Langer Questionable for Ryder Cup Match

Bernard Gallacher, European Ryder Cup captain, has given Bernhard Langer until Wednesday to prove that he will be fit to play in the match against the United States starting Friday at Sutton Coldfield, England.

Langer, who has been doubtful for the biennial match because of a neck injury, will have a full practice with the European team today.

“If he practices . . . and feels a reaction on his neck after practicing for the first time in a couple of weeks, then he and I will have to reach some sort of a sensible decision on this,” Gallacher said.

The European team will be trying to regain the trophy it lost to the U.S. team at Kiawah Island, S.C., in 1991, when Langer missed a six-foot putt on the final hole of the last match.

Boxing

Ray Mercer, charged with offering a $100,000 bribe to Jesse Ferguson during their February fight, will get an unusual opportunity for a defendant--the chance to punch the person who could be testifying against him.

Mercer will fight Ferguson on Nov. 19 in Atlantic City.

Mercer pleaded innocent in June to a charge that he offered a bribe to Ferguson, his former sparring partner, to take a dive in their Feb. 6 fight in New York City.

Ferguson won the 10-round bout by unanimous decision, costing Mercer a $2.5-million payday in a proposed fight against heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe.

Toto Por Pongsawan was expected to remain in a hospital at least until Wednesday recovering from his loss to champion Ricardo Lopez of Mexico in their WBC straw weight title fight at Bangkok, Thailand.

The referee stopped the fight in the 11th round Sunday, and Toto was taken to a hospital with both eyes swollen shut and blood streaming from his mouth.

Pro Basketball

Second-round draft choice Leonard White, who averaged 20.6 points and 10.0 rebounds for Southern University last season, signed with the Clippers.

White, a 6-foot-6, 218-pound forward, was the 53rd selection in the NBA draft after leading Southern to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The NBA expansion committee heard presentations in New York by three investor groups from Toronto and one from Vancouver.

At least one of those cities is expected to be awarded a new franchise at the NBA Board of Governors meeting Nov. 3-4.

Tennis

Tracy Austin, 30, plans to step up her comeback and hopes to enter major tournaments next year, the former No. 1-ranked player told the Sun News of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Olympics

With the race for the 2000 Summer Olympics in its final days, China took a different tack to counter human rights criticism that has hurt its Beijing bid.

In a departure from the brusque, official policy statements issued over the past week, a Chinese spokesman made a personal and emotional appeal for understanding.

The other candidates are Sydney, Australia; Manchester, England; Berlin and Istanbul, Turkey.

Miscellany

Gil Stein, the former NHL president whose entry to the Hockey Hall of Fame was blocked this summer, is leaving the league. His departure was announced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who had ordered an investigation of Stein’s conduct concerning the Hall of Fame.

An independent inquiry found that Stein had attempted to manipulate his entry into the Hall. It was recommended that his nomination be disallowed, but Stein withdrew voluntarily.

Missouri basketball player Jevon Crudup pleaded innocent to charges of driving while intoxicated and failure to drive on the right side of the road.

Crudup, a 6-foot-9 forward, was arrested Sept. 7. His attorney mailed the innocent plea to Boone County (Mo.) Circuit Court.

It was Crudup’s second arrest in two weeks. He and teammate Melvin Booker were issued summonses Aug. 29 for disturbing the peace after a fight at the university’s Memorial Union.

Police in Boulder, Colo., dropped obstruction charges against Colorado basketball star Donnie Boyce, saying there was no evidence he was involved in drug activities as previously suspected.