Mickelson withdraws from Byron Nelson

Masters champion Phil Mickelson withdrew Monday from the Byron Nelson Championship for personal reasons, leaving the Irving, Texas, tournament without the top two players in the world.

“This is in no way a reflection on the tournament, which is one of my favorites on tour,” he said.

Mickelson cited personal reasons, hinting during the weekend at the Wachovia Championship he was tired and needed a break before playing his way to the U.S. Open. He took only two weeks off after winning the Masters, wanting to play in New Orleans.

“I think I might just need a little break and try to get refreshed before the U.S. Open,” Mickelson said from Quail Hollow.

He plans to play the Memorial and Barclays Classic before going to Winged Foot for the U.S. Open, where he will try for his third straight major.

Tiger Woods also planned to play in the Byron Nelson Championship until his ailing father took a turn for the worse. Earl Woods died Wednesday, and the funeral was Friday. Woods has not said when he will return.

•Tiger Woods has settled a privacy-rights lawsuit over his yacht, aptly named “Privacy.”

Venable LLP, the law firm representing Woods, issued a statement saying the golfer had settled for an undisclosed amount with the builder of “Privacy,” Vancouver, Wash.-based Christensen Shipyards Ltd.

Woods claimed in the lawsuit filed in 2004 the company had breached its contract by using his name and photos of the 155-foot yacht as promotional materials without authorization.

“We made a mistake and truly regret the company’s conduct,” said Christensen president Joe Foggia in a statement released by Woods’ law firm.

Although the settlement amount was officially secret, Christensen’s insurance company, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co., said in a related court action the amount was $1.6 million.

Women’s basketball

Purdue self-reports

Key reserve Cherelle George won’t return to the Purdue’s women’s basketball team, part of the fallout from the university’s 10-week internal investigation in West Lafayette, Ind.

Purdue self-reported six violations of NCAA regulations to the NCAA and the Big Ten.

George and assistant coach Katrina Merriweather were suspended indefinitely before the Big Ten tournament because they were involved in academic misconduct.

After her suspension, Merriweather’s contract was automatically terminated when coach Kristy Curry left Purdue and accepted the Texas Tech head coaching job in March.

Miscellany

Schumacher wins stage

Germany’s Stefan Schumacher won a rainy third stage of the Giro d’Italia in Nemur, Belgium, and took the overall lead from defending champion Paolo Savoldelli in one of the top races in European cycling.

•Iran’s women will be barred from attending soccer games, a reversal of an April ruling by president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that comes a month before the national team plays in the World Cup.

•Former Southwest Conference rivals Arkansas and Texas have agreed to a two-year, home-and-home football series for 2008 and 2009.

•Russia defeated Belarus 3-2 with a pair of third-period goals, and Switzerland beat Ukraine 2-1 to advance at the World Ice Hockey Championship in Riga, Latvia.