Newsmakers: Tiger Woods to skip US Open at Oakmont
Announced For the third time in the past six years, the U.S. Open will go on without three-time champion Tiger Woods. Woods said on his website Tuesday that he is not ready for tournament competition and will skip the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont, along with his Quicken Loans National the following week at Congressional.
Woods first missed the U.S. Open in 2011 when he was recovering from leg injuries. He missed in 2014 at Pinehurst No. 2 while recovering from his first back surgery a week before the Masters that year.
He has not played since a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August. Woods had two more surgeries on his back after that, in September and October.
Meanwhile, his absence fueled speculation about when he might return, even though Woods repeatedly has said he does not know. Woods played five holes when he opened his golf course in Houston, and also was seen swinging a club at a junior clinic in South Carolina and at his media day at Congressional – three swings from 100 yards to the 10th green, all of them in the water.
World road race champion Peter Sagan will seek Olympic gold in Rio on his mountain bike. The Slovak Olympic Committee announced that Sagan was awarded its lone starting spot in the mountain biking event at the Summer Games.
Hired Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens has returned to coaching as an assistant for the Minnesota Wild. Stevens will join coach Bruce Boudreau’s staff, adding one of the game’s most feared players to the mix. The 52-year-old didn’t coach last season, working instead as an analyst for NHL Network.
Granted Attorney Huntley Johnson for suspended Florida WR Antonio Callaway says his client was granted permission to return to campus. Johnson said Callaway can attend class and use university facilities. Callaway was suspended in January for violating the university’s code of conduct policy. No other details have been disclosed.
Agreed Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey and the team confirmed at a press conference that the two sides have agreed to a three-year deal through the 2018-19 season. There were no details of the amount, which was reported last week at $18 million.
Died Former NBA center and Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Sean Rooks died. He was 46. The cause of Rooks’ death was not confirmed.
The team released a statement from Deborah Brown, the mother of Rooks: “It is with deep sadness and overwhelming grief that we mourn the sudden loss of my son, Sean. Our family asks that our privacy be respected as we grieve during this incredibly difficult time.”
Extended UCLA football coach Jim Mora agreed to a two-year contract extension through 2021. The former Seattle Seahawks coach is 37-16 in four seasons at UCLA, equaling the school record for wins in a four-year span. The Bruins have reached four consecutive bowl games while contending for a Pac-12 divisional title each year.
Reported The “B” samples of two Russian women’s weightlifting medalists from the 2008 Beijing Olympics have come back positive for steroids, Russian state news agency Tass reported. Marina Shainova, who won silver in the 58-kilogram class, and Nadezhda Evstyukhina, bronze medalist in the 75-kg division, were among 10 Russian medalists from Beijing who reportedly tested positive last month in IOC reanalysis of their stored samples.
Appointed Former Torino manager Giampiero Ventura was appointed as Italy’s new coach and will take over the Azzurri after the European Championship. Ventura had been widely expected to be named as the successor to Antono Conte, who is taking over at Chelsea after the tournament in France.
Transferred Forward Michael Gilmore has transferred from Virginia Commonwealth to the University of Miami and will be eligible for two seasons beginning in 2017-18.