USGA Gives Nicklaus U.S. Open Spot

Jack Nicklaus was given a special exemption to play in the U.S. Open for the next three tournaments, through the year 2000, it was announced Monday.

When Nicklaus was not among those given exemptions by the USGA in January, it appeared his streak of consecutive major championship would end at 145 after this year’s Masters.

Now Nicklaus can extend that streak through the 2001 Masters, if he chooses, pushing it to 157 consecutive majors. He has lifetime invitations to the Masters and the PGA Championship and can play the British Open until he is 65.

Scott Simpson, the winner of the 1987 U.S. Open at Olympic who took the Buick Invitational in February for his first PGA Tour victory in five years, was also granted a special exemption.

This year’s U.S. Open is June 18-21 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

“The invitation was a surprise to Jack,” Nicklaus spokesman Scott Tolley said from Golden Bear offices in North Palm Beach, Fla.

Nicklaus has played in every Open since he was a 17-year-old amateur in 1957.

He has played in all four of the majors every year since turning pro in 1962 and has played in 152 of the professional majors dating back to the 1957 U.S. Open.

Soccer

Any hopes of playing in the World Cup appear to be over for injury-prone Chilean striker Sebastian Rozental of the Glasgow Rangers. Manager Walter Smith said Rozental, 21, would need knee surgery for the third time in just over a year, this time to his right knee.

Rozental moved to the Rangers just over a year ago on a $6.5 million transfer but has played little. He made a comeback in the last month and has played a few league matches and exhibitions.

England Coach Glenn Hoddle says he left midfielder Paul Gascoigne off his team for next week’s friendly in Switzerland because of injuries. The injury-prone Gascoigne has suffered a series of injuries this season while playing with the Glasgow Rangers.

The club last week agreed to sell him for $5 million to English Premier League team Crystal Palace.

Gascoigne, 30, a hero for England in the 1990 World Cup, has yet to approve the deal.

Monaco Coach Jean Tigana seems to be emerging as the frontrunner to take over as coach of the French team after this year’s World Cup. Coach Aime Jacquet said earlier this month he intends to step down in July after the World Cup.

Tigana, a star of French teams in the mid-1980s, has a contract with Monaco that expires in 2001.

Jurisprudence

Two Illinois men pleaded guilty to reduced charges for their role in an alleged scheme to pay two Arizona State basketball players to shave points in 1994 games.

Joseph Mangiamele, 36, of Arlington Heights, Ill., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sports bribery and money laundering. His father Dominic Mangiamele, 61, of Mount Prospect, Ill., pleaded guilty to sports bribery.

Both face five years in prison but could have their sentences reduced for cooperating with authorities.

Boxing

Edgar Ruiz (13-1-1) of Mexico knocked out Giorbis Barthelemy (23-1) of Hialeah, Fla., in the fifth round to win the welterweight tournament championship at the Great Western Forum.

Juan Manuel Marquez (23-1), the No. 1 WBO featherweight from Mexico, scored a technical knockout in the ninth round against Luis Samudio (9-4-1) of Panama.

Miscellany

Not only did Olympic gold medal skier Picabo Street break her left leg last week in a season-ending World Cup downhill race in Switzerland, she seriously damaged her right knee, U.S. Ski Team surgeon Dr. Richard Steadman said.

Street underwent surgery last Friday in Switzerland to repair the broken leg, then was flown to the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo., on Sunday.

Street won the Olympic super-G gold medal last month to cap a 14-month comeback from reconstruction of her left knee.

Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop, who was arrested but not charged after a fight, may have been jailed just because he’s a prominent black athlete, Coach Bill Snyder said.

Bishop’s arrest during the fight last month in the night club district in Manhattan, Kan., may have resulted from Bishop being “a high-profile young guy, and unfortunately, because he is black,” Snyder said.

Roy V. “R.V.” Yates, who trained 1956 Kentucky Derby winner Needles as a yearling, has died in Ocala, Fla., at 91.

Eric Fonoimoana of Manhattan Beach won seven of nine matches in round-robin play over three days of a tournament in Las Vegas to earn King of the Beach on the AVP beach volleyball circuit.

The University of Evansville discontinued its football program, deciding it can no longer provide the support needed to compete with other schools.

After 23 years and 422 wins, Missouri women’s basketball Coach Joann Rutherford retired.