By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - World number two Rory McIlroy suffered a late first-round meltdown in almost wintry conditions at Wentworth as he ballooned to a two-over-par 74 in the PGA Championship on Thursday. With some players wearing beanies and thick mittens for protection against chilly eight degree temperatures and winds gusting up to 20mph, it was Finn Mikko Ilonen who looked most at home as he grabbed the early clubhouse lead on five-under 67. ...

Sergio Garcia apologized to Tiger Woods for saying he would serve fried chicken if they were to have dinner at the U.S. Open, an ugly addition to nearly two weeks of verbal sparring.

LONDON (AP) — Wrestling's governing body has "reacted well" and made the necessary changes to give the sport a chance of saving its place in the Olympics, IOC President Jacques Rogge said.

MIAMI (AP) — It could have been the perfect matchup to cap an unforgettable game. LeBron James driving to the rim to face Roy Hibbert, one play to decide Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Former European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal drew on the memory of his 2003 spat with Padraig Harrington as he urged fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods to settle their differences. Garcia and 14-times major winner Woods have always had a frosty relationship and the Spaniard had to issue an apology on Wednesday after making a "fried chicken" jibe at the world number one at the European Tour's Player of the Year dinner the previous day. ...

By Simon Evans MIAMI (Reuters) - LeBron James scored the game-winning points in the dying embers of overtime as the Miami Heat held off a determined Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals opener on Wednesday. If broadcasters were concerned that another easy series win for Miami would further damage ratings, they got the perfect antidote with the Pacers pushing the Heat all the way and raising the prospect of a tight best-of-seven set. It was scrappy and foul-ridden at times in the first half and neither side were able to dominate at any stage. ...

(Reuters) - If Don Mattingly's comments and lineup change were aimed at shaking up his struggling Los Angeles team, he certainly got his wish as the Dodgers hammered Milwaukee 9-2 on Wednesday. With the Dodgers bottom of the National League West despite having one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball, Mattingly questioned his team's toughness and benched outfielder Andre Ethier. "It's not all grit and no talent that gets there, and it's not all talent and no grit. It's a mixture of both," Mattingly told reporters, saying he wanted a team "that is going to compete the whole day. ...

Imagine Derek Jeter leading the New York Yankees off the field because opposing fans were yelling racial slurs and throwing bananas at his team. Or a game between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls halted because of unrelenting race-baiting from the crowd.

OTTAWA (AP) — Sidney Crosby was careful not to get too far ahead of himself after helping the Pittsburgh Penguins rout the Ottawa Senators for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR honored a pair of its most famous and successful families with inductions into the Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

Mike Krzyzewski had decided to remain coach of the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Zach Johnson always feels good when he gets to Colonial.

(Reuters) - San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree has had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon but is not expected to miss the entire 2013-14 season, the National Football League (NFL) team said on Wednesday. Crabtree, San Francisco's leading receiver last season when they reached the Super Bowl before being beaten 34-31 by the Baltimore Ravens, injured his right Achilles during an organized team activity on Tuesday. "(Coach) Jim Harbaugh tells media @KingCrab15 has torn Achilles tendon but has had successful surgery. ...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers suddenly have a huge void in their receiving corps as they chase another Super Bowl berth: Michael Crabtree is sidelined after surgery on his right Achilles tendon.

CHICAGO (AP) — Brian Urlacher wasn't sure how dominant he could be any longer, so he's calling it a career after 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears.

(Reuters) - USA Basketball is set to name its men's coach for the next Olympic cycle and all signs point to Mike Krzyzewski, who has already led Team USA to a pair of Summer Games golds, retaining the job. A news conference hosted by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo to announce the selection has been called for Thursday at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where Krzyzewski presides as head coach of the Blue Devils. ...