Briefs | LPGA Tour to require all players to speak English

Golf

Players could be suspended if they lack English skills: The LPGA Tour includes players from around the world, and it wants all of them to be able to speak English.

The Tour will require players to speak English starting in 2009, with players who have been LPGA members for two years facing suspension if they can't pass an oral evaluation of English skills. The rule is effective immediately for new players.

"Why now? Athletes now have more responsibilities and we want to help their professional development," deputy commissioner Libba Galloway said. "There are more fans, more media and more sponsors."

Tour officials held a mandatory meeting with South Korean players last Wednesday at the Safeway Classic in Portland to inform them of the new policy. There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea.

Angela Park, born in Brazil of South Korean heritage and raised in the United States, said the policy is fair and good.

"A lot of Korean players think they are being targeted, but it's just because there are so many of them," Park said.

Villegas wins skins game in New York: Camilo Villegas of Colombia won a "chipoff" against Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Stewart Cink and Notah Begay III to walk away with top money at the inaugural Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge skins game in Verona, N.Y. Villegas earned $220,000 and Singh made $180,000.

Doping

Prosecutors had Jones ready to testify in BALCO trial: Federal prosecutors briefly moved disgraced sprinter Marion Jones from a Texas prison to the San Francisco Bay Area three months ago in case they needed her to testify against her former coach, who was on trial for lying to investigators, according to The New York Times.

Prosecutors would have called Jones to the witness stand if coach Trevor Graham had testified in his own defense, a source said.

A jury convicted Graham of lying to a federal investigator during a probe of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) about phone calls he made to a confessed steroids dealer. Jones, who won five Olympic medals in 2000, is to be released from prison Sept. 5 after serving most of a six-month sentence; she pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about her performance-enhancing drug use.

Auto racing

Sorenson will be Kahne's teammate: Driver Reed Sorenson, 22, signed a multiyear contract to join Gillett Evernham Motorsports next season, where he will join Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw and Elliott Sadler. Sorenson, who is 31st in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, decided to leave Chip Ganassi Racing.

Soccer

Moving forward: Barcelona of Spain, Juventus of Italy and Panathinaikos of Greece have advanced to the 32-team group stage of the UEFA Champions League tournament.

Boxing

Ali's ex-manager dies: A longtime manager of former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and son of the late Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad died Monday after heart surgery in Chicago. Jabir Herbert Muhammad was 79. He managed Ali's boxing career from 1966-81.

Horse racing

Remains of Eight Belles buried: A wooden box containing the remains of filly Eight Belles was buried at the Kentucky Derby Museum during a ceremony Monday in Louisville.

Eight Belles, runner-up to Big Brown in the May 3 Kentucky Derby, suffered compound fractures in both front legs shortly after the finish of the 1-¼-mile race and was euthanized on the track at Churchill Downs.

Swimming

Torres to have surgery: Five-time Olympian Dara Torres, 41, is to have shoulder surgery today in Boynton Beach, Fla. It will be the third operation she has had in 10 months.

Media

Columnist Mariotti resigns: Jay Mariotti, a longtime Chicago Sun-Times columnist, announced his resignation. The paper said he left "to pursue other opportunities."

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