Associated Press
Vincent Johnson began what figures to be a long, hard road to the PGA Tour with a pep talk from Charlie Sifford, the first black member of the Tour.
“He just told me that it’s a grind but that anything worth doing is never easy,” Johnson said.
Johnson, an Oregon State graduate, will get his first start on the PGA Tour at the Northern Trust Open later this month as the first recipient of the Charlie Sifford Exemption.
“To get this is just out of this world,” Johnson said.
Johnson will make his PGA Tour debut Feb. 19. The Northern Trust Open this year created the special exemption to honor Sifford, whose determination helped end the Caucasian-only clause on the PGA in 1961.
– SAN DIEGO ó Already missing Tiger Woods as he recovers from knee surgery, Torrey Pines lost the other half of its U.S. Open memory when Rocco Mediate withdrew from the Buick Invitational.
SWIMMING
MILWAUKEE ó Michael Phelps doesn’t seem to be in much hot water with his sponsors despite his public apology after being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
From apparel company Speedo to luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega, several sponsors are standing by the 23-year-old swimming phenom ó at least for now. Other big companies, like Visa Inc., Subway, and Kellogg Co., aren’t talking yet.
Phelps acknowledged “regrettable” behavior and “bad judgment” after the photo appeared in the British tabloid News of the World. The paper said the picture was taken during a party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina.
BASEBALL
BALTIMORE ó The Orioles have acquired left-hander Rich Hill from the Cubs for a player to be named.
The Cubs also made a deal with Oakland, sending reliever Michael Wuertz to the Athletics for a pair of minor leaguers.
* ATLANTA ó Casey Kotchman and the Braves avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,885,000. He hit a combined .272 with 14 homers and 74 RBIs last season for the Braves and the Los Angeles Angels.
Atlanta remains in arbitration with second baseman Kelly Johnson and right fielder Jeff Francoeur.n DENVER ó Josh Fogg has agreed to a minor league deal with the Rockies.
* NEW YORK ó Oliver Perez and the Mets reached a preliminary agreement on a $36 million, three-year deal.n HOLLYWOOD, Fla. ó With final voting on the Florida Marlins’ long-sought ballpark less than two weeks away, club president David Samson says he expects near-capacity crowds nightly the first year in the team’s new home.
Such an increase for the Marlins would allow them to climb into the middle of the major league pack in player payroll, Samson said.
“As soon as our revenues goes up, our payroll will go up,” Samson said.
NFL
ST. LOUIS ó Sylvester Croom, who resigned under pressure at Mississippi State, is the new running backs coach for the Rams.
*HOUSTON ó Nancy Neville Adams, who co-owned the Titans with her husband Bud Adams, has died. She was 84.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ó Preston Parker’s troubled career at Florida State is over after his second arrest in less than a year.
The junior receiver was dismissed from the team but will remain in school on scholarship.
The 21-year-old Parker was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after Tallahassee police found him asleep in his running car early Saturday. The police report said Parker admitted he had been drinking and smoking marijuana.
* ALISO VIEJO, Calif. ó Ohio State offensive lineman Alex Boone was arrested after being subdued with a Taser during an alleged drunken tirade, authorities said. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance call outside of a home. When they arrived, Boone had been jumping on car hoods, yanking on a tow truck cable and trying to break a window, said sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino.
HOCKEY
DETROIT ó Marian Hossa had the clincher in a shootout after scoring twice in regulation, lifting Detroit to a 4-3 win over St. Louis.
* OTTAWA ó Unable to turn around a team that reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2007, Craig Hartsburg was fired as coach just 48 games into a season in which the Senators have the NHL’s third-worst record.n WASHINGTON ó Capitals captain Chris Clark will have surgery on his right wrist and is expected to miss the rest of the season.n PITTSBURGH ó Tyler Kennedy was suspended one game for leaving the bench to start a fight with Toronto’s Luke Schenn.