Singh Wins John Deere

Vijay Singh played a quick 13 holes and earned a hefty check that moved him closer to one of his career goals: winning the PGA Tour’s season money title.

Singh collected $630,000 for his four-shot win at the rain-delayed John Deere Classic on Monday at Silvis, Ill., moving ahead of Davis Love III on this year’s tour earnings list.

“My goal is to really be able to win the money list just once before I finish. This will probably be the best opportunity I get,” said Singh, who has collected $5.7 million and a career-high three wins this year.

With three more tour events on his schedule this year, Singh likes his chances.

“If I can win one more time, I think I’ve got it sealed,” said Singh, who moved past Phil Mickelson for third place on the career money list with nearly $24 million in 11 years on the tour.

Singh closed with a six-under-par 65 for a 16-under 268. He had six birdies in a bogey-free final round that was held over a day after darkness suspended play Sunday night.

Chris Riley (71), J.L. Lewis (71) and Jonathan Byrd (68) shared second place at 12-under 272.

Singh started play Monday at 12 under, tied with Lewis, who posted his lone career win at the Deere Classic in 1999.

Paul Stankowski, in his third tour event since returning from wrist surgery, tied for fifth place at 11 under with Hidemichi Tanaka and Kevin Sutherland.

Tennis

Two umpires have filed discrimination complaints against the sport’s international and national governing organizations, saying they faced retaliation after complaining that blacks and females were not treated fairly in that job.

The complaints against the International Tennis Federation and the U.S. Tennis Assn. were filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Cecil Holland, 47, a 17-year veteran umpire, and Sande French, 47. The filing is required before a discrimination lawsuit can be brought in federal court.

Justine Henin-Hardenne will not play for Belgium against the United States in the Fed Cup semifinal because of an infection in her back.

Her withdrawal leaves Belgium without the world’s two top-ranked players for the Nov. 19-23 matches at Moscow. No. 1 Kim Clijsters said last week she was not competing. France plays Russia in the other semifinal.

Miscellany

AOL Time Warner has found a group to buy the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers that does not include Texas auto dealer David McDavid, who had been negotiating with the company since April.

AOL Time Warner would not name the new buyers, saying only that the group includes “local partners.”

A person familiar with the deal, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Associated Press the investment group includes Boston businessman Steve Belkin, who previously pursued an NBA expansion team in Charlotte, N.C., and several Atlantans, including businessmen Michael Gearon Sr., Michael Gearon Jr. and attorney Rutherford Seydel.

Gearon Sr. has been associated with the Hawks for 26 years. He was president of the team from 1977 to 1986. Since Stan Kasten became president of the Hawks in 1986, Gearon has been chairman of the team’s board of directors.

“We have reached a binding agreement for the sale of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers franchises and operating rights to Philips Arena to an investment group, including local partners, which will be introduced to the press at an event tomorrow,” AOL Time Warner said in a statement released Monday afternoon.

Southern Mississippi has reported three rules violations by the basketball program to Conference USA and the NCAA.

Athletic Director Richard Giannini called the violations secondary, but the school announced that basketball assistant Luster Goodwin resigned and two junior college transfers involved in the violations are academically ineligible.

The opponents for International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez and World Boxing Council flyweight champ Jorge Arce for their respective world title matches on the Oct. 4 boxing card at Staples Center were announced.

Genaro Garcia (29-4, 17 knockouts) of Puebla, Mexico, will challenge Marquez (29-3, 27 KOs) of Mexico City and Omar Romero (18-1-1, nine KOs) of Guadalajara will face Arce (34-3-1, 25 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico. Erik Morales (44-1, 33 KOs) of Tijuana will headline the five-bout, HBO pay-per-view card when he fights Guty Espadas (37-5, 23 KOs) of Merida, Mexico, in a WBC super-featherweight eliminator.

Passings

Allen Lewis, a longtime baseball writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer who earned a spot in the Hall of Fame, has died at Clearwater, Fla., after a long illness. He was 86.