Howell in three-way tie for Valspar lead

Charles Howell III saw a news blurb that the Masters is a month away, and the Augusta native played Thursday like he wants to be there.

Howell played bogey-free and picked up two key birdies in a 4-under 67 that gave him a share of the lead with Keegan Bradley and Ken Duke in the Valspar Championship.

It's only one round, but Howell said it was good for his confidence to play that way on a strong golf course.

"I was impressed I got away with no bogeys," Howell said. "It was nice to get off to a good start here on a place like this. I'm not sure what the rest of the week will hold, but to actually play a nice round on a tough golf course is good for my confidence."

Masters champion Jordan Spieth went the other direction. He made five bogeys in his opening seven holes and never recovered for a 76. Spieth needs a low round Friday to make the cut.

"I got off to a poor start and I was behind the eight ball with gusty winds on a tough golf course," Spieth said.

The NCAA will distribute an extra $200 million to Division I schools in the spring of 2017 to be used by members for funding benefits for athletes.

Schools with the largest number of athletic scholarships will receive the largest payouts. These funds are in addition to the normal annual distributions to members and come from Division I assets the NCAA holds in reserve.

LSU coach Les Miles said he has granted quarterback Anthony Jennings' release to transfer to another school.

Miles said LSU wishes him "nothing but good fortune" and appreciates all he has done for the Tigers in his three seasons.

Jennings went 9-4 as LSU's starter, mostly as a sophomore in 2014, when he led the Tigers' offense during an Outback Bowl victory over Iowa.

Last season, however, he lost the starting job to Brandon Harris. LSU also has acquired new quarterbacks who are expected to compete for playing time.

... Larry Coker, who was fired in January as Texas-San Antonio coach with three years left on his contract, agreed to accept a $650,000 settlement from the university.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb and likely will be sidelined for about 10 to 12 weeks. General Manager John Mozeliak said Peralta likely will be in a cast for four to six weeks.

... Angels pitcher Jered Weaver underwent an MRI because of discomfort in his neck. The righthander gave up three home runs during a 13-13 tie against the Dodgers on Wednesday and has allowed five runs and six hits in 2⅔ innings. Weaver complained of tightness in his neck Thursday. ... Trying to come back from a series of elbow injuries, Oakland pitcher Jarrod Parker hurt his elbow yet again on the 12th pitch of a simulated game Thursday. The A's said Parker, who came off the field in pain, suffered a lateral elbow impingement and will undergo an MRI.

Boxing: Police in Panama say former boxing champion Celestino Caballero was arrested with what authorities suspect is about 10 kilograms of cocaine.

Dog-sled racing: Four-time champion Jeff King surged out of the checkpoint at the former town of Cripple after a four-hour rest to take the lead in the Iditarod. It is the fifth day of the 1,000-mile race to Nome. Four other mushers also have reached the checkpoint and may be taking their mandatory 24-hour rests. King has not taken that layover yet.