Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods lose in Turkey

The anticipated matchup between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woodson Wednesday may not count for much after both lost their opening matches at the eight-player World Golf Finals at Belek, Turkey.

McIlroy lost to Matt Kuchar by six shots and Woods fell to Charl Schwartzel by one shot in the $5.2-million event.

In the other group of the medal match-play format, Lee Westwood beat Webb Simpson by one shot and Justin Rose defeated Hunter Mahan by four strokes.

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The NCAA banned the Texas Southern football and men’s basketball teams from the postseason Tuesday, saying it came close to levying the so-called “death penalty” against the school for repeated rules violations and for lying about imposing sanctions on its own.

The Division I Infractions Committee said it found a lack of institutional control and outlined problems spanning 13 sports over a seven-year period, including booster-related recruiting violations, academic improprieties, the use of ineligible athletes and exceeding scholarship limits. The basketball team, currently coached by former Indiana coach Mike Davis, was banned from the 2012-13 postseason and the football team in both 2013 and 2014.

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The Western Athletic Conference is adding Cal State Bakersfield and Utah Valley next year as it punts away football after a half-century on the gridiron. The 50-year-old WAC is the first Division I conference to give up on football since the Southwest Conference dissolved in 1995, but the additions of Cal State Bakersfield and Utah Valley assured at least for now that it won’t also go the way of the SWC, and cease to exist altogether.

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Former junior-welterweight world champion Amir Khan (26-3, 18 knockouts) will return to the ring Dec. 15 against Norwalk’s unbeaten Carlos Molina (17-0-1, seven KOs) at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

England’s Khan has lost his most recent two fights, a December split-decision to Lamont Peterson and a fourth-round technical-knockout against Danny Garcia in July.

The most recent boxing card at the Sports Arena was in 1996. Showtime will televise Khan-Molina.

—-Lance Pugmire

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With U.S. anti-doping officials set to issue their report on the Lance Armstrong case, a lawyer for the cyclist on Tuesday again criticized the process which led to Armstrong being banned from the sport for life. In a five-page letter to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Armstrong attorney Tim Herman said the agency should send the International Cycling Union its entire evidence file in the Armstrong case, not just a limited report packaged to support the sanctions.

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Big-serving John Isner reached the third round of the Shanghai Masters by beating Kevin Anderson of South Africa, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 7-6 (7). ... American Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Tamira Paszek of Austria, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round of the Generali Ladies at Linz, Austria.

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Dwyane Wade is signing with Chinese sportswear provider Li-Ning, which is giving the Miami Heat guard his own brand within the company along with plenty of creative and strategic input.

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Budd Lynch, a veteran radio broadcaster who spent more than 60 years working for the Detroit Red Wings and became the team’s public voice, died Tuesday. He was 95.

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Kaka looks set to be picked by Brazil for the friendly against Iraq on Thursday, in what would mark his return to the national team for the first time since the 2010 World Cup. ... UEFA has banned Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets for two Champions League matches after he was sent off for violent conduct in a 2-0 victory against Benfica last week.