NEW YORK (Reuters) - Roger Federer showed that time was still on his side as the Swiss master rang the closing bell on Monday's opening day at the U.S. Open tennis championship with a quick victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Third seed Federer, who turned 30 earlier this month, completed a clockwork 6-4 6-3 6-2 win over 56th-ranked Colombian Santiago Giraldo to the delight of the Flushing Meadows night crowd.
The 106-minute sweep was the first step in Federer's quest to add to his grand slam record of 16 men's singles titles with a sixth U.S. Open crown.
A sixth title in New York would also break his tie with Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras for the most since tennis turned professional in 1968.
"It was a great atmosphere, great ovation when I walked out," said Federer, a favorite of the New York crowds. "I really enjoyed it.
"It's always one of those moments I guess you train for ... the first night at the U.S. Open."
Federer had little trouble disposing of clay court specialist Giraldo but the Swiss was not at his precision best, committing 35 unforced errors.
He looked shaky on serve-and-volley points by winning just one of six, while cashing in on 23 of 37 advances to the net.
Federer said the new surface at Flushing Meadows played slower than before and that he consciously had decided to work on coming to the net in the match.
"As the match went on, I think I started to get more solid and better, and that's a good feeling to have," he said.
Federer, who is also eyeing an Open victory to extend a remarkable string of winning at least one grand slam title in eight straight years, said playing at night provided a sort of sweet pressure.
"They can't wander around to different courts," the world number three said about knowing that all eyes at National Tennis Center nights were fixed on the marquee match.
"No avoiding the limelight. You do feel that pressure as well. When you miss a stupid volley, you go like, 'Yeah, everybody saw it. I'm a bit of an idiot right now. Better don't miss that next time because on TV everybody's watching.'"
The Open is Federer's last chance to add a 2011 slam victory to his prodigious resume after losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals in Australia, finishing runner-up to Rafa Nadal at the French and falling in the quarter-finals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon.
Federer next plays Israeli Dudi Sela, who battled back from two sets down to beat Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil.
Rivera gets out of bases-loaded jam in 9th with strikeout of Gonzalez
Winslow Townson / AP
New York Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson makes a diving catch on a ball hit by Boston's Jed Lowrie during Thursday's game.
updated 1:13 a.m. ET Sept. 2, 2011
BOSTON - A.J. Burnett kept the New York Yankees close, Russell Martin put them ahead and Mariano Rivera nailed down a satisfying victory over Boston.
Rivera struck out AL batting leader Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded for the final out and Martin hit a go-ahead double in the seventh that sent New York to a 4-2 victory Thursday night despite stranding 12 runners over the first six innings.
Burnett, coming off an awful August, allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings after adjusting his delivery. Yankees manager Joe Girardi thought the changes would work.
"I just had a feeling tonight he was going to get it done," Girardi said, "and he did."
Struggling to stay in the rotation after going 1-2 with an 11.91 ERA in five starts last month, Burnett changed the position of his hands at the start of his windup.
"I've only really been working on that for three days. I've been pitching the same way for 11 years so it's a big change, but as the game went on I felt more comfortable," he said. "It all goes down to focus and conviction and that was a lot better."
The Yankees trailed 2-1 when Burnett left, then scored three times in the seventh off Alfredo Aceves (9-2) in a tense game that took 4 hours, 21 minutes.
Nick Swisher started the inning by striking out. Aceves then walked Andruw Jones and hit Jesus Montero, a top prospect making his major league debut, with a pitch. Aceves was replaced by Daniel Bard, who gave up a double to right-center by Martin, the first batter he faced. Two runners scored and Martin went to third on the throw to the plate. Pinch-hitter Eric Chavez followed with an RBI single.
"Tremendous," Girardi said of Martin's hit. Bard "is one of the best relievers in the game and we were able to get some runs off him."
The Red Sox threatened in the ninth, loading the bases on walks to Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury and a single by Marco Scutaro. But Rivera caught Gonzalez looking at a third strike and picked up his 36th save in 41 opportunities.
"We gave ourselves a chance," Boston manager Terry Francona said.
Dustin Pedroia's two-run homer after a double by Gonzalez gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Aceves escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, then struggled in the seventh and took his first loss in relief after winning 18 straight decisions out of the bullpen.
