IN BRIEF
PRO FOOTBALL
Grant, Saints agree to contract extension
Charles Grant agreed to a seven-year contract extension Thursday worth up to $63 million with New Orleans, ending a dispute over the Saints putting the franchise tag on the starting defensive end.
Initially upset about being denied the chance to test the market as an unrestricted free agent this year, Grant said his relationships with teammates on the Saints — and his faith in coach Sean Payton — motivated him to continue working on an extension to keep him in New Orleans.
Also: Michael Turner, the backup to NFL Most Valuable Player LaDainian Tomlinson, can now leave the San Diego Chargers only if he’s traded.
Turner signed the $2.35 million, one-year tender he received from the team after becoming a restricted free agent.
Chargers general manager A.J. Smith put the highest possible tender on Turner. That meant if another team signed Turner to an offer sheet, the Chargers could have either matched it or received that team’s first- and third-round draft picks.
A woman who was with Chargers linebacker Steve Foley the night he was shot by an off-duty police officer was found guilty in San Diego of felony assault with a deadly weapon.
Lisa Maree Gaut, 26, was convicted of trying to run down officer Aaron Mansker with Foley’s car. Foley had gotten out of the car to confront Mansker, who fired a series of shots into the linebacker’s left leg, hip and hand.
The Denver Broncos added depth at linebacker, signing unrestricted free agents Warrick Holdman and D.D. Lewis.
UNLV
Han takes early lead at MWC golf tournament
UNLV sophomore Seung-su Han shot 6-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Mountain West Conference Men’s Golf Championship in Tucson, Ariz.
Brigham Young’s Clay Ogden is in second place. Rebels junior C.J. Gatto is in a four-way tie for fourth at 68.
BYU has the team lead at 12-under 272, with UNLV second at 9 under.
Also: The UNLV women’s tennis team opened play in the MWC Championship with a 4-2 victory over Utah in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Despite conference co-player of the year Elena Gantcheva losing, the third-seeded Rebels advanced to play second-seeded Texas Christian in today’s semifinals.
Nikol Dimitrova, Linda Tempelfelde and Claire Smith all gained singles victories for UNLV (18-6).
The UNLV men’s tennis team defeated Utah 4-0 at the MWC Championship in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Elliot Wronski, Wesley Burrows and Brett Hunter gained singles victories for the third-seeded Rebels.
UNLV (11-13) will face second-seeded TCU in today’s semifinals.
MISCELLANEOUS
O’Hair opens with 65, on top at Byron Nelson
Sean O’Hair shot a season-best 5-under 65 in the first round of the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Brett Wetterich and Anders Hansen.
Wetterich’s 66 included an eagle 3 on the 554-yard 16th hole, where he hit his approach within 7 feet of the pin.
Luke Donald and Scott Verplank were among five players tied for fourth at 67.
Also: Lorena Ochoa shot a 5-under 68 in the Mexican star’s first round as the No. 1 player in the world, leaving the defending champion a stroke behind leader Stacy Prammanasudh in the Corona Morelia Championship in Morelia, Mexico.
Marquette guard Dominic James declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent so he has the option to return to school.
Rafael Nadal extended his winning streak on clay to 69 matches, defeating Thomas Johansson 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Open Seat Godo in Barcelona, Spain.
