Golf great Byron Nelson dies
IRVING, Texas, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Golf legend Byron Nelson, who won 18 tournaments including a record 11 consecutive PGA events in 1945, has died in Irving, Texas at the age of 94.
A family friend confirmed Nelson's death Tuesday. He died at his home but a cause was not released.
Nelson had a total of 52 PGA victories -- sixth on the all-time PGA win list -- in a career that essentially ended when he was 34. His touring career lasted just 11 years.
Nelson held the record for most consecutive cuts made at 113, a mark recently broken by Tiger Woods.
Nelson won five major tournament championships -- the 1937 and 1942 Masters, the 1939 U.S. Open and the 1940 and 1945 PGA Championships.
Dallas, Nowitzki sign $60 million deal
DALLAS, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- The Dallas Mavericks have signed All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki to a contract extension reportedly for three years and worth $60 million.
Nowitzki, 28, averaged a career-best 26.6 points last season, which was seventh-best in the NBA. He also averaged nine rebounds and had career highs in field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage, making more than 90 percent from the charity stripe.
A five-time All-Star, Nowitzki ended third in the NBA MVP voting last season. He has career averages of 22 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists since breaking into the league in 1998.
Dallas' all-time rebounding leader, Nowitzki signed a $79 million contract in 2001 and he had two years left on it.
Warner remains Cardinals starting QB
TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Arizona Coach Dennis Green announced Tuesday that Kurt Warner is still the Cardinals' starting quarterback.
Green's statement was released by the National Football League team after an ESPN report indicated that Green had decided to go with rookie Matt Leinart at quarterback for Sunday's game against Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green said on the team's Web site. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
After beating San Francisco in the season opener, the Cardinals have dropped their last two games. Warner threw three interceptions and fumbled a snap in the final minutes of Arizona's 16-14 loss to St. Louis this past Sunday.
Angels Salmon to retire at season's end
ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Angels outfielder Tim Salmon said Tuesday his 14-year Major League baseball career will come to an end at the conclusion of the season.
During Salmon's career, the Angels have gone by California, Anaheim and Los Angeles and captured the World Series during a 2003 campaign that saw the outfielder bat .275 with 19 homers and 72 runs batted in.
Salmon's best year was in 1995 when he batted a career-high .330 with 34 homers and 105 RBI. The outfielder hit 33 home runs and drove in 129 runs just two years later.
Injuries on top of the normal wear and tear associated with a lengthy career have hindered Salmon, 38, in recent seasons. He hit just .253 with two homers in 2004 before missing the entire 2005 campaign while recovering from surgery on his left knee and right shoulder.
Schiavone wins; Pierce loses in Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG CITY, Luxembourg, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Fifth-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone won and former champion Mary Pierce lost in Tuesday's first-round play at the $600,000 Luxembourg Championships.
Schiavone posted a 6-4, 6-3 win over Dutchwoman Michaella Krajicek, half-sister of former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek.
Schiavone will meet fellow Italian Roberta Vinci in the round of 16. Schiavone and Vinci were both members of Italy's Fed Cup championship team this year.
The eighth-seeded Pierce lost to the Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko, 6-3, 6-3. The two-time Grand Slam champion Pierce, who has played very little tennis this season, won this tournament back in 1998.
