GOLF

NORMAN WITHDRAWS FROM PGA

Greg Norman withdrew from the PGA Championship yesterday, saying he was dealing with muscle fatigue after playing four consecutive tournaments. Norman had back surgery earlier this year and did not play until the British Open at St. Andrews last month, where he tied for 60th. He followed that with the Senior British Open and the Senior U.S. Open, then missed the cut at the International on the PGA Tour.

Norman, 50, received a special exemption to play in the PGA Championship. He was replaced by Kevin Sutherland, who will play the first two rounds with Tiger Woods and Michael Campbell. The PGA traditionally puts the first three major champions of the year in the same group, but there was an opening because Woods won the Masters and the British Open.

BASEBALL

METS PLACE MIENTKIEWICZ ON DL, ACTIVATE MATSUI

The Mets placed first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with a bruised lower back. To fill the roster spot, the Mets activated infielder Kaz Matsui, who had been on the DL since June 18 with a bruised left knee.

Mientkiewicz had been on the DL from June 26-July 16 with a strained right hamstring. He was hitting .247 with 11 homers and 28 RBI. Matsui is hitting .234 with three homers and 21 RBI.

ARBITRATOR RULES FOR REINSTATEMENT OF ROGERS

Kenny Rogers was re instated yesterday when an arbitrator ruled that commissioner Bud Selig overstepped his authority by suspending the Texas pitcher for 20 games and fining him $50,000 for shoving two cameramen. Rogers has already sat out 12 games. He will return to the Rangers for tonight’s game at Boston, and his fine will be converted to a charitable contribution.

“I strongly disagree with arbitrator Das’s decision today,” Selig said in a statement. “There is a standard of behavior that is expected of our players, which was breached in this case. The arbitrator’s decision diminishes that standard and is contrary to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. In my opinion, the decision is seriously ill-conceived.”

RED SOX ACQUIRE REMLINGER, DESIGNATE CRUZ

The Boston Red Sox tried to bolster their bullpen with yet another left-hander, getting Mike Remlinger and cash from the Chicago Cubs yesterday for minor league pitcher Olivo Astacio. Remlinger was designated for assignment by the Cubs last Friday.

Remlinger, 39, was 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in 35 games. He was sidelined from May 21-June 5 because of a broken finger on his left hand. He was especially effective against righty hitters, holding them to a .210 batting average. Last year, he was 1-2 with two saves and a 3.44 ERA for the Cubs, and twice was on the disabled list.

In another roster move, the Red Sox designated outfielder Jose Cruz Jr.for assignment. Cruz was acquired 10 days earlier in a trade with Arizona and went 3-for-12 in four games with no homers and no RBI for Boston.

FOOTBALL

CARDINALS INK ROLLE TO 6-YEAR DEAL

Rookie cornerback Antrel Rolle agreed to a six-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals yesterday. Arizona’s first round draft selection missed nine days of training camp, including 14 practices and a mock game.

Financial terms were not immediately available, but Rolle, the no. 8 pick in April, was taken between wide receiver Troy Williamson and cornerback Carlos Rogers. Williamson signed a deal with Minnesota that could be worth up to $32 million over five years. Rogers got a five-year, $17.45 million contract from Washington.

JETS SIGN FREE-AGENT RUNNING BACK

The Jets signed rookie running back and kick returner Decori Birmingham yesterday. Birmingham, who played for Arkansas, was signed by New England as an undrafted free agent in April and released on July 22.The 22-year-old Birmingham holds the school record with 1,321 career yards on 61 kickoff returns. His 3,610 all-purpose yards rank fifth in school history. He had a career 1,151 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, plus 57 catches for 592 yards and six touchdowns in 49 games at Arkansas.

TRACK & FIELD

AMERICANS FINISH 1-2 IN 400M HURDLES AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Felix Sanchez pulled up with an injured hamstring in the 400-meter hurdles yesterday, and Bershawn Jackson led teammate James Carter in a 1-2 U.S. finish at the world championships in Helsinki, Finland.

Sanchez, the two-time defending champion from the Dominican Republic, stopped after one hurdle in a race that gave the Americans another big victory following their wins in the men’s and women’s 100-meter finals.

Jackson finished in 47.30 seconds, an amazing time considering the wet conditions. Kerron Clement misjudged his last hurdle and squandered the chance for a U.S. triple, allowing Japan’s Dai Tamesue to get the bronze.

Justin Gatlin, still sluggish from winning the 100 meters, reached the quarterfinals of the 200 to keep alive his bid for three gold medals at the worlds. Running into a headwind, Gatlin was timed in 20.90 seconds. He was almost a second behind fellow American Tyson Gay. Gatlin is going for three golds and trying to become the dominant athlete of the championships. He has the 400 relays set for this weekend.

In 400 qualifying, Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner easily advanced to the next round, cruising in his heat to finish in 45.24.

TENNIS

MATHIEU UPSETS RODDICK AT ROGERS CUP

Paul-Henri Mathieu’s 14th ace finished off third-seeded Andy Roddick 7-5, 6-3 last night in the first round of the Rogers Cup. Roddick, a finalist the last three years and champion in 2003, was coming off a victory in Washington last weekend but was outserved and out hustled by the Frenchman.

Earlier, Rafael Nadal needed three sets to down fellow Spaniard, friend and former world no. 1 Carlos Moya. Meanwhile, Lleyton Hewitt quit during his opening match, weakened by a stomach ailment that forced him to retire for only the second time in his singles career. The second-seeded Australian was trailing French qualifier Florent Serra 4-3 at the time in the ATP Masters Series tournament.

In other upsets yesterday, Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero ousted seventh-seeded Guillermo Coria of Argentina 6-3, 6-2; American Taylor Dent rallied to defeat no. 13 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, and Sweden’s Robin Soderling surprised 14th-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4.

– Associated Press