Briefly
Stephen Ames took five skins Tuesday to win the Canadian Skins Game title in Whistler, British Columbia.
Jack Nicklaus finished second, followed by John Daly and Vijay Singh in the two-day competition at Nicklaus North golf course.
Ames collected $92,443 for a two-day total of $120,578. The Canadian began play Monday by winning two skins and $28,135.
Nicklaus matched his first-day total with a tap-in birdie worth $48,231 on the first hole of the back nine. Playing under steady rain on the back nine of a course he designed in 1995, Nicklaus totaled six skins and $96,462.
Even in victory, Ames deferred to the 65-year-old Nicklaus, using the event to prepare for a much-anticipated final British Open next week on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
“It was just a pleasure to get to play with Mr. Nicklaus,” said Ames, who had not done so previously. “We had a great week.”
Daly was third after just missing an ace on the 210-yard 17th. After Ames’ long putt hung on the lip, Daly’s easy birdie gave him two skins and $40,192 for a two-day total of $52,250.
PGA Tour money leader Singh was shut out for the second straight day.
NBA
Brown’s agent talks with Pistons
Larry Brown’s agent Joe Glass and Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars spoke about the coach’s future with the team, but did not reach a resolution.
Brown has said that if doctors deem him healthy enough, he wants to return next season with the Pistons – and he insists he will not coach another NBA team. Dumars has said Brown would be welcomed back.
“The Denver Nuggets signed first-round draft picks Julius Hodge and Linas Kleiza to multiyear contracts. Terms were not disclosed.
“Center Obinna Ekezie was waived by the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 42 games last season.
Track and field
Isinbayeva breaks her record
Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia broke her world record in the women’s pole vault, clearing 16 feet, 2 inches at the Athletissima Grand Prix track meet in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Olympic champion set the previous world record of 16-1 3/4 in Brussels last September.
In other events, Ronald Pognon of France upset Olympic champion Justin Gatlin to win the men’s 100 meters; Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas ran a season-best 10.84 seconds in the women’s 100; and Jeremy Wariner won the 400 in 44.96.
Horse racing
Two jockeys hurt in spills
Two jockeys were in critical condition after spills at separate Texas tracks during the weekend.
Casey Lambert broke his jaw and multiple ribs, and suffered a punctured lung in a three-horse fall at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie during Monday’s final race. The 39-year-old Lambert was in critical condition at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. His horse, Eunever, was taken from the track in a horse ambulance.
Akili Gray was in critical condition at University Hospital in San Antonio with head injuries after he was thrown during a Saturday race at Fredericksburg’s Gillespie County Fairgrounds.
Auto racing
Edwards fastest during testing
Carl Edwards’ introduction to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2 1/2 -mile oval was a fast one.
The Nextel Cup driver had the quickest lap in the first of six days of NASCAR testing for next month’s Brickyard 400.
Edwards, who has won two races and more than $2 million this season, had a top lap of 179.165 mph in his No. 99 Roush Ford. Only a few drivers, among them Edwards’ teammate Kurt Busch, were on the track.
Diving
U.S. roster announced
The United States diving team will have Laura Wilkinson and three other Olympians among its 14 members at the world championships this month in Montreal.
USA Diving announced the team roster following two trials at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
Wilkinson, a gold medal winner at Sydney in 2000, finished fifth in the 10-meter platform last year in Athens.
The other 2004 Olympians selected for the July 17-24 meet are Cassandra Cardinell, who was seventh in the synchronized platform at Athens, and brothers Justin and Troy Dumais, who were sixth in the synchronized 3-meter springboard.