GOLF

Woods Wins Player of Year For the Eighth Time

Tiger Woods won PGA Tour player of the year on yesterday for the eighth time, and the numbers looked familiar. He won multiple majors for the fourth time, and more tournaments than anyone else.

But it was hardly a typical year. Woods won his first tournament of the year, then finished his PGA Tour season with six consecutive victories. In between, he disappeared from golf for more than two months to mourn the death of his father.

“I knew I had to go through — like anyone — the grieving process, and I had never done anything like that before,” Woods said. “The hardest thing for me to do was play golf. Usually, people go to work to get away from a loss like that. But that’s when I thought of my dad. He introduced me to the game of golf. He taught me a lot of life lessons on the golf course. When I came back and started working on my fundamentals … I learned them from my dad.”

BASEBALL

Jennings Dealt to Astros In 5-Player Swap

The Astros are getting Jason Jennings instead of Jon Garland to replace Andy Pettitte in their starting rotation.

Five days after a potential trade with the White Sox came apart, Houston acquired Jennings and pitcher Miguel Asencio from the Colorado Rockies yesterday for outfielder Willy Taveras and pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsh — who all would have been sent to the White Sox.

Jennings, who was born in Dallas, was 9–13 with a 3.78 ERA last season for the Rockies. He will make $5.5 million in 2007 and is eligible to become a free agent after next season. He is Colorado’s career leader in victories (58) and shutouts (three).

BASKETBALL

McGrady Out Indefinitely With Back Problems

Rockets star Tracy McGrady is out indefinitely with back spasms and was scratched from Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 6-foot-8 forward missed 35 games last season with back problems, and coach Jeff Van Gundy said yesterday he did not know how long McGrady will be sidelined this time.

Luther Head will make his first start of the season in McGrady’s place, Van Gundy said. Head is averaging 9.8 points and is Houston’s most accurate 3-point shooter (50.5%). McGrady, a six-time All-Star, hurt his back midway through the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against Washington.

— Associated Press