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Published: Nov. 2, 2009 at 11:00 PM

Wadkins, Olazabal join Hall of Fame

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Lanny Wadkins and Jose Maria Olazabal were inducted Monday into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, an avid golfer who died in 1969, was inducted into the hall in the lifetime achievement category and Irish golfer Christy O'Connor, 84, was chosen in the veterans category.

Wadkins, 59, won 21 PGA Tour Titles, including the 1977 PGA Championship, and played on eight Ryder Cup teams.

"It's something that I never dreamed of," Wadkins said at the induction ceremony in St. Augustine, Fla. "You start out playing golf, you don't think about playing for a Hall of Fame. You think about trying to win tournaments and support your family and maybe accomplishing some wins and stuff. You never think it will culminate in something like this."

Olazabal, 43, a two-time Masters champion with six wins on the PGA Tour and 21 on the European Tour, was chosen on the international ballot. Olazabal played in seven Ryder Cups.


Federer back in action, wins Swiss opener

BASEL, Switzerland, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Roger Federer, playing in his first event since the U.S. Open, scored a straight-set victory Monday in the first round of his hometown Swiss Indoors tournament.

Federer defeated Belgian qualifier Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-3, in Basel, Switzerland.

The world's No. 1 player hit 12 aces during the 66-minute match.

Federer hadn't played in a tournament since he lost in five sets to Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open final in September.

Italian Andreas Seppi, who beat Stephane Bohli of Switzerland 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 in another first-round Swiss Indoors match, will be Federer's opponent in the second round.

Czech Radek Stepanek eliminated German Rainer Schuettler 6-2, 6-0 and Florent Serra of France topped Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. in other openers.


PGA Tour: Barron violated doping policy

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Doug Barron became the first player to violate the PGA Tour's anti-doping policy and has been suspended for one year, the tour announced Monday.

"The suspension will commence immediately," a tour statement said.

It said Barron violated a ban "on the use of performance-enhancing substances" and the tour "will have no further comment on the suspension at this time."

Barron, 40, of Memphis, played in one event on the tour this season, the St. Jude Classic in June, and missed the cut. He played four times on the Nationwide Tour where he missed three cuts and was disqualified once.

"I would like to apologize for any negative perception of the tour or its players resulting from my suspension," Barron said in a statement issued by the PGA Tour. "I want my fellow tour members and the fans to know that I did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage or enhance my performance while on tour."

The tour began testing in July 2008 under an anti-doping policy supported by golf organizations around the world.

Tests are done often. They are administered by the National Center for Drug Free Sport and analyzed by World Anti-Doping Agency laboratories.


Injured Caps' star Ovechkin week-to-week

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, injured in a game against Columbus, is on week-to-week status, team officials said Monday.

The NHL's leading scorer suffered an upper-body strain during a game against Columbus, a team report said.

Ovechkin and Coach Bruce Boudreau had initially indicated the all-star player's status was day-to-day.

"I can't tell you how I got hurt," Ovechkin said after the Caps' 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets Sunday.

He left the ice in the second period and seemed to be favoring his left shoulder.

The left winger from Russia is the NHL scoring leader with 14 goals and 23 points in 14 games. He took only one shot before leaving the Columbus game.

Ovechkin is expected to miss the Caps' game at New Jersey Wednesday.

"We have to buckle down," Boudreau said. "A goal a game he scores, so we got to play better defense and cannot allow four or five goals a game. You have to win 3-1 and 2-1 and if you get lucky sometimes make it a 4-2 game. I think we have enough character players who understand what we will have to do without Alex."

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