MELBOURNE, Australia — Tiger Woods lived up to eight months of anticipation in Australia today by running off three straight birdies late in his round of 6-under-par 66 that put him atop the leaderboard in the Australian Masters.
Playing for the first time Down Under in 11 years, before an enormous gallery seen only at major championships, Woods putted for birdie on every hole until the last one. He pulled his drive into a tea tree, chopped out into the rough and took two putts from 40 feet for his lone bogey.
Among early starters, Woods was tied with James Nitties of Australia, coming off his rookie season on the PGA Tour, and Branden Grace of South Africa.
LeBron done talking
ORLANDO, Fla. — Frustrated by the repeated questions about his future, LeBron James said that he won’t talk about his possible free agency next summer until after this season.
The Cleveland star and reigning NBA MVP said before the Cavaliers’ game against Orlando that all the talk is “getting old.” James cut off interviews after being hit with questions about free agency and teaming with Miami’s Dwyane Wade, who has said the two have discussed forming a mega-tandem.
“This free-agent talk is getting old. It’s getting old and I think I’m going to stop. Tonight will be the last time I answer any more free- agent questions until the off- season,” James said.
Griffey sticks with Seattle.
Ken Griffey Jr., who turns 40 on Nov. 21, and the Seattle Mariners agreed to another one-year contract that will keep the popular player in town for what could be his final season.
• Catcher Jason Varitek exercised his $3 million option to stay with the Boston Red Sox, choosing to remain with the team as a backup to Victor Martinez rather than become a free agent.
Boston declined to exercise its $5 million club option Monday and Varitek then had two days to decide whether to exercise his player option at the lower price.
• The Washington Nationals are sticking with Jim Riggleman, dropping his interim tag and making him their manager for 2010.
Footnotes.
The struggling Carolina Hurricanes placed goaltender Cam Ward on injured reserve with a sliced left leg.
Ward was hurt Saturday night when his leg was cut by a skate during a 3-2 loss — the Hurricanes’ club-record 12th straight. They signed veteran Manny Legace this week to fill in for Ward.
• Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett said senior forward Jamil Tucker is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team.
• Hawaii center Douglas Kurtz must sit out the Rainbow Warriors’ first six games because he played three games in a professional league in his native Brazil in 2007.
• Arizona State senior cornerback Terell Carr was arrested on suspicion of three misdemeanors and booked into a Maricopa (Ariz.) County jail.
• Police say Mike Tyson has been detained on suspicion of battery after an alleged altercation with a photographer at Los Angeles International Airport.
