SPORTS digest

Christman, Pikunas competing in Florida

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.

Local golfers Cole Christman and Jacinta Pikunas will compete with more than 700 of golf’s top young players at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

The tournament will bring together some of the world’s most talented young competitors, many of whom have the potential to become leading collegiate and professional golfers in the future.

Junior golfers ages 10 to 18 will travel from around the world to play in the annual tournament.

Boys in the 10-11, 12-13 and girls 10-12 will play July 18-23.

Boys 14-15 and girls 13-14 will play July 23-28.

The boys 16-18 and girls 15-18 divisions will have their turn July 28-Aug. 2.

Jacobson places ninth in NOPGA event

stow

Zachary Jacobson of Poland tied for ninth place at a Northern Ohio PGA Junior event at Fox Den Golf Club Friday.

Jacobson shot a 36 on the back-nine to finish his round at 6-over 76.

On the girls side, Vienna’s Emily Koehler finished third out of nine, also shooting a 6-over 76 while Lisbon’s Samantha Tinsley was two shots back of Koehler to finish fourth.

Youngstown’s Sydney Heinbaugh shot a 12-over 82 to finish tied for seventh while Poland’s Jenna Jacobson finished in ninth, shooting a 13-over 83.

NBC to debut its Olympic channel today

new york

While too early for a torch lighting, a new Olympic-themed television network makes its debut today.

The Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA is designed to highlight Olympic sports and athletes and will begin airing in some 35 million American homes today at 6 a.m.

NBC’s Mike Tirico kicks it off with a programming preview that will be repeated throughout the weekend for those sleeping in.

It’s a perilous time in the industry to start a new network. But NBC Universal is sharing costs and creative control with the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee. Early programming includes world championships in track & field and swimming, along with a look-back at the 1992 basketball “Dream Team.”

NCAA placing emphasis on road wins

Winning road games will have a greater emphasis than before in the NCAA Tournament selection process.

The NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee is altering its definition of a “quality win” to highlight the importance of winning on the road.

For the last several years, team sheets used in evaluation of NCAA Tournament contenders were divided into four columns: Results against top-50 teams in the RPI, teams ranked 51-100, teams ranked 101-200 and teams outside the top 200.

Starting in the 2017-18 season, these team sheets will place greater emphasis on where the games are played rather than the ranking of each opponent.

The committee also plans to continue studying different available metrics for evaluating teams, with the likelihood that a new metric could be in place by 2018-19.

Sandoval designated for assignment

boston

The Boston Red Sox have designated third baseman Pablo Sandoval for assignment.

The team cut its losses with the one-time San Francisco Giants slugger on Friday after activating him from the disabled list. He had been on an injury rehab assignment for an inner ear infection with Triple-A Pawtucket. The Red Sox have 10 days to trade or release him.

Sandoval had won three World Series titles with the Giants before the Red Sox signed him for five years and $95 million before the 2015 season. He has appeared in just 161 games since then, hitting .237 with 14 homers.

Staff/wire report