Skins Game won’t be played this year Car surfing

The Skins Game, a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for nearly three decades, became golf’s latest victim of the economic downturn when organizers said it would be postponed this year with no guarantees it would return.

IMG, which manages the Skins Game, had been negotiating a contract extension with LG when the South Korea-based electronics company elected not to renew.

“We did another pass through the marketplace and couldn’t find a title sponsor,” said Mark Steinberg, head of IMG’s golf division.

The Skins Game, now a staple in the “silly season,” was a novelty when it began in 1983 with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson. It has struggled to attract an all-star lineup in recent years, and TV ratings have plunged.

Lorena Ochoa topped the leaderboard for the sixth straight round on the LPGA Tour, shooting a six-under-par 65 to take a three-stroke lead in the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Va. Cristie Kerr and Song-Hee Kim matched the course record with 63s to join In-Kyung Kim (64) at 10 under.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

School: Pitino not NBA-bound

Louisville says Coach Rick Pitino is not interested in returning to the NBA.

The university insists there is no truth to a Yahoo Sports report that said Pitino had inquired about the Sacramento Kings’ vacant coaching job. Louisville spokesman Kenny Klein said Pitino was in his office but did not think it necessary to address the situation.

Pitino just finished his eighth season with the Cardinals, leading Louisville to a 31-6 record.

Patrick Patterson is returning to Kentucky for his junior season. The school announced the 6-foot-9 forward will remove his name from the NBA draft to stay in school and play for new Coach John Calipari.

TENNIS

Safina ousts Venus Williams

Top-ranked Dinara Safina outlasted Venus Williams, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the finals of the Italian Open, where she will play Svetlana Kuznetsova in an all-Russian match.

Kuznetsova beat Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka, 6-2, 6-4, in the other semifinal at the Foro Italico.

In the third set, Safina served out the 3-hour, 9-minute match after committing three double-faults and saving four break points.

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic extended his dominance of the inaugural Serbia Open by beating Viktor Troicki, 6-3, 6-2, to reach the semifinals at Belgrade. . . . Tomas Berdych rallied past Lleyton Hewitt, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), to reach the semifinals of the BMW Open at Munich. . . . Albert Montanes rallied to upset top-seeded Gilles Simon, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in the quarterfinals of the Estoril Open at Oeiras, Portugal.

HOCKEY

Russia beats U.S. to reach final

A couple of bad bounces for the United States helped send Russia back to the gold-medal game at the world hockey championships.

Konstantin Gorovikov scored a power-play goal on a deflection with less than two minutes to play, lifting Russia to a 3-2 win over the United States in the semifinals at Bern, Switzerland.

The defending champions will play in Sunday’s final against Canada, which beat Sweden, 3-1.

The U.S. had taken the lead in the second period on a goal by the Kings’ Dustin Brown, then tied it on Kyle Okposo’s goal late in the period after Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Frolov, another King, scored for Russia.

ETC.

Galaxy to play FC Barcelona

The Galaxy will return to the Rose Bowl for an exhibition game against FC Barcelona. The team said the game in Pasadena will be played Aug. 1.

Barcelona’s roster features Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, among other stars. The Spanish power faces Manchester United for the Champions League title May 27.

The St. Louis Rams have released veteran linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, the team’s leading tackler last season. . . . -- The Oakland Raiders have bolstered their backfield by signing fullback Lorenzo Neal and running back Gary Russell. . . . The Denver Broncos have signed free-agent running back Darius Walker. . . . Denny Thum, a 35-year veteran of Kansas City’s front office, has been appointed president of the Chiefs.

PASSINGS

DiMaggio, 92, brother of Joe

Dominic DiMaggio, the bespectacled Boston Red Sox center fielder who made his own mark on the major leagues despite playing in the shadow of Hall of Fame brother Joe and teammate Ted Williams, died at his Massachusetts home. He was 92. Story, Section A.