Tour Championship opens Thursday
ATLANTA, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- The final event of the PGA Tour's playoffs begins Thursday with Vijay Singh having wrapped up the FedEx Cup title and its accompanying $10 million prize.
Singh needs only to play all four rounds of the tournament at the East Lake Golf Club to claim the richest purse in golf.
The concluding event in the four-tournament playoff series turned into an anti-climax this year. Not only did Singh win two of the first three playoff tourneys, thus piling up enough points to clinch the FedEx Cup crown, but the Tour Championship comes a week after the scene-stealing Ryder Cup matches.
Ten of the 12 victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team members will be playing this week. Only Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes will be missing from the American squad that ended the longest U.S. Ryder Cup losing streak ever.
Sergio Garcia will be the only European Ryder Cup team member playing at East Lake.
Singh will begin the first round at 2:10 p.m. EDT paired with Camilo Villegas.
Giants suspend Burress for one game
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Wide receiver Plaxico Burress, the team's leading receiver this season, was suspended Wednesday by the New York Giants.
Giants' Coach Tom Coughlin and General Manager Jerry Reese met with Burress Wednesday and said the suspension would begin immediately. The team said the suspension was for one game. The Giants are off this week so Burress would miss the Oct. 5 home game against Seattle.
Team officials said the disciplinary action came after Burress violated team rules. The New York Post reported that the wide receiver missed team meetings and practices Monday and Tuesday and the team had been unable to reach Burress.
Burress leads the 3-0 Giants with 18 receptions for 259 yards and one touchdown. Last season he had a team-high 70 catches for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had 18 receptions for 221 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in New York's Super Bowl XLII victory.
Saints cut Joey Harrington
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- The New Orleans Saints released quarterback Joey Harrington Wednesday, ending what was a short stay with his fourth NFL team.
Harrington was the third player selected in the 2002 draft and spent four seasons with Detroit before brief tenures in Miami, Atlanta and New Orleans.
He was listed as the third-string quarterback with the Saints behind Drew Brees and Mark Brunell and became the victim of an injury suffered by tight end Jeremy Shockey.
New Orleans signed Sean Ryan to replace Shockey, who will be out of action for at least three weeks with a sports hernia. The Saints had to free up a roster spot to make room for Ryan and Harrington was considered expendable.
Harrington has played in 81 games and thrown for 14,693 yards with 79 touchdowns and 85 interceptions.
Al Harris to miss at least one game
GREEN BAY, Wis., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Green Bay Coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday the team was not yet sure how much time cornerback Al Harris will miss with his spleen injury.
Harris was hurt last Sunday in a loss to Dallas. McCarthy said although the injury was a serious one, it is possible Harris could avoid surgery. The star cornerback, however, will certainly miss next week's game against Tampa Bay.
"It's a different type of injury and we're getting as much information as possible," McCarthy said. "I'm hopeful that he'll be back. The time frame just hasn't been established yet."
