Players test Masters course, weather
AUGUSTA, Ga., April 9 (UPI) -- Early arrivals testing Augusta National Golf Club course getting ready for The Masters were greeted Monday by strong winds that made playing golf a tricky endeavor.
Tuesday could bring rain.
In fact, the forecast calls for possible rain the next couple of days. That meant that Monday might be the only practice round some of the Masters participants manage to complete before the first major tournament of the year begins Thursday. And practice rounds are vital this week because so much of the course is different this year.
"In a way, it's a new course for everybody," said Spain's Sergio Garcia, who arrives in Augusta looking for his first major title.
Tees on nine holes have been extended, some of them dramatically so. There are 258 more yards on the scorecard. And just how difficult those changes can make the course play was made obvious Monday when the winds appeared.
Poor start dooms Tiger skipper
DETROIT, April 9 (UPI) -- Disappointed over another poor start, the Detroit Tigers Monday fired both Manager Phil Garner and General Manager Randy Smith.
The Tigers have had eight straight losing seasons and showed no signs of reversing that trend in the first week of the season when they were swept in three-game series by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Cleveland Indians.
Bench Coach Luis Pujols was named interim manager while President Dave Dombrowski will add the role of general manager.
After posting a 145-179 record in his first two seasons, Garner entered the year with little margin for error, and he used it all by losing his first six games.
Garner was entering the third year of a four-year contract he signed when he was hired on Oct.14, 1999.
Pistons get 1st division title in 12 years
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 9 (UPI) -- The Detroit Pistons clinched their first Central Division title in 12 years Monday night with a 105-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
It's the first division crown for the Pistons since 1990, when they captured their second of back-to-back NBA championships.
Detroit got a winning effort from an unexpected source. Rookie Zeljko Rebraca set season highs with 18 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks to pace the win. He was making just his second start in relief of the injured Ben Wallace Poor start dooms Tiger manager
Hoosiers'Jeffries heads for NBA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., April 9 (UPI) -- Indiana forward Jared Jeffries, who helped the Hoosiers reach the NCAA championship game, said Monday he has decided to forgo his final two years of college eligibility and enter the NBA draft.
The 6-10 Jeffries, the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, led the Hoosiers with averages of 15 points and seven rebounds. While he struggled the last month of the regular season with a sprained right ankle, Jeffries had 24 points and 15 rebounds in the Hoosiers' 74-73 upset of top-ranked Duke in the South Region semifinals.
Indiana Coach Mike Davis said he supports Jeffries' decision.
Vaughn sidelined by broken hand
NEW YORK, April 9 (UPI) -- The New York Mets Monday placed Mo Vaughn, their slugging first baseman, on the 15-day disabled list with a broken bone in his hand.
Vaughn was hurt Thursday when he was hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh's Jommy Anderson in the first inning of a 3-2 loss.
Vaughn did not play the final two games of a three-game series in Atlanta and returned to New York on Sunday to have an X-ray of his right hand. Team physician Dr. Andrew Rokito said the results showed a small, non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal. Vaughn will be eligible to be activated on April 21.
While Vaughn is one of baseball's more prolific sluggers, he has been plagued by injuries in recent years. He missed the entire 2001 season after undergoing reconstructive surgery to repair a torn biceps.
Kenseth captures second NASCAR victory
FORT WORTH, Texas, April 9 (UPI) -- Matt Kenseth captured his second NASCAR victory of the season Monday when he combined a fast Ford and some clever strategy on his final pit stop to win the Samsung/RadioShack 500.
The race had been rained out on Sunday and reset for Monday. A crowd estimated at 185,000 fans filled Texas Motor Speedway for the race.
Kenseth had to start at the rear of the 43-car field after changing an engine, but was able to get the front after 334 laps of racing. His pit crew changed two tires instead of four during the final pit stop on lap 309. That came during a caution period after his teammate, Kurt Busch, had spun out in Turn 4. It was a timely spin as Kenseth was one lap away from pitting for fuel.
When the green flag waved on lap 313, Kenseth was in front of Jeff Gordon's Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Mark Martin's Ford Taurus with 21 laps remaining. Martin began to catch Gordon, which allowed Kenseth to pull away for his third career Winston Cup victory.
Safina in stunning WTA tour debut
ESTORIL, Portugal, April 9 (UPI) -- Russian teenager Dinara Safina made a stunning WTA Tour debut Monday, eliminating third seed Martina Sucha of Slovakia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, in the first round of the $665,000 Estoril Open.
The younger sister of ATP Tour star Marat Safin, the 15-year-old Safina had no trouble continuing the success she enjoyed as a junior, highlighted by a runner-up showing in girls' singles at Wimbledon last year.
Earlier this year, Safina won two singles titles and a doubles crown in a pair of International Tennis Federation events.
Zabaleta loses at Casablanca
CASABLANCA, Morocco, April 9 (UPI) -- Sixth seed Mariano Zabaleta of Argentina dropped his fifth straight match on Monday when he fell to Germany's Michael Kohlmann in the first round of the$381,000 Grand Prix Hassan II claycourt event.
Zabaleta, who has not won since reaching the quarterfinals at Acapulco in February, exited with a 6-1, 6-4 loss.
In the only other main draw match Monday, eighth seed Ferna Vicente of Spain lost to Attila Savolt of Hungary, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
Vicente won the second of his three career titles here in 2000 and was runner-up in 1997. Savolt won for just the third time in 10 matches this season.
Argentina's Guillermo Canas is the top seed this week and is back to defend his first ATP title.
