Woods plays round at Torrey Pines

Tiger Woods played his first round of golf Wednesday since the Masters, practicing at Torrey Pines in San Diego, eight days before the start of the U.S. Open there.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Woods played in 3 hours, 15 minutes amid tight security and no spectators or media.

Woods had surgery to clean out cartilage in his left knee on April 15, two days after his runner-up finish at the Masters.

•Woods and Phil Mickelson will play together during the first two rounds of the U.S. Open, a decision by the USGA to create equal footing for the highest-ranked players.

Woods and Mickelson, Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, will be joined by No. 3 Adam Scott.

The USGA will release the pairings today.

Football

Stevens suspended

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Jerramy Stevens was suspended without pay for the first two games of the season and fined an additional game check for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

The league also said any additional violations between now and the start of the season would increase the suspension to three games.

Stevens signed with the Bucs in April 2007 after being released by the Seattle Seahawks following his arrest in Scottsdale, Ariz., for investigation of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana.

The former first-round draft pick out of the University of Washington was convicted of DUI in September.

•Two weeks after announcing Jason Taylor won’t practice through training camp, Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said he told the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end that he and the organization want him back.

The Dolphins have been fuming that Taylor spent his off-season on the TV show “Dancing With the Stars”.

•New England Patriots starting lineman Nicholas Kaczur worked as an informant for federal drug agents after he was arrested in New York on a charge of carrying the painkiller oxycodone without a prescription.

Kaczur, 28, wore a wire to help agents build a case against his alleged supplier, Daniel Ekasala, according to Ekasala’s attorney Bernard Grossberg.

Miscellany

Chambers wins race

British sprinter Dwain Chambers won his first 100-meter race in nearly two years, beating Mardy Scales of the U.S. at the Papaflessia meet in Kalamata, Greece. Chambers won in 10.26 seconds. He completed a two-year ban by the International Association of Athletics Federations for testing positive for THG.

•Cyclists riding in the Tour de France will not risk being barred from the Beijing Olympics, despite a feud between race organizers and the sport’s governing body over rules and doping controls.

•The International Olympic Committee provisionally has suspended Iraq’s national Olympic committee and said it won’t recognize the interim committee appointed by the Iraqi government.

•The United States men’s soccer team ended a two-game European trip with its second straight loss, giving up a late goal to Xavi Hernandez in a 1-0 defeat against Spain in Santander, Spain.