The Masters Invitations Go Out in Holiday Mail

The final world golf ranking of the year was published Monday and set in motion a holiday tradition like no other: Masters invitations are in the mail.

The 87 players who already qualified include a record 39 foreign-born players and 10 professionals who will be making their first trip to Augusta National, such as PGA champion Rich Beem and rookie Jonathan Byrd, who grew up in Elgin, S.C.

“Augusta is the closest tournament to my house, and I can’t wait to get in,” Byrd said after winning the Buick Challenge, which helped him finish 39th on the PGA Tour money list.

Among those not on the invitation list are Tom Lehman, Paul Azinger and Mark Calcavecchia, who will have a chance to qualify for the Masters during the first three months of next season.

The final field will not be determined until after The Players Championship.

Augusta National changed its qualifying criteria three years ago to rely more on the world ranking and PGA Tour money list, meaning the majority of the field is determined three months before the Masters, scheduled for April 10-13.

Tiger Woods, who will try to become the first player to win three consecutive green jackets, is among 20 former champions in the field.

Also on the list is six-time winner Jack Nicklaus, who didn’t play last year because of back problems, and three-time champion Gary Player, who will be in the Masters for the final time because of a new policy effective in 2004 that allows only former champions 65 and younger to play.

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An unidentified man suspected of stealing golf equipment -- including three wedges belonging to Woods -- during the Target World Challenge earlier this month apparently won’t be prosecuted.

The clubs were returned after the man was identified by security guards. But it appears sheriff’s deputies will take no legal action.

Ventura County sheriff’s Detective Brian Richmond said: “I was informed the victims had received their property and they are no longer interested in prosecution. Case closed.”

Baseball

Brian Anderson, who last appeared in a Cleveland uniform during the 1997 World Series, will return to pitch for his hometown team next year. Anderson, 30, and the Indians agreed to a one-year contract. He went 6-11 with a 4.79 earned-run average for Arizona in 2002.

Cleveland also agreed to a minor league contract with catcher A.J. Hinch, who hit .249 in 72 games for Kansas City last season with seven home runs and 27 runs batted in.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox had top officials in Nicaragua on Monday, the first day free-agent pitcher Jose Contreras could start contract talks with major league teams.

Contreras was the top pitcher on Cuba’s national team before he defected in October.

The Oakland Athletics signed center fielder Chris Singleton to a one-year contract with a club option for 2004. Terms were not disclosed.... The San Diego Padres signed catcher Gary Bennett to a one-year contract, after Colorado declined to offer him a contract.

Miscellany

No penalty was imposed on Oracle of San Francisco, even though a jury at Auckland, New Zealand, ruled the syndicate broke America’s Cup rules by using a sophisticated radar system during races.

The jury’s decision was a response to nine formal questions from OneWorld and other challengers about the use of radar by Oracle. While determining that the use of any instruments capable of transmitting and receiving signals during a race is expressly forbidden, jury chairman Bryan Willis said the jury had not determined what Oracle’s radar was used for or capable of because it wasn’t asked to.

Iowa State wrestling Coach Bobby Douglas was appointed coach of the 2003 U.S. freestyle team that will compete at next year’s world championships in New York.