The Yankees moved within a half-game of the first-place Red Sox in the AL East by winning two of three in the series. New York is 4-11 against Boston this season, and the teams have one three-game series remaining at Yankee Stadium from Sept. 23-25.
Cory Wade (3-0) got the win after pitching to just one batter, Lowrie, who ended the sixth by flying out.
Boston starter Jon Lester struggled in each of his five innings, throwing 114 pitches, but gave up only one run. That scored in the first when he needed 43 pitches. Leadoff hitter Derek Jeter struck out, but Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira singled and Robinson Cano drove in the run with a double.
"I tried to minimize the damage," Lester said. "I was happy to get out of the first with one and from there on out it was a struggle."
Teixeira left the game in the bottom of the seventh and is day-to-day after being hit by a pitch from Aceves on the side of the right knee in the sixth.
"I don't know if I'll have him (Friday)" in the opener of a three-game series against Toronto, Girardi said. "We'll just wait and see."
Burnett allowed one hit through three innings before giving up Pedroia's homer into the center-field bleachers, his career-high 18th of the year. He hit 17 in 2008, when he was the AL MVP.
Burnett threw 94 pitches, walking David Ortiz on the last one. Boone Logan then struck out Carl Crawford. Wade came in and ended the inning by retiring Lowrie.
"It feels good to keep my team in it," Burnett said. "Obviously, you want to go deeper, but to bounce back after a homer and to go as long as I could go and leave it all out there, it's all I can do."
Notes: Aceves is 23-3 in his career. He entered the game as the only pitcher in baseball history to win 23 of his first 25 decisions. ... The Red Sox added first baseman-outfielder Conor Jackson, obtained Wednesday night from the Oakland Athletics, and recalled left-hander Felix Doubront from Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Montero stranded six runners as the designated hitter. ... Bard's streak of eight scoreless outings ended. ... Ortiz extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the second. ... Phil Mickelson, playing in the Deutsche Bank Championship starting Friday in Norton, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... The Yankees return home for the opener Friday night of a three-game series against the Blue Jays. Ivan Nova (14-4) pitches for New York against Brandon Morrow (9-9). ... The Red Sox send Andrew Miller (6-1) to the mound against Derek Holland (12-5) in the opener Friday night of a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.
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Yanks escape Boston with series win
Mariano Rivera struck out Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded for the final out and Russell Martin hit a go-ahead double in the seventh inning that sent the New York Yankees past the Boston Red Sox 4-2 Thursday night despite stranding 12 runners in the first six innings.
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Javaris Crittenton, a former National Basketball Association athlete who once played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Washington Wizards, is wanted on a murder charge over the death of a woman in Georgia, the FBI said Monday.
Crittenton, who is believed to be in Los Angeles, is being sought for the August 19 shooting death of 22-year-old Julian Jones in Atlanta.
Witnesses said Jones was shot with an assault rifle by someone driving a dark-colored SUV, the FBI said in a statement.
Several days after the woman was shot, Crittenton, 23, of Fayetteville, Georgia, purchased a one-way airline ticket from Atlanta to Los Angeles, where he has friends and family, the FBI said.
Crittenton has been charged by Atlanta police with murder, and Monday the FBI issued an arrest warrant for him for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Crittenton was drafted by the Lakers in 2007 and ended his career with the Wizards after a stint in Memphis, according to the league website. He played college ball at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
In January 2010, the NBA suspended Crittenton and Wizards teammate Gilbert Arenas without pay for the rest of the season for bringing guns into the locker room after a dispute over a poker game on a flight home from a game.
Crittenton pleaded guilty to a criminal charge and received a sentence of one year of probation over that incident.
(Reporting by David Beasley; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Cynthia Johnston)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Dressed in a white oxford shirt with an Ohio State logo on the chest -- no tie, no sweater vest -- Luke Fickell made the first big call of his head coaching career.
Fickell, an assistant elevated to replace Jim Tressel, who was forced out in the midst of an NCAA investigation, said that fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman would most likely be the starting quarterback when the 18th-ranked Buckeyes open their season on Saturday at home against Akron.
Bauserman and true freshman Braxton Miller had battled for the starting job in recent weeks in camp. They were listed with an 'or' separating them on Ohio State's two-deep roster this week.
