Sports briefs

GOLFDurant takes lead at Senior Players

Joe Durant is trying desperately to hold onto his old job on the PGA Tour. If it doesn't work out, his new gig is looking more promising all the time. The Champions Tour rookie shot a 6-under 64 yesterday in the first round of the Senior Players Championship, making seven birdies against one bogey to join David Frost and Doug Garwood atop the leader board at defenseless Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh.

Bernhard Langer, Corey Pavin, Larry Mize, Steve Pate, Olin Browne, Bart Bryant, Peter Fowler and Wes Short Jr. shot 65. Colin Montgomerie, the Senior PGA winner last month, opened with a 5-under 30 on the front nine before fading to a 69.

The 50-year-old Durant, a four-time winner on the main tour, is trying to split time between both circuits this summer. The pressure to earn enough money while making limited PGA Tour starts has been draining. In a way, the 50-and-over tour is allowing him to recharge. "I'm trying so hard to make magic happen in one week [on the PGA Tour and it's just not working out very well," Durant said.

Kaymer seven back in Germany

Danny Willett and Rafa Cabrera-Bello both shot 8-under 64s to share the clubhouse lead while local favorite Martin Kaymer endured a frustrating round on the opening day of the BMW International Open at Cologne, Germany. Willett, the Englishman who won the 2012 tournament on the same Gut Laerchenhof course, finished with his eighth birdie to match his Spanish playing partner's bogey-free round. Kaymer, making his first competitive appearance since winning the U.S. Open, made five birdies but was let down by two bogeys and a double bogey in a 1-under 71.

NFLWashington signs Jerry Rice Jr.

Washington signed Jerry Rice Jr., son of the Hall of Fame receiver. Rice is an undrafted free agent out of UNLV. He caught 11 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown last year in his only season with the Rebels. Rice is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. He previously played at UCLA before transferring to UNLV. Rice had tryouts with the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers this offseason.

HORSE RACINGOrtiz rides four winners at Belmont

Jose Ortiz rode his fourth winner of the day as Ziptronic held off Sandy'z Slew by three-quarters of a length in the $65,000 feature at Belmont Park. Ortiz has seven wins over the last two days. Ziptronic, an 8-year-old gelding trained by Gary Contessa, raced to his eighth win in 45 starts. -- AP