Associated Press
MARANA, Ariz. ó Tiger Woods had no complaints with his game or his knee, but he had no answer Thursday for former N.C. State golfer Tim Clark, who played 16 holes without a bogey and knocked the world’s No. 1 player out of the Accenture Match Play Championship.
So where does Woods go from here?
“I go to the airport,” he said.
Clark, who poured in six birdies, won 4 and 2.
“I knew I had to play out of my mind to beat him,” Clark said.
Clark, a pesky opponent with a sharp short game, didn’t give himself much of a chance.
“I was really working hard to keep myself calm and try to play my own game,” Clark said. “I put a lot of iron shots pretty close, and I think perhaps he wasn’t expecting that or not. But I don’t think I’m ever going to intimidate Tiger Woods, let’s put it that way.”
Phil Mickelson is the highest-rated player left in an event now down to 16 players. He earned a 1-up win over Zach Johnson.
HOCKEY
RALEIGH ó Jussi Jokinen scored the winning goal in a shootout and Cam Ward made 36 saves in Carolina’s 2-1 victory over Buffalo. The Hurricanes moved into a tie with the Sabres in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
* NEWARK, N.J. ó Martin Brodeur recorded his 99th career regular-season shutout, making 24 saves in his first game since elbow surgery in early Novemeber as New Jersey beat Colorado 4-0.
* NEW YORK ó David Booth and Nathan Horton scored on consecutive shots a minute apart in the third period to rally Florida to a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers.
* BOSTON ó Tim Thomas stopped 35 shots, and Michael Ryder had a goal and two assists in his second game back after facial surgery to lead Boston to a 6-0 win over Anaheim.
* WASHINGTON ó Alexander Semin scored one of Washington’s three power-play goals and assisted on both of the others, including Mike Green’s go-ahead score, as the Capitals held on for a 4-3 win over Atlanta.n PITTSBURGH ó The Penguins traded defenseman Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for forward Chris Kunitz and a prospect.
* DALLAS ó The Stars have acquired center Steve Begin from Montreal for defenseman Doug Janik. The deal gives Dallas depth after forward Brad Richards broke his right wrist. BASEBALL
NEW YORK ó Alex Rodriguez was told by the New York Yankees to keep cousin Yuri Sucart away from the team.
The message applied both to spring training and the regular season. Rodriguez also was told the cousin should not be anywhere the team congregates, which presumably includes the team’s hotel when it travels and the ballpark.
General manager Brian Cashman said only that the matter of Rodriguez being picked up from his spring training opener Wednesday by his cousin “has been handled.”
Rodriguez acknowledged to the Yankees that having the cousin meet him at the ballpark in Dunedin was a mistake, the person who told The Associated Press about the situation said.
* NEW YORK ó The Yankees and Bank of America have ended months of negotiations on a sponsorship agreement. They had talked about the possibility of a deal that would have included signage, special events and tickets.
* TAMPA, Fla. ó The Yankees are lowering the price of about 600 obstructed-view seats at the new stadium from $12 to $5.
* SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. ó Tim Lincecum agreed to a $650,000, one-year contract with the Giants.
* DETROIT ó A $410 billion spending bill pending in Congress includes $3.8 million to help redevelop the remaining section of old Tiger Stadium.
* PEORIA, Ariz. ó Ken Griffey Jr.’s first spring training game in his return to the Seattle Mariners won’t come until Wednesday against Australia’s national team.
* PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. ó New York Mets ace Johan Santana was scratched from this morning’s “B” game start against Italy because of tenderness in his pitching elbow.
* PHOENIX ó The Dodgers announced Scott Boras, the agent for Manny Ramirez, had declined a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. It was the club’s fourth offer to Ramirez this offseason.
* PHOENIX ó Doug Mientkiewicz and the Dodgers agreed to a minor league contract.
* SAN FRANCISCO ó Media companies urged a federal judge to allow access to the completed questionnaires from potential jurors in Barry Bonds’ perjury trial.
There are more than 60 questions on the forms including potential jurors’ opinion of Bonds and whether they’ve followed the issue of steroid use in pro sports.
NBA
HOUSTON ó The Rockets held LeBron James without an assist for the first time in his career and limited Cleveland to its lowest point total of the season in beating the Cavaliers 93-74.
James scored 21 points. He left for good with 4:03 left, the first time in 493 games (counting playoffs) he failed to record an assist.
Ben Wallace will miss four to six weeks after breaking his right leg. He said Yao Ming kicked him as the two were running down the court in the second quarter.
* LOS ANGELES ó The Los Angeles Lakers scored 70 points in the first half and rolled past the Steven Nash-less Phoenix Suns 132-106. Kobe Bryant had 22 points and eight rebounds.
Shaquille O’Neal had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Suns.
* CHICAGO ó Former Bulls guard and broadcaster Norm Van Lier was found dead in his home, authorities said. He was 61.
* CHICAGO ó Johnny “Red” Kerr, the former Bulls coach who spent more than three decades as a broadcaster for the team, died. He was 76. Kerr died at his home after a battle with prostate cancer, Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said.
* NEW YORK ó The NBA has lined up $200 million to distribute to teams interested in additional cash, which the league considers a sign it remains strong in a slumping economy.
Charlotte Bobcats owner Bob Johnson has acknowledged losing tens of millions of dollars since paying $300 million for the expansion franchise, which began play in 2004-05. The Bobcats would not say whether they are among the 12 teams interested in the money.
“We don’t disclose our financial information,” Bobcats spokesman Michael Thompson said. “But the fact that NBA teams get opportunities like this really speaks to the strength of our business.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó It’ll cost South Carolina nearly $2 million for Steve Spurrier’s rebuilt staff.
The school released salaries of Spurrier’s nine assistants and new strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald after a request by The Associated Press and other media outlets.
* CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ó Virginia football coach Al Groh has filled the last opening on his staff by naming longtime NFL defensive assistant Bob Trott as his linebackers coach.
Trott spent the past five seasons as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns, and he also has worked for the New England Patriots and New York Giants.
West Rowan’s K.P. Parks recently committed to Virginia.
* MORGANTOWN, W.Va. ó West Virginia and LSU have agreed to a home-and-home football series starting in 2010. The Mountaineers will travel to Baton Rouge, La., in 2010, and the Tigers will come to Morgantown in 2011.
WVU will play FCS schools Liberty in 2009, Coastal Carolina in 2010 and Norfolk State in 2011.
* AUSTIN, Texas ó Texas backup quarterback John Chiles will move to wide receiver.
TENNIS
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates ó Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championship with a straight-set win over Marin Cilic, but Andy Murray withdrew with a viral infection hours before his match.
* DELRAY BEACH, Fla., ó Mardy Fish reached the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Vince Spadea.
SOCCER
AC Milan and David Beckham were eliminated from the UEFA Cup after wasting a two-goal lead at home in a 2-2 tie against Germany’s Werder Bremen.