"Joe would probably take the first snap," Fickell said at his first weekly news conference. "Just talking with those guys, talking with the offensive staff, we know we're going to need them both. The whole idea is we want to make sure that we can put them out there in front of 106,000 and see how guys respond."
He said Bauserman got the edge because he has seen more game action -- although he has seldom played with a game on the line because he was behind departed three-year starter Terrelle Pryor.
"It's leadership," he said when asked what separated Bauserman, a former minor-league pitcher for three years in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system. "It's also what this team, where we were at the time. He's done a really good job through camp. I've been impressed with the things we've asked him to do and what he's done."
Fickell, formerly the linebackers coach, stressed that the job wasn't permanently Bauserman's.
"It doesn't mean I haven't been impressed with Braxton as well," he said. "That's why we've been impressed with him enough to list him in the 'or' category. But, again, the whole idea is we want to continue to create competition and to make sure that those guys understand that by saying 'or' that we need both."
Offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts said the 25-year-old Bauserman was more knowledgeable about the playbook.
"Joe's an older guy, he's been around. He knows the system a little bit," he said. "Joe's a little more of a pocket passer, but he's a lot more athletic than people give him credit for when he gets out of the pocket. We all know Braxton can make some plays on his feet if he has to scramble or step up."
Center Mike Brewster will be counted on to make things as easy as possible for whomever is taking the snaps.
"I can't do too much for them, but the thing I can do is make sure that they're protected, make sure that I have the line all on the same page, make sure that I am picking up the blitzes with different calls and putting them in a position to be successful," he said. "By doing that, I think it'll make them feel more comfortable in the pocket, give them more time and let the receivers do what they need to do."
Pryor took almost every snap the past two seasons. He led the Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl win two years ago and to a 12-1 mark last year, including a victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
But he left Ohio State this summer, giving up his senior season, while caught up in the middle of the NCAA investigation into improper benefits to players. Tressel was forced out on May 30 after 10 years as the Buckeyes head coach, admitting he knew some of his players broke NCAA rules but didn't tell anyone for more than nine months.
Fickell said the quarterbacks, like everyone else, would be graded on their performance against the Zips.
"Everything's a test, we tell them," he said.
Fickell also said that third-year sophomore Jaamal Berry has a hamstring injury and will probably not play in the opener. In his stead, the tailback rotation will be Jordan Hall, Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith.
Linebacker Etienne Sabino, who broke a bone in his hand 10 days ago, had surgery last week and is expected to play with a cast on his hand.
The two-deep roster that was unveiled featured seven new starters on offense and seven on defense, taking into account that the Buckeyes will be without three frontline players (wide receiver DeVier Posey, top tailback Dan Herron and offensive lineman Mike Adams) who are suspended for the first five games for taking cash and free tattoos.
Maybe because those top players will not be with the team for the start of the season (in addition backup defensive lineman Solomon Thomas is also sitting out the first five games, and backup linebacker Jordan Whiting will miss just the Akron game), Ohio State will go with game captains instead of seasonlong captains. Nominated for the Akron contest are Shugarts, Brewster and defensive lineman John Simon.
The 38-year-old Fickell said he was anxious to be a head coach after spending the last nine seasons on the Ohio State staff.
Tressel was known for his conservative game plan -- repeatedly saying that the punt was the most important play in football -- as well as his prep-school white shirt, tie and sweater vest.
Fickell was asked what he would be wearing on the sidelines in the opener.
"Whatever my wife lays out," he said with a laugh.
The New York Mets could not reach agreement on a deal for David Einhorn to buy a minority stake in the team and have broken off talks, the organization announced Thursday.
The sides have been in negotiations for months, with Einhorn reportedly poised to pay $200 million for a non-controlling stake in the team. Einhorn would have had the option of boosting his stake to roughly 60 percent in three to five years, a source told ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin. That option could have been blocked if the Wilpons returned Einhorn's $200 million and allowed him to keep one-sixth ownership of the team.
A source close to the situation told ESPNNewYork.com's Rubin on Thursday that the Mets will now change course. Instead of turning to one of the reported runners-up, such as commodities trader Ray Bartoszek, the team will now try to sell a series of smaller units to family and friends to reach the $200 million stake they desire.
