Briefs | Golf: Hunter Mahan questions Ryder Cup largesse in interview

Golf

Ryder Cup is a "moneymaker like no other," Mahan says: David Duval criticized the Ryder Cup in 1999 by saying the event was "overcooked," and led a campaign for players to have more input on what to do with all the money generated for the PGA of America.

Nine years later, Hunter Mahan also wonders whether so much money has made the Ryder Cup more work than fun.

"The PGA of America could care less about winning it, honestly," Mahan said in an interview with Golf magazine.

Mahan added, "And from what I've heard, the whole week is extremely long. You've got dinners every night — not little dinners, but huge, massive dinners. I know, as players, that's the last thing we want to do. We want to prepare ourselves."

Mahan, 26, has not played in a Ryder Cup and is 11th in the standings going into the final two weeks of qualifying for the event that starts Sept. 19 in Louisville, Ky. Mahan said Tuesday he offered his opinions based on what he had heard other players talk about.

In the interview, he referred to the Ryder Cup as a "moneymaker like no other."

WNBA

League gets an A-plus: The WNBA has received the first A-plus given in Richard Lapchick's annual diversity report card on race and gender.

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport study, which grades pro leagues on the number of participating women and minorities, shows women own three WNBA teams, up two from 2007 and one the previous year.

The number of minority head coaches and players increased, but there was a slight decrease in women and minority assistant coaches.

Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida institute, said the WNBA has long led the way in his studies and benefited from its relative youth. The league began play in 1997.

College football

Arkansas' Petrino suspends two players: Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino suspended linebacker Freddy Burton and receiver Marques Wade, both 19, for the season's first two games after they were charged with driving under the influence in separate incidents.

College basketball

West Virginia players face charges: West Virginia guard Joe Mazzulla and forward Cam Thoroughman, both 20, were charged with scuffling with police and underage drinking at a Pittsburgh Pirates home game Monday.

Illinois' Smith allegedly violates probation: A few months before junior guard Jamar Smith was expected to return to the court for Illinois, a prosecutor said she wants a judge to revoke his probation for allegedly drinking.

Smith, 21, is serving two years' probation after pleading guilty last year to felony driving under the influence causing great bodily harm. He drove a car into a tree in February 2007, injuring ex-teammate Brian Carlwell.

NHL

Wild waives Parrish: The Minnesota Wild waived forward Mark Parrish, 31, a former Seattle Thunderbird. Parrish had three years left on his contract.

Tampa Bay signs top pick Stamkos: Steven Stamkos, 18, signed a three-year, $2.625 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which already has penciled in the first player taken in this year's draft as the team's second-line center.

Performance bonuses could make the deal worth up to $11.175 million.

Sailing

Ruling goes against San Francisco club: The America's Cup appears to be headed away from a rare one-on-one showdown between American and Swiss crews and back to its traditional multichallenger format after a ruling by a New York appeals court that went against a San Francisco yacht club.

The New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division ruled 3-2 that Spain's Club Nautico Espanol de Vela should be the Challenger of Record, giving it the right to negotiate terms of the next competition with the current America's Cup holder, Alinghi of Switzerland.

Soccer

Dynamo advances: Bobby Boswell and Corey Ashe scored as the Houston Dynamo defeated Pachuca of Mexico 2-0 to advance to the Aug. 5 SuperLiga final against the winner of today's match between Atlante of Mexico and New England.

Little League World Series

Upon further review: Instant replay will be used at this year's event in South Williamsport, Pa., to review questionable home runs and other plays.

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