Woods Reportedly to Get Richer Endorsement Deal

Thanks mainly to TV commercials, Tiger Woods is reportedly restructuring two endorsement contracts, one in his favor, the other not.

Woods’ contract with Nike will more than double in value, paying him $80-90 million in the next five years, according to the Aug. 27 edition of Golf World magazine. According to that report, Nike’s decision to renegotiate the deal was accelerated by two of Woods’ commercials--particularly one depicting Woods bouncing a golf ball off a club head.

Woods’ original five-year contract with Nike, signed in 1996, was for $40 million.

Woods also has a contract with Titleist to use its clubs and balls, and Titleist officials say the TV spots leave the impression that Woods endorses Nike’s golf ball.

Golf World quoted unidentified sources at Titleist as saying that the company will cut its financial obligation to Woods in half, to $2 million a year, and will no longer have its name on his golf bag.

“There would have been renewal talks in the next eight-12 months anyway, but this way there are no lawsuits and no damage to Tiger Woods, Nike or Titleist,” Mark Steinberg, who handles Woods’ affairs for International Management Group, told Golf World.

Boxing

Fernando Vargas, the International Boxing Federation’s junior-middleweight champion, appeared in a Santa Barbara County courtroom and requested a two-week continuance before entering a plea on felony assault and conspiracy charges.

Vargas and four others are accused of beating Doug Rossi, 23, of Santa Barbara with a golf club early on July 25 during a brawl at a woman’s condominium. Rossi suffered a broken finger, cuts and scrapes.

The 21-year-old Oxnard boxer was charged Aug. 17 with assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit a crime. A special enhancement alleging the beating caused great bodily injury was also filed.

Vargas could face nearly eight years in prison if convicted.

Boxer Johnny Tapia has settled a financial dispute with his former manager for $73,310, avoiding a trial that had been scheduled to begin today at Albuquerque, N.M.

The question was whether a 1995 court settlement that ended Tapia’s 10-year relationship with manager Paul Chavez was binding. The new settlement upholds the old settlement.

Four U.S. fighters advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Amateur Boxing championships in Houston. Unlike 1997, when no American managed to get past the second round, featherweight Ricardo Juarez, bantamweight Clarence Vinson, heavyweight Michael Bennett and light-heavyweight Michael Simms Jr. all advanced to the quarterfinals, giving the U.S. team a total of six fighters in that round.

Tennis

Fernando Meligeni of Brazil upset third-seeded Carlos Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, 6-7 (7-1), 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, in the opening round of the Hamlet Cup in Commack, N.Y. . . . Seventh-seeded Jim Courier lost to 60th-ranked Sargis Sargsian, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the U.S. Pro-Tennis Championships in Brookline, Mass. . . . Sixth-seeded Julie Halard-Decugis of France rallied from a set down to defeat Anke Huber, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, in the first round of the Pilot Pen tournament at New Haven, Conn.

Miscellany

Kyle Tidwell’s grand slam in the top of the sixth capped a comeback by Phenix City, Ala., from a four-run deficit and gave the team a 5-4 victory over Brownsburg, Ind., in the preliminary round of the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pa. Defending Series champion Toms River, N.J., beat Boise, Idaho, 4-0. In the international bracket, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico and Osaka, Japan won. . . . Ernie Irvan returned home to Mooresville, N.C., from a Michigan hospital to continue his recovery from a bruised lung and a head injury suffered in a crash last weekend at Michigan Speedway.

Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment officials said that owner John McCaw is seeking a partner to help offset the losses he has suffered with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, NBA’s Grizzlies and GM Place, the teams’ home, and added he would entertain offers to buy all three enterprises. . . . Former NBA player Richard Dumas, 30, received a two-year deferred sentence at Tulsa, Okla., after pleading guilty to a felony charge of cocaine possession and a misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Representatives of six top European soccer clubs met with FIFA President Sepp Blatter, one of the main issues being their desire to reduce the number of friendly international matches so they can limit the time they lose top players to national teams. . . . Though U.S. soccer and government officials say no matches are planned, the Iraqi National Olympic Committee says the country’s national soccer team may play in the United States this year.

The UEFA ruled that Galatasaray of Istanbul can play Austria’s Rapid Vienna at home this week in a Champions League qualifying soccer game, despite Turkey’s devastating earthquake.

Duke basketball freshman Carlos Boozer will undergo surgery to repair a broken bone in his left foot and will be off the court at least eight weeks.

American Jenny Thompson set a world record in the women’s 100-meter butterfly at the Pan Pacific swimming championships at Sydney, Australia, with her time of 57.88 seconds. That broke the mark of 57.93 set by Mary T. Meagher in 1981. . . . John Williams, who retired in June after coaching the USC men’s water polo team to its first national championship in December, was named national water polo coach of the year by the U.S. Olympic Committee. He started the USC water polo program and coached the Trojans for 26 years.