GOLF

MICKELSON FALTERS, WOODS ADVANCES IN MATCH PLAY

One day after a stunning comeback to survive the opening round, Tiger Woods built a quick lead against Arron Oberholser and never gave him much hope in a 3-and-2 victory. And it was the second consecutive year that Phil Mickelson was given a long weekend off. Fresh of a victory at Riviera, he couldn’t make enough birdies to keep up with Stuart Appleby, who couldn’t miss. Appleby’s ninth birdie came on the 17th hole, and it was enough to send Lefty packing with a 2-and-1 loss.

BASEBALL

HOWARD WINS $10 MILLION IN ARBITRATION CASE

Everywhere Ryan Howard turned, people wanted to dig into his pockets. Howard’s bank account just skyrocketed like one of those home runs he deposits into the upper deck. Baseball’s best bargain finally will be getting big bucks. Howard won his salary arbitration case against the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday when he was awarded $10 million, the highest figure given a victorious player. Howard made $900,000 last year and $355,000 during his MVP season in 2006. The Phillies offered $7 million, but Howard became the first player to win in six arbitration cases this season.

SHEFFIELD CALLS BORAS A ‘BAD PERSON’

Gary Sheffield put himself in the spotlight again, and the Detroit Tigers slugger enjoyed every second of it. “My family has been trying to get me to walk away for a while now because they don’t like the negative stuff that comes my way. I love it,” Sheffield acknowledged. “I try to explain it to them, but they think that’s some psychotic thing.”

Sheffield stirred things up Thursday morning by calling Scott Boras, his former agent, a “bad person” in part for going after money the All-Star says he doesn’t deserve.

The dispute stems from the $39 million, three-year contract Sheffield signed in 2003 with the Yankees.

RAMIREZ WON’T ASK RED SOX FOR EXTENSION

Manny Ramirez is so happy to be with the Boston Red Sox that he wants to finish his career with them. That said, the eccentric star isn’t going to ask the team to pick up his option for 2009.

“I want to stay here, but it’s up to them if they want to bring me,” Ramirez said. “But if they don’t want to bring me back, that’s fine. I know I’ll be a free agent after ’08 so that’s another thing that I’m looking forward [to].”

STEROIDS

CONGRESS TO HOLD ANOTHER HEARING ON DRUGS IN SPORTS

Congress will take yet another look at drugs in sports next week, with a hearing that will feature top names from all four major professional leagues, the NCAA, and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA commissioner David Stern and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman are scheduled to testify Wednesday before a House subcommittee that has been working separately from the committee that held last week’s highprofile hearing featuring Roger Clemens.