DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Annika Sorenstam started the final tournament of her career Thursday with a 2-under-par 70, four shots off the lead at the Dubai Ladies Masters.
The defending champion closed with back-to-back bogeys at Emirates Golf Club after starting from the 10th tee. She double-bogeyed the 18th but had seven birdies at the season-ending tournament on the Ladies European Tour.
“I got off to a tremendous start,” Sorenstam said. “Played well for about 14 holes and collapsed on the other four, which is a bummer when you feel so good about something and then you come in with such a terrible finish.”
Johanna Head opened with a bogey-free 66 to lead Anja Monke by two shots.
• Corey Pavin was introduced as captain of the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup team, succeeding Paul Azinger.
• Mathew Goggin and fellow Australians Stephen Dartnall and Ewan Porter each tied a course record with a seven-under 65 for a share of the first-round lead at the Australian Open in Sydney.
• Michael Jonzon had three birdies and an eagle through seven holes en route to a 7-under 65 and a share of the first-round lead with Len Mattiace at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa.
Globetrotter dies in sleep
PHOENIX — Chris “Flash” Richardson, a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, died in his sleep Wednesday while on tour in Japan, an official with the team said. Richardson was 28.
Although the cause of death was not confirmed, Richardson probably died of natural causes, said Globetrotters spokesman Brett Meister.
The players were at a U.S. military base in Sasebo, Japan, as part of an annual holiday tour.
The Globetrotters are in their 83rd consecutive season of touring the world.
Stars place Zubov on injured list
DALLAS — The Stars placed defenseman Sergei Zubov (hip) on the injured list and recalled Dan Jancevski from their American Hockey League affiliate.
• St. Louis Blues goaltender Manny Legace is listed as day to day after getting kneed in the head during Wednesday’s 4-2 loss against the Anaheim Ducks. The Blues recalled goalie Ben Bishop from Peoria (Ill.) of the AHL.
Footnotes.
• Tomasz Adamek (36-1) knocked down champion Steve Cunningham (21-2) three times in Newark, N.J., and won a 12-round split decision to take the International Boxing Federation cruiserweight title.
In an earlier bout on the card, Joseph Agbeko (26-1) earned a 12-round majority decision over William Gonzalez (21-3) to retain his IBF world bantamweight title.
• Ruslan Chagaev, the World Boxing Association’s “champion in recess,” is slated to make his comeback against Carl Davis Drumond on Feb. 7 in Rostock, Germany.
• Belarusian hammer throwers Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan were stripped of their silver and bronze medals from the Beijing Olympics because of high levels of testosterone.
The Associated Press
