Wie struggles in Japan, likely to miss cut

Michelle Wie was hoping to make the cut at a men’s event for the second time in 12 tries. Instead, she heads into the second round hoping to stay out of the cellar.

Wie shot a 9-over 81 on Thursday in the first round of the Casio World Open in Kochi, Japan, a full 15 shots behind the leaders and in 101st place. That put her two strokes ahead of last-place Tomomichi Oto.

Wie, who had nine bogeys, is making her second appearance in the Japanese tour event. Last year, she bogeyed the final two holes in the second round to miss the cut by a stroke in her first appearance in Japan.

Japan’s Azuma Yano and compatriot Tetsuhara Haraguchi were tied for the lead with India’s Jeev Milkha Singh after all three shot 6-under 66.

Wie is still confident about making the cut.

“I’ve been practicing and working on my game a lot,” she said. “I still have a positive mind-set for tomorrow.”

Soccer

Iran suspended

Iran was suspended from international soccer by FIFA because of government interference with the country’s soccer federation.

The decision was made at an emergency council meeting on Wednesday of soccer’s world governing body in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA said it had given Iran a Nov. 15 deadline to reinstate elected soccer federation president Mohammed Dadgan and comply with FIFA regulations.

“This deadline was not met,” FIFA said.

Iran, which played in the 2006 World Cup and has qualified for the 2007 Asian Cup, will be reinstated only after drafting new statutes and organizing a new election under the supervision of FIFA.

“The lifting of this suspension would depend on the above road map being accepted and fully implemented by authorities in Tehran,” FIFA said.

Snowboarding

U.S. rules halfpipe

American snowboarders Scott Lago and Gretchen Bleiler won the men’s and women’s World Cup halfpipe event in Saas Fee, Switzerland.

Lago beat Markus Malin of Finland and Daisuke Murakami of Japan. Also for the U.S., Seven Fisher was sixth and Tommy Czeschin ninth.

Bleiler beat Soko Yamaoka of Japan and Manuela Pesko of Switzerland.

Miscellany

Gold medalist retires

Noah Ngeny, who upset Hicham El Guerrouj to win the 1,500-meter gold medal at the Sydney Olympics, retired because of recurring back and pelvis problems from a 2001 car accident in Kenya.

“The last few years have been frustrating,” he said. “I have spent more time on the physiotherapy table than in my spikes.”

The 28-year-old Kenyan has not competed much since the crash and failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, where El Guerrouj of Morocco won the 1,500 and 5,000.

•Chris Sandy, a former Fresno State and Harlem Globetrotters player, died in a car accident in southeastern Finland, police said. He was 27.