Sports briefs

GOLFWoods shoots 68, trails by 4

Tiger Woods took another step toward showing his game might be turning around. Playing on one of his favorite courses, Woods made six birdies yesterday and opened with a 2-under 68 at the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. He was four shots behind Marc Leishman of Australia, who shot 64 on a perfect day for scoring at Firestone. Justin Rose was among five players at 65 as 27 players in the 76-man field at this World Golf Championship broke par. British Open champion Rory McIlroy made a late double bogey in his round of 69.

Dustin Johnson taking leave

Dustin Johnson is taking a leave of absence to seek help for "personal challenges," putting him out of the PGA Championship and raising questions about whether he will be at the Ryder Cup at the end of September. In a statement yesterday from his agent at Hambric Sports Management, Johnson 30, said his leave of absence was effective immediately.

Johnson withdrew from the Bridgestone Invitational at the start of the week. "I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced," he said. "By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion."

WNBA

Delle Donne back as Sky tops Liberty

Elena Delle Donne, playing for the first time since June 25 while dealing with Lyme disease, scored 10 points as the host Chicago Sky beat the Liberty, 87-84. "It's just awesome to be back with the team competing," said Delle Donne, who shot 3-for-8 from the field in about 101/2 minutes. "I feel really good and I'm happy we were able to keep the minutes down because it's something I'm going to have to build on."

Tina Charles had 15 points and Cappie Pondexter added 14 for the Liberty (11-15). Sylvia Fowles had 16 points and 14 rebounds, reserve guard Allie Quigley also scored 16 and Jameirra Faulkner added 14 for Chicago (11-16).

NBAFemale ref to marry partner

Violet Palmer made her biggest call yet: The NBA referee will marry her female partner of 20 years today. In an interview with The Associated Press, Palmer said she came out to her fellow NBA referees in 2007. She has not tried to keep her sexuality a secret from the league since that time. "This is actually the big formal coming out," Palmer said. "We are saying to the world, to everyone, here's my wife of 20 years. This is the big coming out." Palmer will marry celebrity hair stylist Tanya Stine in Los Angeles.

NFL

Lynch reports to Seahawks

Running back Marshawn Lynch joined the Seattle Seahawks' training camp, ending a week-long holdout. He arrived after the team's morning practice.

TENNIS

Injured Li pulls out of Open

Two-time major champion Li Na pulled out of the U.S. Open because of a knee injury she said has bothered her for several months. The only tennis player from China to win a Grand Slam singles title also withdrew from hard-court tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati during the next two weeks.

American Johnson gains

Steve Johnson knocked off another seeded player in the Citi Open, beating ninth-seeded Ivo Karlovic, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7), to advance to the quarterfinals in Washington. Johnson topped fifth-seeded John Isner in three sets Wednesday.

HORSE RACING

Horse euthanized at Saratoga

Lavender Road was euthanized yesterday after breaking her neck when she fell from heat stroke while leaving the paddock at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday. Dr. Travis Tull of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs said the 3-year-old filly suffered a fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra in her neck. Lavender Road was scratched after jockey Junior Alvarado noticed she wasn't acting right. She was taken to the paddock, where she flipped and hit her head on a rail. Lavender Road had one win from six lifetime starts for owner Kallenberg Farms. -- AP