Briefs | Azinger, new Ryder Cup captain, makes changes

Golf

Azinger will do it his way: Paul Azinger took over the U.S. Ryder Cup team in more ways than one, persuading the PGA of America to give him four captain's picks (up from two) and revamping the criteria so that performance in major tournaments and earnings determine who makes the team.

"I'm going to get the blame if it doesn't work," Azinger said Monday. "I would like some of the credit if it does."

Cancer survivor Azinger, a former PGA Championship winner, was introduced as the U.S. captain at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., where the 2008 matches will be played.

Europe has captured the Ryder Cup eight of the last 11 times, winning by its largest margin — 18 ˝-9 ˝ — the last two times. Tom Lehman was the U.S. captain for September's loss in Ireland.

Under the new qualifying system, one point will be awarded for every $1,000 a player earns in the 2007 majors, and in regular PGA Tour events in 2008. Two points will be given for every $1,000 earned at the 2008 majors. The PGA of America took care of one argument — tournaments held opposite majors — by offering a half-point per $1,000 at those events.

PGA president Roger Warren said players would be awarded one-fourth of a point for every $1,000 they have earned over the past 11 weeks; the previous Ryder Cup points system was to begin after the PGA Championship in August.

Six-time major winner Nick Faldo is Europe's captain.

Woods has designs on a new business: Tiger Woods, the world's top-ranked player, is known for conquering golf courses. He also plans to start building them.

Woods announced he has formed Tiger Woods Design and will start looking for land to design courses.

"My goal is to provide a unique collection of amazing courses all over the world that represent what I love about golf," said Woods, who will be chairman of the company.

Many elite players design courses. For example, Jack Nicklaus Design has more than 300 courses that are open for play around the world.

Figure skating

Two-time world champion exits: Russian Irina Slutskaya, the 2002 and 2005 world champion, has announced her retirement from competitive skating, saying she "has had enough."

Slutskaya, 27, won the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics and the bronze at this year's Games in Turin, Italy.

Slutskaya, who would like to host a television talk show, said, "I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the next five minutes, but one thing is certain — I'm done with competitive skating."

Horses

Cast is taken off colt's right-hind leg: Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro's original injuries have healed well enough that the cast on his right-hind leg was removed in Kennett Square, Pa., leaving the colt to overcome the complications to his left-hind foot that arose in July.

"There are no signs of new problems with that foot, but the hoof needs several more months of growth before we will know how much foot structure and function will be recovered," veterinary surgeon Dean Richardson said in a statement.

Barbaro suffered career-ending injuries in the May 20 Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore.

Bernardini is retired: Bernardini ran his last race when he finished second as the favorite behind Invasor in Saturday's $4.58 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Bernardini, a 3-year-old colt who won the Preakness and Travers, will stand at stud at Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Darley Farm. Bernardini won 6 of 8 career starts and earned $3,060,480. His stud fee is $100,000.

Henny Hughes, a 3-year-old who was last as the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, also was retired to Darley. His stud fee is $40,000.

Delta Blues triumphs: Delta Blues, a 6-year-old ridden by Yasunari Iwata, won the $3.9 million Melbourne Cup in Australia at 18-1 odds.

Auto racing

Tracy to miss finale: Paul Tracy, who has a broken shoulder, will miss Sunday's Champ Car World Series season finale in Mexico City. He was injured in an all-terrain-vehicle accident last week in Las Vegas, where he lives.

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