ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods said tests Wednesday showed an inflamed neck joint that causes pain and makes it hard to turn his head, an injury that will require little more than medicine, massages and rest.
Woods had an MRI that revealed inflammation in a facet joint of his neck. He said that when facet joints are inflamed, it causes pain in the area along with headaches and difficulty rotating the head.
“I now need to take care of this condition and will return to playing golf when I’m physically able,” Woods said.
Woods said treatment will include physical therapy, such as soft-tissue massage, rest and anti-inflammatory medicine. He said the prognosis was for a full recovery, and while the layoff is not expected to be long, rehab can vary.
NCAA basketball attendance dips
INDIANAPOLIS — With 334 men’s teams playing 5,251 games last season, both all-time highs, more than 27 million people attended Division I basketball games — the fourth- highest total but a slight decrease from 2008-09. The top five home drawing cards were Kentucky, Syracuse, Louisville, Tennessee and North Carolina.
• Ohio State junior forward David Lighty, who averaged 12.6 points a game last season, has refractured a bone in his left foot and will undergo surgery Friday. Recovery is expected to take up to three months.
Miami, Shannon agree on deal
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami football coach Randy Shannon signed a new four-year contract, a deal that includes an undisclosed raise over the approximate $1.2 million he made last season.
• Purdue reinstated quarterback Justin Siller after suspending him all of last season for an academic violation. He retains two years of eligibility.
Nibali takes Giro d’Italia lead
CUNEO, Italy — The Liquigas team won a time trial and Vincenzo Nibali took the overall leader’s pink jersey when the Giro d’Italia returned to Italy after opening with three stages in the Netherlands.
Liquigas clocked 36 minutes, 37 seconds over the 20.5-mile route from Savigliano to Cuneo. The British SKY team was second, 13 seconds behind, while Boulder-based Garmin-Transitions was 49 seconds back in eighth.
Nibali leads the overall standings by 13 seconds over teammate Ivan Basso. Previous leader Alexandre Vinokourov dropped to sixth overall, 33 seconds behind.
Footnotes.
The United States lost its third straight game at the ice hockey world championships, going down 3-2 to Finland in Cologne, Germany, and will now have to finish in the top two of four teams in the relegation round to avoid demotion.
• John Wolyniec scored once in each half and led the New York Red Bulls to a 3-0 victory over the New England Revolution in the second round of U.S Open Cup qualifying in Harrison, N.J. The Red Bulls advance to face the Rapids on May 26 at Red Bull Arena.
• Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison underwent surgery on his right knee and should resume offseason training this summer.
The Associated Press
