Golf

South Africa’s Ernie Els surpassed Tiger Woods as the world’s No. 1 golfer in this week’s official rankings.

Els, who reached the No. 1 position for a week in 1997 after his second U.S. Open victory, regained the top spot after Woods failed to retain his Masters title.

Woods had held the No. 1 position for the past 13 weeks. He was tied for eighth at Augusta while Els had a share of 16th place.

The two-day overnight average for CBS’ coverage of the Masters was an 8.6 rating and 23 share, the second-highest Masters since at least 1986, according to the network. But it was 33% lower than Woods’ historic performance in 1997, which got a 12.8 and 27 share overnight, the highest in Masters history.

College Basketball

Brigham Young University suspended the school’s leading scorer, Ron Selleaze, and sophomore guard Michael Garrett for one year after they allegedly were found in possession of marijuana.

Selleaze, who has already redshirted one year, will now miss his senior season, ending his career in a Cougar uniform after only 22 games. He could transfer to a Division II or lower school to play his senior season.

New Texas Coach Rick Barnes, met with Luke Axtell, a key figure in the Longhorn player revolt that led to the resignation of Tom Penders last month, but Axtell reaffirmed his decision to transfer to Kansas.

Blaine Taylor resigned as coach at the University of Montana to take an assistant’s coaching job at Stanford.

Boxing

Don King watched his criminal trial open in New York with a prosecutor telling jurors that the promoter “didn’t fight fair” when he faked an insurance contract in 1991 after a bout was canceled. King’s company submitted an insurance claim asking Lloyd’s of London for $350,000 in training fees allegedly paid to Julio Cesar Chavez for a 1991 bout that was canceled.

Miscellany

A year after Washington Redskin owner Jack Kent Cooke died and left his wife nothing, his heirs reached a secret settlement with the widow, estate lawyers said.

The agreement resolves lawsuits filed by Marlena Ramallo Cooke and by lawyers for the estimated $825-million estate and averts a trial.

The NCAA refined the rules it imposed in January after the deaths of three wrestlers, recommending new weight classes, limiting how much weight a wrestler could lose and requiring that practice rooms be no warmer than 75 degrees.

The start of a 60-day jail term for Atlanta Falcon linebacker Cornelius Bennett for sexually assaulting a former lover has been postponed by a judge.

Curtis Martin exercised a four-year option in his contract to remain with the New York Jets through 2002.

Martin signed an offer sheet with the Jets last month that New England refused to match. The deal allowed Martin to choose between becoming a free agent again after the ’98 season or adding years to the deal. New York also matched a contract offer by St. Louis to linebacker Chad Cascadden.

Olympic figure skating champion Tara Lipinski will make her professional debut April 24 at the “1998 Skate TV Championships” at Charleston, S.C.