Anywhere from four to 12 such shares could be sold, with no member being able to put together a group to form a majority stake. According to the source, Bartoszek would be welcome to buy one of the smaller shares.
The source said such an arrangement could come together quickly.
The source also said that Einhorn's claim that the Mets kept changing terms at the last minute was not accurate and that it was actually Einhorn who thought the Mets were in a compromised position and tried to bend the terms to his advantage.
There were signs that the talks were not progressing in July when the team briefly began talks with other bidders, but sources said that the Mets still expected to close a deal with Einhorn.
The Mets have been seeking a minority partner to infuse cash into the organization because they face uncertainty over a lawsuit brought by the victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. The victims' trustee, Irving Picard, is seeking to recover what he considers ill-gotten gains the Mets received from the scheme. With penalties, Picard has sought as much as $1 billion.
[+] Enlarge
Paul Bereswill/Getty ImagesDavid Einhorn cozied up to Fred Wilpon (right) and general manager Sandy Alderson on Aug. 6.
Einhorn, president of the investment firm Greenlight Capital, had attended a Mets game as recently as Tuesday but was informed of the Mets' decision at a meeting between the parties in Manhattan on Thursday morning, according to a source.
Einhorn said he believed the deal was on track as recently as the middle of last week, but then was troubled when he received modifications to the contract before last weekend.
One example, Einhorn said, was that he wanted a clear path from Major League Baseball to gain approval from other owners to become majority owner of the Mets should he successfully exercise that contractual right in a handful of years.
Einhorn, 42, said the Wilpons informed him early on that MLB would have a problem with that language in the contract. So Einhorn indicated he met with Bud Selig, who said that the commissioner's office would not be an impediment to the contract calling for a trigger for other MLB owners to vote to approve him as majority owner should the agreement with the Wilpons eventually call for it.
But, Einhorn alleged, the Wilpons subsequently lobbied MLB to prevent the language calling for a vote of other owners from being included. And the latest contract revisions had omitted the clause that previously had appeared in the agreement, Einhorn said.
"After all, it wouldn't make sense to invest $200 million into a team and then be denied the ability to exercise a negotiated option down the road due to the inability to obtain the required vote of other major league owners at that time," Einhorn said.
Einhorn said that was only one example of several unilateral changes made to the agreement by the Wilpons entering last weekend.
"I was surprised," he said. "I was very surprised."
Einhorn said he does not intend to pursue another MLB ownership opportunity in the near future. He added that there will be no forthcoming litigation with the Wilpons. He declined to speculate about whether he believed the Wilpons had become emboldened because of apparent positive developments in the $1 billion lawsuit against them over the Madoff scheme.
Einhorn thanks the Mets and MLB for the experience and concluded: "This has been a very interesting summer for me. I've learned a lot."
Despite the Einhorn deal falling through, the Mets said Thursday they are not in trouble financially -- that they can cover 2011 losses and still operate the team. The team said it is not under financial pressure to get a deal done sooner rather than later.
"We are very confident in the team's plans -- both off and on the field," Mets chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon said. "We will engage with other individuals, some who have been previously vetted by Major League Baseball, along with other interested parties, regarding a potential minority investment in the franchise. My partners and I thank David for his interest in considering this opportunity and wish him well in the future."
Mets manager Terry Collins said Thursday night that the situation will not affect the team on the field.
"When I took this job, I was going to try and stay out of stuff that I have no control over, that doesn't include me," he said. "(I knew) going in that there's a lot to this job on the outside away from the field, but I'm responsible for the promotion of this team, the play of this team and that's pretty much where I leave it.
"Am I informed on things going on? Of course. But Jeff (Wilpon) was just in and just said, 'Look, I want you to know we're moving forward, and it's business as usual as far as you're concerned.' "
"I think it has zero effect on us," third baseman David Wright said. "I got a chance to meet him. He seemed like a nice guy, seemed like a very smart guy. I enjoyed the conversations I had with him.
"But at the end of the day, it has really no effect on anybody in here. It's obviously the people upstairs that know more about it than we do. We just read the headlines. I just don't think it has much effect on the guys on here at all."
There has been talk that uncertainty around the team's finances might prevent the Mets from re-signing impending free agent shortstop Jose Reyes.
