GOLF

WOODS OPENS SEASON WITH VICTORY AT BUICK INVITATIONAL Tiger Woods made an 8-foot birdie on the 18th hole yesterday to get into a three-way playoff, then won the Buick Invitational with simple pars as Australian rookie Nathan Green and two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal made crucial mistakes. Olazabal, playing a splendid bunker shot on the par-3 16th, missed a 4-foot par putt on the second extra hole to hand Woods a victory that was only easy at the end.

It was a somber way to end a dynamic afternoon along the bluffs of the Pacific Ocean, where 11 players had a share of the lead at one point and there was an eightway tie with six holes to play. For Woods, it was the fourth time in 10 years that he won in his first PGA Tour event of the year, and he became the first four-time winner at the Buick Invitational, played on a Torrey Pines course he played as a kid.

Woods, who three-putted three times in his final round of even-par 72, finally made the one that mattered on the final hole of regulation en route to his 47th tour victory. Green, eliminated on the first playoff hole, also closed with a 72, and Olazabal shot a 69 to match Woods at 10 under.

Jonathan Kaye (68), John Rollins (69), Lucas Glover (71), and Arjun Atwal (71) finished a stroke out of the playoff, and Phil Mickelson (73) and Sergio Garcia (75) followed at 8-under. Woods, who three-putted three times his final round of evenpar 72, finally made the one that mattered on the final hole of regulation for his 47th career tour victory.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

SETON HALL SENDS SYRACUSE TO FOURTH STRAIGHT LOSS Jamar Nutter and Donald Copeland each hit 3-pointers in a 43-second span in the final two minutes to break a tie and help Seton Hall beat no. 25 Syracuse 68-61 yesterday. The Orange (15-6, 3-4 Big East) have lost four in a row for the first time since the end of the 2001-02 regular season and for only the third time in Jim Boeheim’s 30 years as head coach.

Nutter finished with 19 points, Copeland had 18, and Kelly Whitney had 14 points and nine rebounds. Syracuse senior guard Gerry McNamara had 15 points and five steals to move up in the Syracuse record book. McNamara has 1,893 points, fifth all-time and 10 points ahead of Dave Bing, and 237 steals for second place, two ahead of Sherman Douglas.

Also yesterday, West Virginia made just one field goal in the final 11 minutes and almost blew a 13-point lead in the last three minutes, but the ninth-ranked Mountaineers managed to hang on for a 66-61 victory over St. John’s. Kevin Pittsnogle had 19 points for the Mountaineers (15-4, 6-0), who remained the only unbeaten team in the Big East.

FOOTBALL

LIONS NAME HENDERSON DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR The Detroit Lions and new coach Ray Marinelli announced yesterday that Donnie Henderson is the team’s new defensive coordinator. Henderson comes to the Lions after two seasons as the Jets’ defensive coordinator. He parted ways with the team after Eric Mangini was hired as head coach on January 17.

Originally hired by the Jets on January 26, 2004, Henderson made an immediate impact in his first season in New York. He helped the Jets defense improve from 21st to seventh in total defense, 23rd to fourth in points allowed, and 28th to fifth in rushing yards allowed. This past season, the Jets finished second in the NFL in total passing yards allowed per game (172.2) and were fifth in interceptions (21).

Before joining the Jets, Henderson spent five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, first as assistant defensive backs coach and then as defensive backs coach. He also played at Utah State, where Marinelli was the Aggies defensive line coach. Marinelli and Henderson also were on the same coaching staff at the University of California, where Henderson spent two years (1990-91) coaching linebackers. Marinelli was with the Golden Bears football program from 1983-91.

SOCCER

U.S. DOMINATES NORWAY IN FRIENDLY Taylor Twellman scored three goals to lead the U.S. national team to a 5-0 rout of Norway on Sunday in an international friendly match. The Americans, tuning up for the World Cup in Germany, used mostly domestic-based players in the victory. Foreign-based U.S. players will join the squad later. Coming off a scoreless tie against Canada a week earlier, America dominated the game against the young Norwegian team. Moving the ball crisply on the attack, the Americans spent most of the afternoon deep on Norway’s side of the field.

– Associated Press