Woods’ Win Over Norman Doesn’t Ease Pain for U.S.

Tiger Woods defeated Greg Norman, 1-up, in a much-anticipated singles match at the Presidents Cup at Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, but the outcome meant little.

The Massacre in Melbourne had already been completed.

Woods’ victory could not keep the United States from its worst loss in the history of international match-play golf.

The final score was International team 20 1/2, the U.S. 11 1/2.

Not since a 16 1/2-11 1/2 loss to Europe in the 1985 Ryder Cup have the Americans been so embarrassed.

“We creamed them,” Australia’s Steve Elkington said.

Maybe the biggest star was Shigeki Maruyama, the Japanese player who won the hearts of the Australian gallery and finished 5-0. Only Mark O’Meara in 1996 has gone 5-0 in the Presidents Cup.

Said Norman: “We came in here as underdogs and came out showing the force of international golf.”

Winter Sports

Olympic downhill skier champion Hermann Maier won a World Cup super-G at Val D’Isere, France, ending an early-season slump. “The Herminator” hadn’t won since taking a giant-slalom race in October.

A minor mistake kept Olympic gold medalist Catriona LeMay Doan of Canada from sweeping the women’s sprints at the World Cup speedskating competition at Nagano, Japan. LeMay Doan won the 500 meters, but she finished fifth in the 1,000 after she had to slow down to let Eriko Sanmiya of Japan switch to the outside lane.

Olympic champion Bjarte Engen Vik of Norway shook off World Cup leader Hannu Manninen of Finland in the final half-kilometer and went on to win a 15-kilometer Nordic combined World Cup event at Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Bjorn Daehlie of Norway moved atop the World Cup cross-country skiing standings by dominating a 15-kilometer classical race at Dobbiaco, Italy, for a second straight win.

International Soccer

Asian countries, including co-hosts Japan and South Korea, might boycott the 2002 World Cup in protest over the international federation’s qualification rules, Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah said at the Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

FIFA has decided to cut to two the number of Asian teams that can gain 2002 World Cup places from qualifying rounds, down from the 1998 total of three places plus a playoff chance. With Japan and South Korea getting automatic qualification as hosts, the Asian contingent would be the same as during the World Cup in France this year, where Iran joined the top three qualifiers from the Asian zone.

Mexico City’s Necaxa Rayos defeated Chivas of Guadalajara, 2-0, to win Mexico’s winter soccer championship.

College Soccer

Indiana won the NCAA men’s soccer championship by beating Stanford, 3-1, at Richmond, Va. Stanford (18-5-2) had never won in five trips to the NCAA tournament before its unlikely run this season. The Hoosiers (23-2) were playing in their ninth championship game in 26 seasons under Coach Jerry Yeagley.

Boxing

Antonio Diaz retained his International Boxing Assn. junior-welterweight title with a 12-round split decision over Cory Spinks on Saturday night at Indio. Diaz improved to 24-2 with 18 knockouts, and Spinks, the son of Leon Spinks, dropped to 13-1 with four knockouts.

Miscellany

Ty Murray won a record seventh world all-around title at the $4.2-million National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, breaking the record of six, shared by legendary cowboys Larry Mahan and Tom Ferguson.

In American Basketball League action: Shannon Johnson scored 24 points and player-coach Tonya Edwards added 19 as the Columbus Quest (10-2) overcame poor shooting in a 67-61 victory over the Chicago Condors (3-7) before 2,450 at Columbus, Ohio. . . . Katy Steding, Natalie Williams and reserve Rhonda Smith each had three points in an 11-2 fourth-quarter run as the Portland Power (7-4) recorded a 73-68 victory over the New England Blizzard (2-9) at Hartford, Conn. . . . Kedra Holland-Corn scored 23 points and Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil added 20 as the San Jose Lasers (9-4) beat the Seattle Reign (7-5), 87-78, at Seattle.

Debbie Watson scored two third-quarter goals as the Australian women’s water polo team captured the first Holiday Cup championship, defeating the United States, 7-5, Sunday in Los Alamitos.