Faldo Says Proposed World Tour Won’t Happen

Nick Faldo called the proposed World Tour “just short of ridiculous” Wednesday and said “it’s not going to happen.”

Faldo made his statements while preparing for the Johnnie Walker World Championship at Montego Bay, Jamaica, where players were handed brochures outlining plans to change the proposed tour from eight tournaments to six.

“Obviously, they’re pushing this brochure this week with some of the changes they have come up with, and still nothing makes sense at the moment,” he said.

The World Tour, backed by the Fox network, would include the top 30 in the Sony rankings and 10 sponsor exemptions. PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem has threatened to suspend any player who chooses to play in a World Tour event that conflicts with the PGA Tour.

Among Faldo’s concerns is how a player could qualify for the Ryder Cup if he is banned from the American or European tours.

College Football

Memphis officials, concerned about attendance and a lack of fan enthusiasm at Tiger games, fired Coach Chuck Stobart. Stobart, 60, led the Tigers to their third consecutive 6-5 season, the first time in 17 years that Memphis, a football independent, has had three straight winning teams.

Kenny Cooper, a USC football player accused of cheating on his American College Testing exam last month, has left school, university sources said. Cooper and running back Delon Washington were accused in September of having someone else take their ACT tests. School officials said last month that Washington had been cleared.

Cornerback Weldon English, defensive back Calvin Robinson and wide receiver Eric Yarborough of Southern Methodist, who were recently charged with the aggravated sexual assault of a teen-age girl at a Denton, Tex., motel were suspended from the university.

Senior safety Joe Vaughn and senior defensive lineman Oscar Wilson of Cal State Northridge were named to the Associated Press Division I-AA All-American team. . . . Fred Goldsmith of Duke won the Bobby Dodd national coach of the year award.

Names in the News

Outfielder Darryl Strawberry and his agent, Eric Goldschmidt, pleaded innocent to charges they conspired to evade paying taxes on more than $500,000 of Strawberry’s promotional income. . . . U.S. World Cup player Marcelo Balboa was named U.S. soccer player of the year in a vote of sports journalists. . . . Alexi Lalas, the first American to play in the Italian soccer league, will sit out a game after being suspended for the first time this season.

Promoter Dan Duva denied published reports that a bout between Evander Holyfield and former World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion Mike Weaver is set for March 25 in China. . . . Former UCLA guard Shon Tarver signed with the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Assn.