Lehman Expected to Be New Ryder Cup Captain

The PGA of America has called a news conference for today and is expected to announce the appointment of Tom Lehman as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Lehman, who turns 46 in March, succeeds Hal Sutton and will have his hands full trying to turn around the fortunes of the U.S. team. Europe won the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits near Kohler, Wis., in September, 18 1/2 -- 9 1/2 , the most lopsided U.S. defeat since the event began in 1927.

The U.S. has lost three of the last four Ryder Cup competitions and seven of the last 10. The next Ryder Cup will be played in Ireland in 2006.

Lehman’s selection can be regarded as an upset, because his only major victory was not the PGA Championship -- something the PGA of America usually requires of its captain -- but the 1996 British Open. Lehman has won five PGA Tour events in his pro career that began in 1982.

In selecting Lehman, the PGA of America passed over Larry Nelson, Paul Azinger and Mark O’Meara, who was Tiger Woods’ choice.

-- Thomas Bonk

Pro Football

Jacksonville Jaguar quarterback Byron Leftwich might not miss any games despite spraining a ligament in his left knee, Coach Jack Del Rio said.

Sports orthopedist James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., examined Leftwich and determined he would not need surgery. Leftwich has been told to rest the injury, suffered in Sunday’s loss to Houston.

*

New England Patriot cornerback Ty Law will be sidelined four to six weeks because of a broken bone in his left foot, his agent told the Boston Globe.

He was injured early in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Soccer

Chelsea and Inter Milan qualified for the round of 16 of the Champions League.

Arsenal stumbled again with a 1-1 home tie with Panathinaikos and has drawn three games in a row.

Chelsea advanced in Group H with a 1-0 victory at CSKA Moscow. Inter’s 0-0 tie with Valencia was enough to reach the next phase from Group G.

AC Milan went to Barcelona needing a tie to ensure reaching the second round in Group F but lost, 2-1. AC Milan and Barcelona each has nine points and needs a point from the last two games to reach the second round.

Olympics

China plans a record 4,500 doping tests during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, an increase of 1,000 from the Athens Games.

A record 24 doping cases were reported by the IOC during the Athens Games. Seven medals, including three golds, were revoked.

A Greece prosecutor postponed a decision on whether to charge Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou after they missed a doping test, claimed to have been involved in a motorcycle accident and withdrew from the Olympics.

Miscellany

USC freshman forward Nick Young suffered a sprained foot in practice and is questionable for Friday’s exhibition opener against Occidental College. Junior point guard Dwayne Shackleford has already undergone arthroscopic surgery on a knee and is recovering, and freshmen Gabe Pruitt and Emanuel Willis have also missed time since practice began.

Lleyton Hewitt defeated French teenager Gael Monfils, 6-3, 7-6 (3), at the Paris Masters. Tim Henman defeated Paradorn Srichaphan, 6-3, 6-4.