Senior Tour Changes Approach

The Senior PGA Tour revealed sweeping changes Wednesday aimed at attracting more fans and making sure they get more out of a tournament than watching old guys play golf.

Proposals include putting microphones on players, having them stop to answer questions that fans submit during the round, allowing the gallery to walk down the fairway in the final four holes and asking players to conduct clinics at the tournament.

Also, the senior tour will try to get away from taped broadcasts on CNBC that sent ratings tumbling this year.

The idea is to distinguish the senior tour from the PGA Tour by making it more fan-friendly for those on the course, watching on television or plugged into the Internet.

“While the senior tour continues to grow, the competition for the interest of those fans also has grown, and that competition is significant,” Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “This vision is for the fans to become more excited, more involved and more intrigued.”

Some of the concepts will be tested next season, and Finchem said he would like to see them in place for the 2003 season.

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Jaxon Brigman, whose scorecard error two years ago kept him from getting his tour card, shot a 66 and was among seven players tied for the lead after the first round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament at West Palm Beach, Fla.

Ty Tryon, the 17-year-old who is trying to become the youngest player to earn his tour card, was only four strokes back after opening with a 70.

Track and Field

IAAF, track and field’s worldwide governing body, ratified Maurice Greene’s 60-meter world indoor record and Stacy Dragila’s two pole vault records.

Greene, the Olympic and world champion and world-record holder in the 100 meters, set the 60-meter mark of 6.39 seconds March 3 at Atlanta.

Dragila, the IAAF’s female athlete of the year, cleared 15 feet 91/2 inches at Palo Alto, less than 30 minutes after clearing 15-51/2. Both surpassed her previous world record of 15-5.

Miscellany

Lance Armstrong will change strategy and ride in several World Cup cycling races in Europe leading to the 2002 Tour de France.

The three-time champion plans to ride in the Milan-San Remo race and the Tour of Flanders, U.S. Postal Service team spokesman Dan Osipow said.

Armstrong also is considering the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race.

World Cup ski races that were called off in Colorado because of warm weather and lack of snow will be run next month in Slovenia and Italy.

The men’s giant slalom will be held Dec. 20 in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Another giant slalom is planned for Dec. 22.

The men’s downhill will be held Dec. 28 at Bormio, Italy. It will precede the downhill already scheduled for Dec. 29.

A super-giant slalom originally rescheduled from Beaver Creek to Val d’Isere, France, on Dec. 5, will be scratched because organizers were unable to handle the extra event.

A women’s super-giant slalom, scheduled for Dec. 6 at Val d’Isere, has been changed because of a lack of snow to Dec. 14 at Megeve, France.

Triathlon could be dropped as an Olympic sport after only one appearance unless it sorts out internal problems.

International Olympic Committee officials said they have sent two letters to the International Triathlon Union expressing concern about the power struggle at the top of the ITU that has plagued the sport, which made its Olympic debut at last year’s Sydney Games.

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The Ice Dogs defeated the Fresno Falcons, 3-2, in a shootout in a West Coast Hockey League game at the Long Beach Arena. The Ice Dogs are 11-4-1.