"It's still too soon. I don't have a plan yet to see what's going on after the season," Reyes said. "I still haven't sat down with my agent yet. Like I said, it's still too soon to talk about what's going to happen. We'll have to wait and see until after the season."
Adam Rubin covers the Mets for ESPNNewYork.com. Information from ESPNNewYork.com's Mike Mazzeo was used in this report.
WEST LINN, Ore. (AP) � A man who went to the Oregon home of Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph to sell marijuana said he was beaten with a pool cue in a dispute over the price of pot.
By Wade Payne, AP
Oregon police say Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph was in his suburban Portland home at the time of an alleged assault.
By Wade Payne, AP
Oregon police say Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph was in his suburban Portland home at the time of an alleged assault.
The man, who has not been publicly identified, told sheriff's deputies at least three men assaulted him but Randolph was not among them. No arrests have been made, and authorities said none were expected on Monday.
Clackamas County Sheriff's Sgt. James Rhodes said Randolph was in his home outside Portland when the beating occurred early Saturday. The victim was treated for head and face injuries and released from a hospital later that afternoon, when he called police.
Officers served a search warrant early Sunday. They spoke with 10 people in the home at the time and recovered pool cues and blood evidence. They did not find drugs in the home.
Rhodes said the evidence "was consistent with the victim's statement about where and how he was assaulted," and authorities were trying to figure out who was involved in the assault.
The victim told officers that he recognized Randolph and was certain he wasn't involved in the beating, but he didn't know the names of the people who assaulted him. The victim said there were about 20 people at Randolph's home at the time.
Rhodes said detectives will probably ask the victim to pick the suspects from a line up.
Randolph has not spoken to the officers based on the advice of his lawyer, Rhodes said. He didn't know the lawyer's name.
Attempts to reach Randolph have been unsuccessful. Nobody answered the intercom system at his gated home in West Linn on Monday. Two sport-utility vehicles drove away, and their occupants did not stop to speak with a reporter from The Associated Press.
The Grizzlies declined to comment.
Randolph averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds per game with Memphis last season. He was drafted in 2001 by the Portland Trail Blazers and played there six seasons before being traded to New York. He was later traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, then to Memphis in 2009.
The Grizzlies signed Randolph to a four-year contract extension in April during the first-round of the playoffs. He became only their second All-Star during the 2009-10 season.
Randolph's past troubles also have included an arrest for driving under the influence of intoxicants after a police officer said he smelled marijuana in Randolph's car and a practice fight in which he broke former teammate Ruben Patterson's eye socket.
In 2009, he was suspended for two games for punching a Phoenix Suns player.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has agreed to a five-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, the team announced Thursday.
Team owner Rick Hendrick said he and Earnhardt, the sport's most popular driver, reached a handshake agreement months ago, which has now been formalized. The deal will keep Earnhardt in the No. 88 Chevrolet through the 2017 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Hendrick said reaching the agreement was "as simple and smooth as it gets."
"My feelings haven't changed since the day he first signed with us. I'm committed as ever to putting him in the best possible situation to be successful and compete for wins and championships," Hendrick said in a statement.
Earnhardt said he has been happy at Hendrick Motorsports and was glad to have the agreement wrapped up quickly.
"Rick and I were on the same page from the first time we talked about it, so there wasn't any sense in waiting," Earnhardt said. "There were never any questions or hesitations from either of us. It was just, 'Yeah, let's do it.'
"The team's been very competitive this season, and we're all excited about the direction of things. I want to make sure we're giving our fans something to cheer about for a long time."
WASHINGTON (AP) � NFL defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth pleaded no contest to a charge of simple assault on Monday to resolve a case in which he was accused of touching a waitress' breast while having drinks with friends at a Washington hotel.
By Jacquelyn Martin, AP
New England Patriots defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth leaves D.C. Superior Court in Washington, Monday, Aug. 22.
By Jacquelyn Martin, AP
New England Patriots defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth leaves D.C. Superior Court in Washington, Monday, Aug. 22.
If he stays out of trouble over the next 18 months and completes 160 hours of community service, prosecutors will drop the charge entirely. Haynesworth, who was recently traded from the Washington Redskins to the New England Patriots, appeared in D.C. Superior Court to enter his plea.
