Woods tied to D.C. event

The PGA Tour is returning to the nation’s capital with a guy who carries more clout than anyone in golf: Tiger Woods.

Woods will join Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as hosts of a PGA Tour event, although still to be announced was a title sponsor and a golf course for the new tournament in the Washington, D.C., area during Fourth of July week.

The Tiger Woods Foundation will run the tournament, and the foundation will be the chief beneficiary of charity.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to expand awareness and interest in the work we’re doing for millions of kids across the country,” Woods said in a statement.

The tournament will be held July 5-8 and takes the spot in the schedule that once belonged to the International outside Denver. The International canceled its event three weeks ago because it could not find a title sponsor. Tournament founder Jack Vickers attributed the demise to Woods not playing his event.

BASEBALL

Hall doors are closed

by Veterans Committee

The Hall of Fame pitched another shutout.

Ron Santo, Jim Kaat, Marvin Miller and all the other candidates were left out when the Veterans Committee admitted no new members for the third straight election.

Santo came the closest to the required 75%. A nine-time All-Star, the former Cubs third baseman was picked on 57 of 82 ballots (70%). Players needed 62 for election.

Kaat, a 283-game winner, drew 52 votes. Gil Hodges, who hit 370 home runs, got 50 votes and three-time AL batting champion Tony Oliva had 47.

Florida Marlins officials were unhappy to hear that their manager last year, Joe Girardi, gave rival pitcher Jon Lieber helpful tips during the season.

Lieber said his season with the Philadelphia Phillies turned around shortly after he was roughed up by the Marlins last July 31, and he credits a phone call from Girardi, a former major league catcher. They played together with the Chicago Cubs from 2000 to 2002.

Both teams contended for the NL wild-card berth, and Lieber beat the Marlins twice in September.

The Minnesota Twins and reliever Jesse Crain agreed to a $3.25 million, three-year contract.

TENNIS

Safin and Hewitt

win at Las Vegas

Marat Safin beat Stefan Koubek, 7-5, 6-2, in his opening round-robin match at the Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas.

Second-seeded Lleyton Hewitt triumphed over Vincent Spadea, 6-3, 6-3.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal, playing his first match since the Australian Open quarterfinals, rallied past Marcos Baghdatis, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the first round of the Dubai Open in the United Arab Emirates.

Kateryna Bondarenko beat seventh-seeded Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, to advance to the second round of the Qatar Open in Doha. Fifth-seeded Patty Schnyder defeated Aravane Rezai, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

Defending champion Luis Horna lasted only two games before retiring with an injury against fifth-seeded Gaston Gaudio in the first round of the Mexican Open at Acapulco. Horna pulled up with a right leg injury while serving at 1-1.

MISCELLANY

Proposed changes

to gymnastics qualifying

Gymnasts will have a second chance to qualify for the Olympics starting with the 2012 London Games, if a proposal by the International Gymnastics Federation is approved by the International Olympic Committee.

Under the proposal, the 2011 world championships would still serve as the main qualifying competition for all three disciplines -- artistic and rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline -- for the 2012 Olympics. But the federation also wants to use test events the year before the Games as a second qualifying competition for the London Games.

Quarterback Damon Huard has agreed to a three-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Huard, 34, would have become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Derek Smith underwent surgery to repair a damaged muscle connected to his left eye, a delicate injury that hampered his play last season.

Defensive tackle Hollis Thomas has agreed to a four-year, $12-million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

A Duke receiver was charged in the traffic death of another driver after a weekend accident. Raphael Chestnut was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle, the state Highway Patrol said.

Javan Camon, a defensive back for the Daytona Beach Thunder of the World Indoor Football League who was knocked unconscious Monday night in a helmet-to-helmet block, died from a broken neck, according to a preliminary autopsy report.

The board that oversees the Cotton Bowl voted to move it to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in suburban Arlington starting in 2010.

Wake Forest football Coach Jim Grobe signed a 10-year contract.