GOLF

WOODS HITS ONE FAIRWAY IN 2006 DEBUT, SHOOTS 71 AT BUICK A spectacular eagle helped Australia’s Stuart Appleby into a share of the early lead at the Buick Invitational yesterday but defending champion Tiger Woods made a stumbling start.

Appleby holed out with a wedge from 135 yards at his penultimate hole, the par four eighth on the North Course at Torrey Pines, on his way to a six-under-par 66 in the first round. The 34-year-old also collected five birdies and a bogey to end the day level with Americans Craig Barlow, Kent Jones, Charley Hoffman, and Nick Watney and Japan’s Ryuji Imada. Barlow, Jones, Hoffman, Watney, and Imada also played on the North Course, the easier of the two par-72 layouts being used for this week’s PGA Tour event.

Woods, chasing his fourth victory in eight starts at Torrey Pines, struggled with his driver for most of the day before carding a 71 on the North Course. Playing alongside Appleby and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Woods got to three under with eight holes remaining but lost ground with three consecutive bogeys from the fourth. He did well to scramble a par at the 436-yard eighth after hooking his drive behind a tree and finding the right rough short of the green with his second shot before recovering with a birdie at his final hole, the par-five ninth.

Among other big names playing in the third full-field event of the PGA Tour season, three-time winner Phil Mickelson was level for the day after 14 holes on the difficult South Course, where 2004 champion John Daly returned a 69. Level with Daly were Garcia, American Charles Howell III, and three others.

BASKETBALL

PACERS’ O’NEAL OUT AT LEAST EIGHT WEEKS Jermaine O’Neal is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a left groin tear, leaving the Indiana Pacers without their leading scorer and rebounder. The Pacers described the injury as “significant,” but said it was doubtful he would need surgery. O’Neal injured his groin in the fourth quarter of Indiana’s loss at Cleveland on Tuesday. O’Neal leads the Pacers with 20.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

RAPTORS FIRE GM BABCOCK The Toronto Raptors fired general manager Rob Babcock yesterday – just a year and a half after he was hired. The Raptors have a 14-29 record, fourth-worst in the league. Wayne Embry, Peddie’s senior basketball advisor, will take over for Babcock on an interim basis. Babcock made many questionable moves during his brief tenure, including receiving little in return when he traded All-Star Vince Carter to the Nets last season. His first-round draft pick in the 2004 draft – center Rafael Araujo – has been a bust. Attendance at the Air Canada Centre has also plummeted as fans have become fed up with the Raptors’ play.

TENNIS

CLIJSTERS OUT TWO MONTHS WITH ANKLE INJURY New no. 1 Kim Clijsters will be sidelined at least two months after tearing a ligament in her right ankle in the Australian Open semifinals yesterday.

“Bad news about my ankle after the scan – torn anterior ligament,” Clijsters wrote on her Web site. The reigning U.S. Open champion said she already had pulled out of tournaments over the coming weeks, adding: “It’s going to be a complex recovery.”

Clijsters left Melbourne Park in a wheelchair after being forced to quit because of the injury during her semifinal match against Amelie Mauresmo in the third set. The Belgian already had assured herself of overtaking Lindsay Davenport for the top spot in the WTA Tour rankings by beating Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

DUKE BOUNCES BACK WITH WIN OVER VIRGINIA TECH Shelden Williams had 24 points and 15 rebounds and J.J. Redick added 24 points as no. 2 Duke beat reeling Virginia Tech 80-67 in Blacksburgh, Va., last night. Duke (18-1, 6-0 ACC) was coming off an 87-84 loss to Georgetown on Saturday that knocked the Blue Devils from the top spot in the polls, but they took control early yesterday behind their two stars and led comfortably most of the second half. The Hokies fell to 10-9 on the season and 0-6 in ACC play.

In other Top 25 action last night, Darius Washington Jr. scored 26 points as no. 3 Memphis rolled past UAB, 73-66.

– Associated Press