Sorenstam can’t make this cut

Annika Sorenstam made a tricky 20-footer for par at the last hole, giving those around the green something to cheer. She waved a couple of times, then walked away -- not knowing that her season was about to end.

Sorenstam, the two-time defending champion of the LPGA Tour’s season-ending ADT Championship, missed the cut Friday at West Palm Beach, Fla. -- for only the sixth time in 250 LPGA starts since 1995 -- to fall out of the chase for a record $1-million first prize. She shot even-par 72 and finished two rounds at two-over 146, one stroke from a playoff.

Ai Miyazato, the first-round leader, shot 69 and moved to seven-under 137, two shots ahead of Julieta Granada (69). Natalie Gulbis (70) and Karrie Webb (71) were another shot back at four-under.

Only 16 women advanced to the third round, with the final three spots being settled in a six-way playoff. Morgan Pressel was the first to secure her spot, making birdie on the second hole.

Juli Inkster and Lorena Ochoa followed with birdies on the third extra hole.

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Tiger Woods shot a five-under 65 to take one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Dunlop Phoenix at Miyazaki, Japan.

The two-time defending champion used an eagle to post an eight-under 132 and move ahead of Padraig Harrington (66). Ian Poulter (64) is two shots back.

BASEBALL

Thomas, Blue Jays finalize two-year deal

Frank Thomas and the Toronto Blue Jays finalized a two-year, $18.12-million contract. The Blue Jays reached a tentative deal with the 38-year-old designated hitter Wednesday night and spent Thursday working on drafting an agreement.

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The A’s need a designated hitter, and they aren’t going far for one potential candidate to fill the spot: Barry Bonds. General Manager Billy Beane has had conversations with Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, about the 42-year-old slugger, who has played the last 14 seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

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Oakland’s search for a new manager ended where it started with bench coach Bob Geren, who sat next to fired manager Ken Macha. The A’s announced that Geren would be promoted to his first managerial job in the majors.

SOCCER

UCLA women advance by beating Florida, 3-2

The second-seeded UCLA women’s team defeated third-seeded Florida, 3-2, in the third round of the NCAA Division I tournament at Drake Stadium. The Bruins (19-4) will play the winner of today’s Portland-Texas match in next week’s quarterfinals.

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Major League Soccer’s newest team, Toronto FC, selected 10 players in the league’s expansion draft Friday morning and by Friday afternoon had traded away four of them.

The most significant move by Toronto Coach Mo Johnston was drafting Canadian international midfielder Adrian Serioux of the MLS champion Houston Dynamo and then sending him and the club’s first pick in the second round of the 2007 draft to FC Dallas for midfielder Ronnie O’Brien.

Toronto’s other picks included Galaxy midfielder Paulo Nagamura and Chivas USA defender Tim Regan, but both could be traded away in the next few days.

Toronto also drafted Jason Kreis, the league’s all-time leading goal scorer, from Real Salt Lake, then traded him back to Real Salt Lake a few hours later for salary cap room.

-- Grahame L. Jones

TENNIS

Blake avoids Federer, will play Nalbandian

Things are working out nicely for James Blake at the Masters Cup in Shanghai.

He avoided playing top-ranked Roger Federer in the semifinals and got a night off before playing defending champion David Nalbandian today.

Blake had already clinched the top spot in the Gold Group before losing, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, to Tommy Robredo.

Nalbandian, who finished second in the Red Group behind the unbeaten Federer, beat Nikolay Davydenko, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, for the right to play Federer today.

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Former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport will be only the second player to receive special dispensation from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in the form of gold exempt emeritus status, enabling her to receive unlimited wild cards in 2007.

The WTA approved the measure at its recent board meeting in Madrid, the tour’s chief executive, Larry Scott, told The Times. The only other player to receive such status was Monica Seles.

-- Lisa Dillman

MOTOR RACING

Martin wins race, Bodine clinches title

Mark Martin made his last race in a Roush Racing truck a memorable one, pulling away for the victory in a Ford, and Todd Bodine clinched the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with a 21st-place finish in a Toyota in the Ford 200 at Homestead, Fla.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Willows ends season with semifinal loss

The football team at Willows (Calif.) High, where quarterback Brian Parks, the son of Coach Curtis Parks, collapsed and died of cardiac dysrhythmia during a preseason practice Aug. 21, ended its season with a 6-6 record after a 15-7 loss at top-seeded Mt. Shasta in the semifinals of the Northern Section Division III playoffs.

PASSINGS

Hungarian soccer star Puskas, 79

Ferenc Puskas, who captained the great Hungarian national team of the 1950s and won three European Cup titles with Real Madrid, died Friday in Budapest because of respiratory and circulatory failure. He was 79. Story in Section B.