Wagner leads by two at Greenbrier

GOLF: Johnson Wagner shot a 6-under 64 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Wagner was at 14 under on the Old White TPC course. Jimmy Walker also shot 64 and was second at 12 under.

Wagner has yet to post a top-10 finish this year. At the Greenbrier, he broke a string of seven consecutive early exits.

In his two previous tournaments, he had three birdies combined. He had seven of them on Saturday.

“I felt really comfortable all day,” Wagner said. “I hit a lot of good golf shots. I’ve got a really clear picture of what I’m trying to do on every swing.

“Sometimes when you’re playing bad, you forget who you are and you get down on yourself. The last couple of weeks, I’ve just trying to be positive,” he said.

Walker finished one stroke out of a playoff in the 2011 Greenbrier Classic and tied for fourth in 2010.

“The golf course really seems to fit my eye,” Walker said. “I like the tee shots, I like the second shots, and I feel comfortable. And when you feel comfortable at places … I seem to play well.”

Sweden’s Jonas Blixt was four strokes behind Wagner at 10 under after shooting 67. Australians Matt Jones (66) and Steven Bowditch (69) and Texas teenager Jordan Spieth (67) were at 9 under.

• McDowell, Sterne share French Open lead: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland shot a 1-under 70 to share the lead with Richard Sterne of South Africa after the third round of the French Open in Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines, France.

McDowell made two birdies and a bogey on the tough Albatross course of Le Golf National to sit at 5-under 208 while Sterne was less consistent, offsetting two bogeys and a double bogey with four birdies for a 71.

Bernd Wiesberger of Austria (68) shared third place with David Howell of England (69) and Richard Green of Australia (70), one stroke back.

Patriots take back Hernandez jerseys

NFL: As New England Patriots fans descended on the ProShop adjacent to Gillette Stadium, their Aaron Hernandez jerseys were folded neatly, crumpled up in a ball, wedged under their arms or stuffed into a bag – and then handed over to be destroyed or recycled.

“I just did not want to be wearing it,” said Scott Richman of Sharon, Mass.

“I think it is the right thing to do,” said Randy Medeiros of New Bedford, Mass.

The Patriots figured that would be the sentiment. The NFL team had disassociated itself from Hernandez by releasing him shortly after he was arrested on murder and gun charges June 26. Next, this weekend’s jersey exchange was scheduled, giving fans an opportunity to do the same.

The first fan arrived Saturday at 7:30 a.m., two hours before the exchange was to begin at 10. At 9:30, the Patriots decided to open the ProShop a half-hour early because a long line had formed around a tent set up for jersey collection. By 11 a.m., 500 exchanges had taken place, and there was a slow but steady stream of fans throughout the afternoon.

In total, approximately 1,200 jerseys were traded. The exchange continues today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jerseys of the brand and style that were available at the ProShop during Hernandez’s three years with the team can be turned in for a voucher that guarantees a jersey of comparable value.

Sabres sign Alexander Sulzer

NHL: The Buffalo Sabres signed defenseman Alexander Sulzer to a one-year contract.

The 29-year-old German had three goals and one assist in 17 games with Buffalo before suffering a knee injury Feb. 23. He has seven goals and 20 points in 106 career NHL games for Buffalo, Vancouver, Florida and Nashville.

• Jets, Pardy reach deal: The Winnipeg Jets signed defenseman Adam Pardy.

The 29-year-old Pardy played in 17 games last season with the Buffalo Sabres. He had four assists and 14 penalty minutes.

• Blues, Roy agree to deal, pending physical: Derek Roy agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues, pending a physical for the veteran forward.

The Blues had been looking for a top center since before the trade deadline. The 30-year-old Roy split last season between the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks and finished with seven goals and 21 assists.

Washington wins at Henley Regatta

Rowing: The University of Washington continued its unbeaten season with the Huskies booking a place in today’s final of the Grand Challenge Cup for international eights at the Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames in Henley, England.

The “Grand” is the senior event of this regatta, and Washington beat the Polish national squad, racing as Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Zawisza and Regionalne Towarzystwo Wioslarskie Lotto, by 1 1/4 lengths in the semifinals.

It now faces the Great Britain national squad, including Olympic champions Peter Reid and Andrew Triggs Hodge.

Big Blue Kitten wins at Monmouth Park

Horse racing: Big Blue Kitten took the lead in the stretch and went on to win the $500,000 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., beating Teaks North by 1 1/4 lengths.

Ridden by Joe Bravo and trained by Chad Brown, the 5-year-old horse covered the 1 3/8 miles on a firm turf course in 2 minutes, 11 seconds.

Hangover Kid was a length back in third and Little Mike, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, was sent off as the 8-5 betting favorite and held the lead for most of the race before fading to fourth.

• Game On Dude defends title in Hollywood Gold Cup: Game On Dude led all the way in winning the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup in Inglewood, Calif., for the second straight year, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his fifth victory in the 74-year-old race and co-owner Joe Torre his second.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Game On Dude ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.88 as the 1-5 favorite.

• Flat Out wins Belmont’s Suburban Handicap: Flat Out took charge in midstretch, beating Last Gunfighter by 2 1/2 lengths for his second win in the $350,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park in New York.

A 7-year-old trained by Bill Mott, Flat Out also took the 2011 renewal of the prestigious stakes run for the 127th time.

Flat Out, the even-money favorite, is 5 of 6 at Belmont, including the last two Jockey Club Gold Cups.