ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods will speak before he plays in the Masters.
Woods is scheduled to hold his first press conference in nearly five months at noon on Monday, April 5, according to a tentative interview schedule released by Augusta National on Wednesday.
It will be his first time facing a roomful of reporters since he crashed his SUV into a tree Nov. 27, setting off shocking revelations of rampant infidelity. Given the sensational nature of his downfall, what Woods says could trump the NCAA basketball championship game held later that night.
Golf legend Arnold Palmer suggested Woods be more open with reporters.
“It’s up to him to do and say whatever he feels he needs to do to redeem the situation, put it in the proper place,” Palmer said. “. . . I suppose the best thing he could do would be open up and just let you guys shoot at him. And that’s just my thought.”
Florida’s Meyer rips reporter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With a stern look and some finger pointing, Florida football coach Urban Meyer had harsh words for a reporter following spring practice.
Reporter Jeremy Fowler quoted receiver Deonte Thompson as referring to John Brantley as “a real quarterback,” in comparison to Tim Tebow.
“You’ll be out of practice — you understand that? — if you do that again,” Meyer told the reporter in a rant that was captured on video. “I told you five years ago: Don’t mess with our players. Don’t do it. You did it. You do it one more time and the Orlando Sentinel’s not welcome here ever again. Is that clear?”
• South Carolina backup quarterback Aramis Hillary plans to transfer to a lower-division school so he can get more playing time.
Sickness delays swim meet
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NCAA delayed the start of the NCAA Division I men’s swimming and diving championships at Ohio State after 18 athletes and one coach from three schools became sick with a gastrointestinal illness.
The start of the meet was pushed back 24 hours until Friday, and it will now end Sunday instead of Saturday.
Chris Kaeding, Ohio State’s head team physician, said it was a viral infection resulting in nausea, vomiting and diarrhea but no fever that had affected the 19 people.
The NCAA would not release the names of the schools or athletes involved.
“We are not sure what caused it, but it did not come from the pool facility or host venue,” Kaeding said.
Footnotes.
Forbes’ annual rankings show that Hendrick Motorsports, at $350 million, is the most valuable team in NASCAR for the second consecutive year.
• Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito plans to fight Roberto Garcia more than a year after he was suspended for illegal handwraps discovered before a bout against Sugar Shane Mosley.
• American Sarah Hammer won the women’s individual pursuit at the track cycling world championships in Ballerup, Denmark.
The Associated Press