After a prosecutor read the facts the government would have proven at trial in the case, including that Haynesworth had slid his credit card down the woman's shirt and touched her breast, the judge asked Haynesworth to respond.
"I do not contest the government's proffer of facts on this charge," he said.
Haynesworth, 30, was originally facing the more serious charge of sexual abuse in the case, which stemmed from a visit to the W Hotel in February. If convicted of that charge in a trial that was set to begin Tuesday, he would have faced up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Prosecutors dropped that charge Monday as part of the plea agreement.
Under the deal, Haynesworth must undergo alcohol abuse and psychological assessments and refrain from any threatening or harassing behavior over the next 18 months. If Haynesworth violates the conditions of the deal, which also include obeying all laws and court orders, he faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine under the simple assault charge.
The judge set a status hearing in the case for Feb. 21. Haynesworth's attorney, A. Scott Bolden, said he didn't want to be presumptuous but asked for a hearing in late February so as to avoid a potential conflict with the Super Bowl, a fact the judge also noted.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tiger Woods said Monday that he would play in the PGA Tour's Frys.com Open in October to justify his early selection by United States captain Fred Couples for the Presidents Cup.
Last week, Couples said Woods would be one of his two wildcard picks for the November 17-20 team competition in Australia, though he had urged the rusty former world number one to compete in at least one more event before then.
Woods, who had no chance of gaining automatic Cup selection after struggling for form and fitness this season, had previously said his next tournament would be the November 10-13 Australian Open.
"I always enjoy competing in my home state (California), and this tournament fits my schedule perfectly," Woods said on his website. "I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends.
"It's been a long time between the PGA (Championship) and Frys, and I'll be anxious to compete."
The Frys.com Open will be held from October 6-9 at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, California.
It will be Woods's first appearance on the PGA Tour since the August 11-14 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club where he missed the cut and failed to qualify for the circuit's elite FedExCup playoffs.
Woods, a 14-times major champion, has been a shadow of his former dominant self since the end of 2009 while trying to rebuild his golf swing and private life following the breakup of his marriage.
His world ranking has slipped to 38th and he has not won a tournament since the 2009 Australian Masters.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) � Tiger Woods is thinking about adding another PGA Tour event to his schedule.
By Kevin Liles, US Presswire
Tiger Woods didn't make the PGA Tour playoffs, so he's considerin adding a Fall Series event.
By Kevin Liles, US Presswire
Tiger Woods didn't make the PGA Tour playoffs, so he's considerin adding a Fall Series event.
Woods failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs that start this week in New Jersey for the top 125 players in the standings, meaning he is ineligible for tour events until October. He said on his website Monday that he might add a tournament in the Fall Series.
"Right now, I'm looking at my options," Woods said.
The Fall Series begins in Las Vegas on Sept. 29. It is followed by the Frys.com Open in San Martin, Calif., before moving to the East Coast for the final two weeks ? the McGladrey Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga., and concluding with the tournament at Disney on Oct. 20-23.
Woods won Las Vegas for his first PGA Tour victory in 1996. He also won Disney that year.
He also said he wants to be part of the Presidents Cup team in Australia the week before Thanksgiving, although Woods will to have to rely on being one of two captain's picks.
"I've had some conversations with U.S. captain Fred Couples, and we'll see how it goes," Woods said. "Of course, I want to be on the team. It's always fun to play for your country, and we did pretty well two years ago in San Francisco. I'm just going to keep practicing and try to get better. It's Freddie's call, and he can make any choice he wants."
Woods is to play Aug. 31 in upstate New York, a one-day exhibition to support the charity of longtime friend Notah Begay.
Still to be decided is a full-time caddie. Woods used childhood friend Bryon Bell at the Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut for only the third time in a major.
"I haven't decided on a new caddie yet, but am definitely thinking about it a lot," Woods said. "There's a few guys I'm looking at, but it all depends on timing. At this point, I'm in no hurry to make a decision."
He said the two things he is looking for in a caddie are experience and "a person I'll have fun with."
Woods fell to No. 36 in the world Monday, his lowest ranking since Nov. 17, 1996.
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David Einhorn's exit from a minority ownership stake might not be bad for the Mets -- unless it means the team can't sign superstar SS Jose Reyes, writes Adam Rubin. Story 
