunday for his first workout with his new team, says an injured knee is what prevented him from signing a contract this spring.
– NEW YORK ó The New York Jets acquired quarterback Kevin O’Connell from the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed draft pick Sunday.
O’Connell’s arrival gives the Jets four quarterbacks on the roster with rookie starter Mark Sanchez, veteran Kellen Clemens and Erik Ainge.
NASCAR
HAMPTON, Ga. ó The inaugural Labor Day race weekend and Atlanta Motor Speedway’s first scheduled night race combined to boost attendance.
The stronger demand for tickets also created some problems.
Atlanta Motor Speedway president Ed Clark apologized to fans who experienced difficulty when they were unable to purchase tickets online this week.
“It’s a buzz like we haven’t seen around here for a long time,” Clark said Sunday.
NASCAR does not release official attendance figures. Several reporters estimated attendance for the Pep Boys Auto 500 as about 100,000, a big increase from the estimated attendance of 60,000 for the Kobalt Tools 500 in March.
NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp estimated attendance at 100,000 to 110,000 for Sunday night’s race.
SWINE FLU
ATLANTA ó Georgia defensive tackle Makiri Pugh has tested positive for swine flu.
Coach Mark Richt said after Saturday’s 24-10 loss at Oklahoma State that Pugh, a redshirt freshman, did not travel with the Bulldogs after testing positive.
Quarterback Joe Cox, who missed Thursday’s practice due to flu-like symptoms, tested negative for the virus, according to Richt.
Richt said he did not know how long Pugh, a backup, will be out.
On Sunday, Richt said he and his staff are “taking every precaution that we can” to guard against the virus spreading.