In Brief
golf
Fan says throwing hot dog at
Woods was 'courageous, epic'
A California man arrested for throwing a hot dog at Tiger Woods during a tournament said he wanted to do something "courageous and epic."
Brandon Kelly of Petaluma told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat on Tuesday that he's a fan of Woods and got the idea after watching "Drive" -- a recently released movie starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver.
"I threw the hot dog toward Tiger Woods because I was inspired by the movie 'Drive,' " Kelly said. "As soon as the movie ended, I thought to myself, 'I have to do something courageous and epic. I have to throw a hot dog on the green in front of Tiger.'"
The Santa Clara Sheriff's Office confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the 31-year-old Kelly threw the wiener at Woods.
Kelly was arrested for disturbing the peace Sunday after yelling Woods' name and tossing a hot dog in his direction during the Frys.com Open in San Martin.
GYMNASTICS
Chinese men win fifth straight
world title; U.S. takes bronze
China did it again, winning its fifth straight title at the world gymnastics championships in Tokyo, while the United States got its first medal, a bronze, since 2003.
China finished with 275.161 points, more than two points ahead of Japan (273.093) and the Americans (273.083).
China has dominated men's gymnastics over the last decade, winning every world title since 2003, as well as two of the last three Olympic gold medals. But it looked almost ordinary in qualifying, finishing behind both Japan and the United States.
It was anything but ordinary on Wednesday, putting on one high-class routine after another.
MISCELLANEOUS
IndyCar series will return to
Detroit for first race since 2008
Open-wheel racing is returning to the Motor City.
The IndyCar Series will run at Detroit's Belle Isle Park on June 3, 2012, marking the first open-wheel championship race in the city since 2008. General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet division will sponsor the event.
"This is the Motor City, and we're proud to bring back the race," Detroit businessman and team owner Roger Penske said after announcing his company will dedicate $6 million to improve the 2.1-mile race course on the city's largest park.
GM is committed to sponsor the race for three years, and Penske said improvements to the park should make for a semi-permanent road course.
Also: The trial of former Denver Broncos cornerback Perrish Cox on sexual assault charges was postponed until Feb. 27.
The trial was originally scheduled to start Tuesday. The defense requested a delay, but the reason wasn't immediately known.
Cox is charged with sexual assault against a person who was physically helpless and sexual assault against a person who was incapable of determining the nature of the conduct.
He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $50,000 bail.
Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray advanced to the third round of the Shanghai Masters, although only the Spaniard had to step onto the court.
The top-seeded Nadal easily beat countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-3, 6-2. Murray moved on when Dmitry Tursunov of Russia pulled out with a thigh injury.
Serena Williams will open her 2012 season for the first time at the Brisbane International tournament, a warmup for the Australian Open.
Both U.S. Open finalists will be in the field for the event that begins Jan. 1. Samantha Stosur, who was already confirmed for the tournament, defeated Williams 6-2, 6-3 in New York to earn her first Grand Slam title.
Four UNLV players advanced in the USTA/ITA Division I Women's Mountain Regional Championships at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
Second-seeded Lucia Batta routed Idaho's Alejandra Lozano 6-0, 6-0 to reach the round of 32. Third-seeded Aleksandra Josifoska beat Montana's Ashley Mackay, 6-1, 6-1. Batta and Lozano both had first-round byes.
Nives Pavlovic, seeded ninth, and Anett Ferenczi-Bako posted first- and second-round wins for UNLV.
A club runner in northern England was stripped of his third-place finish in a local marathon after being caught hitching a ride on a spectator bus.
Rob Sloan initially described claims that he cheated in Sunday's Kielder Marathon near Newcastle as "laughable," but was forced to admit his transgression following an investigation.
Organizers say the 31-year-old former army mechanic dropped out of the race at the 20-mile mark, only to hop on a bus and emerge from a woodland area in the final stages to make the podium. His time was given as 2 hours, 51 minutes -- 21 minutes faster than his previous best in the race.
