Woods Slams Treatment by the PGA Tour

Tiger Woods lashed out at the PGA Tour for taking advantage of him, saying in a magazine interview that his frustration is serious enough that it “could escalate into a bigger situation.”

In an interview for the Nov. 10 issue of Golf World magazine, Woods said Commissioner Tim Finchem speaks to him only when he wants the No. 1 player in the world to play in certain tournaments.

Woods also said he didn’t like how the tour was using his image for its own marketing and promotional purposes.

“I believe what I believe in,” Woods said. “I understand the whole picture. What amazes me is how much the public doesn’t understand.”

When asked the seriousness of his conflict with the tour, Woods said, “Serious enough that if we don’t make everyone aware of it now, it could escalate into a bigger situation.”

Tour spokesman Bob Combs said Finchem does not discuss player relationships with the media, but added that the commissioner and Woods have a “solid relationship.”

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Dottie Pepper won the Par 3 Challenge at Carlsbad, shooting a three-under-par 51 for a two-stroke victory over Fred Couples.

Ben Crenshaw was third at 54, followed by Nancy Lopez, Lee Trevino and Craig Stadler at 55, and Gary Nicklaus and Gary McCord at 57.

The one-day tournament at Aviara Resort featured three groups of four players--one member of each professional tour and a celebrity guest.

Basketball

Connecticut, which led the Associated Press women’s basketball poll from start to finish last season, then won the national title, was a unanimous choice for No. 1 in the first poll of the new season.

Tennessee is No. 2, Georgia No. 3.

UC Santa Barbara is 25th.

Stanford shooting guard Jamie Carey, the Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year last season, has ended her collegiate career after only one season because of recurring concussions.

Carey averaged 11 points a game while helping the Cardinal to a 21-9 record and the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Shane Battier of Duke and Troy Murphy of Notre Dame were the leading vote-getters for the Associated Press’ preseason All-American team. The forwards were joined on the team by Arizona center Loren Woods and guards Jamaal Tinsley of Iowa State and Joseph Forte of North Carolina.

American University forward Patrick Doctor was suspended for 11 games by the NCAA.

The punishment was based on a report submitted to the NCAA by the university on Sept. 27, American said, without saying why Doctor was suspended.

Magic Johnson was two points short of a triple double as his Magic Great Danes defeated the Honka Playboys of Finland, 90-79, at Copenhagen in the Northern European League.

Johnson had eight points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds in the last game of Johnson’s second stint with Scandinavian teams.

The Charlotte Sting of the WNBA acquired center-forward Shantia Owens from the Miami Sol in a trade for forward Tracy Reid.

Miscellany

Andre Agassi rallied to defeat qualifier and occasional doubles partner Sargis Sargsian of Armenia, 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-4, in the first round of the Lyon Grand Prix tennis tournament at Lyon, France.

Andrei Stolyarov of Russia, ranked 118th in the tennis world, upset defending champion and fourth-seeded Marc Rosset of Switzerland, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, in the first round of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia.

Anna Kournikova of Russia easily advanced to the second round of the Advanta Championships at Villanova, Pa., beating Mashona Washington, 6-2, 6-0, in 46 minutes.

Prosecutors in the Rae Carruth murder trial have done nothing wrong in excluding blacks as jurors, a judge in Charlotte, N.C., ruled.

Judge Charles Lamm had ordered prosecutors Monday to answer defense claims that jury selection has been biased against blacks, particularly black men.

Lamm asked prosecutors Tuesday to give reasons other than race and gender for dismissing eight of 11 black potential jurors, including all four black men who said they could impose the death penalty on the former pro football player.

Assistant District Attorney David Graham went down the list of all eight jurors in question, citing reasons for their dismissal.

FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, suspended South African forward Benedict McCarthy for two matches and fined him for gesturing to the crowd during a World Cup qualifier in July against Zimbabwe, a match after which riots killed 13 people.

Lyon, Sturm Graz and Galatasaray advanced to the second round of soccer’s European Champions Cup as Olympiakos Piraeus, Glasgow Rangers and AS Monaco were eliminated.

A second-minute goal by Pierre Laigle in a 1-0 victory at Lyon enabled the French team to overtake Olympiakos for second place in Group C.

In Group D, Galatasaray and Austria’s Sturm Graz tied, 2-2, as did Glasgow Rangers and AS Monaco.

Tulsa President Bob Lawless has been elected chairman of the NCAA executive committee, and Ohio State President William Kirwan has been elected chairman of the Division I board of directors.

Emil Zatopek, who set 18 world records in distance events and won four Olympic track gold medals, was in critical condition in Prague, Czech Republic, after suffering a stroke Oct. 30.

Bill Weber and 1973 Winston Cup champion Benny Parsons are leaving ESPN to become part of the announcing crew assembled by NBC and TBS for their NASCAR telecasts starting next year.

Greco-Roman wrestler Fritz Aanes of Norway, who finished fourth at the Sydney Olympics, was barred from competition for two years after testing positive for a banned substance.