IN BRIEF

GOLF

Harrington tops Woods for player of year honor

Padraig Harrington, winner of two majors in 2008, was voted player of the year Monday by the Golf Writers Association of America, receiving 75 percent of the vote to end Tiger Woods' three-year run with the award.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa was the overwhelming choice for female player of the year, and Jay Haas became the first golfer to win senior player of the year three times in a row.

Harrington successfully defended his title in the British Open with a four-shot victory at Royal Birkdale, then became the first European in history to win consecutive majors in the same season when he won the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

He received 184 votes, with 58 votes going to Woods and five for Vijay Singh. Woods had won the GWAA award the last three years and has won the honor nine times in his career.

Also: Tiger Woods said he was disappointed by his caddie's disparaging comments in New Zealand newspapers about Phil Mickelson, whom Woods referred to as a "player I respect."

Steve Williams was quoted in the Taranaki Daily News as saying he wouldn't call Mickelson a great player "because I think he's a (expletive)." Contacted by the Sunday Star Times, Williams confirmed making the comment.

"I was disappointed to read the comments attributed to Steve Williams about Phil Mickelson, a player that I respect," Woods said in a statement. "It was inappropriate. The matter has been discussed and dealt with."

Williams began working with Woods in the spring of 1999 and has been on his bag for 13 of his 14 major titles.

BASEBALL

Moyer, Phillies agree to two-year contract

Jamie Moyer agreed to a $13 million, two-year contract that keeps the 46-year-old left-hander with the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia also confirmed it has a preliminary agreement with pitcher Chan Ho Park. And on a busy day of Phillies news, All-Star second baseman Chase Utley said he is recovering well from hip surgery and hopes to be ready for Opening Day.

Moyer went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 33 starts last season and pitched six strong innings as the Phillies won Game of the World Series. He is 35-21 with a 4.33 ERA in 74 starts since the Phillies acquired him from Seattle in August 2006, and the Souderton, Pa., native has 246 career wins.

Also: San Diego Padres owner John Moores has hired Goldman Sachs to search for a potential buyer as he goes through a divorce from his wife, Becky.

The owner didn't say what percentage of the team would be up for sale.

Shortstop Adam Everett and the Detroit Tigers finalized a $1 million, one-year contract.

Everett batted just .213 with two home runs and 20 RBIs in 48 games for the Minnesota Twins last season, when he was hampered by a shoulder injury. He appeared in 66 games the previous year for Houston, but the Tigers believe Everett will be a solid option at shortstop.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UNLV women dealt rout at Oregon State

The UNLV women's basketball team trailed by 17 at halftime, and things didn't get better in the second half of a 91-54 loss to Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore.

The Lady Rebels (4-4) shot a respectable 43.5 percent from the floor (21 of 48), but they got off just 48 shots for the game, while the Beavers hit 36 of 76 shots (47.8 percent), including nine 3-pointers. UNLV also committed 19 turnovers and forced just six.

Brittany Halberg and Jamie Smith led UNLV with 13 points apiece. Alex Mitchell led Oregon State with 23 points, one of three Beavers to score 20 or more.

Also: Tennessee's record run in the top 10 is over.

The Lady Vols' streak of 211 straight weeks in the top 10 ended when they were ranked 11th in The Associated Press Top 25 women's poll. Tennessee, which lost at then-No. 6 Texas 73-59 on Sunday, was last out of the first 10 on March 3, 1997. The run went 56 weeks longer than the men's record of 155 set by UCLA.

Meanwhile, Connecticut remained a unanimous No. 1 choice for the third straight week.

Utah men's basketball coach Jim Boylen suspended guard Luka Drca for two games for an intentional foul committed in Saturday's loss at No. 4 Oklahoma.

MISCELLANEOUS

Cornerback commits to UNLV football team

The UNLV football team picked up a commitment from cornerback Kenny Brown of College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif.

Brown (5 feet 9 inches, 180 pounds) will sign Wednesday, making him eligible for spring practices. He played one season of junior college, giving him four years to use up his three remaining years of eligibility.

Boise State and West Virginia also recruited Brown, the brother of former Brigham Young standout running back Curtis Brown.

Also: UNR football coach Chris Ault said center Dominic Green has been stripped of his captain's position and his scholarship following his arrest for driving under the influence.

Authorities say Green, a four-year starter, was taking a friend home Friday night in his friend's car when he was stopped by a state trooper for having an expired license plate.

He was subsequently arrested for DUI.

Vitali Klitschko will defend his WBC heavyweight title against Britain's David Haye in June in London.

A deal was agreed to after Haye watched the Ukrainian's brother, Wladimir, retain his IBF and WBO heavyweight belts by stopping Hasim Rahman on Saturday.

U.S. women's soccer coach Pia Sundhage received a four-year contract extension through the 2012 Olympics after leading the Americans to the gold medal at this year's Beijing Games.