HOCKEY

DIPIETRO HAS HIP SURGERY, EXPECTED TO BE BACK FOR CAMP

Rick DiPietro had hip surgery this week, and the New York Islanders goalie is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp in September.

DiPietro, sidelined by two concussions 12 days apart late in the regular season and the start of the playoffs, had arthroscopic surgery Monday in Vail, Colo., to repair a tear in his left hip.

The 25-year-old netminder, who has 14 years and $63 million left on the landmark contract he signed last summer, went 32-19-9 with a 2.58 goals-against average in 62 regular-season games.

GOLF

HARRINGTON RETURNS FROM A LONG BREAK TO LEAD

Padraig Harrington took three weeks off, the longest break from golf in his 10 years as a pro, and worried that he wouldn’t be very sharp Thursday at the Wachovia Championship. He wasn’t satisfied with hardly anything but his score.

Harrington made two tough par putts early, then a bunch more for birdies on his way to a 6-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Vijay Singh and Jason Bohn on a day of ever-changing wind that kept everyone on their toes.

“One mis-hit over here, it can cost you,” Singh said.

Tiger Woods found that out on the 18th hole as he tried to stay in range of the leaders. He changed clubs when he felt the wind shift and still flew the green to take bogey and an opening round of 70.

“It was an 8 (iron) when the wind was off the right, then it became a 7 when the wind was in, then the wind went in off the left, then went down off the left, and when I hit it was down off the right, when I thought it was in off the right,” he said. “There you go.”

BASKETBALL

ARTEST SENTENCED TO WORK PROGRAM, COUNSELING

Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest pleaded no contest yesterday to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge stemming from a March 5 dispute with his wife, the latest in a string of off-court problems. Placer County Superior Court Judge Francis Kearney sentenced Artest to 100 hours of community service and a 10-day work project through the county sheriff’s department. Artest also was fined $600 and ordered to get extensive counseling.

Kearney modified the restraining order that has kept Artest away from his wife, Kimsha, and three children since the incident at his $1.85 million mansion in Loomis, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento.