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Golf briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 11, 2000

Price struggles but holds on

SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- The cork trees seemed to close in on Nick Price as his lead began to shrink. Even with Tiger Woods quietly climbing into contention, Price had other worries in the American Express Championship.

Valderrama Golf Club proved again Friday that, with any kind of wind, the quirky course can take on a life of its own.

One day after an 11-birdie blitz, Price escaped from a windy round with par 72 for a two-stroke lead over Hidemichi Tanaka.

Price leads the $5-million World Golf Championships event but sounds nervous.

"It's like walking a tightrope," he said. "You feel that if you fall off, it's going to take you a long time to get back on again. It's a strange golf course in that respect. You almost get claustrophobic."

Despite bogeys on two of the final four holes, Price was at 9-under 135 and is paired today with Tanaka, whose 66 was the score of the day.

Woods, trying to become the first player in 50 years to win 10 times in one season on the PGA Tour, was the only player in the 54-man field to avoid bogey against the winds that blew about 20 mph off the Mediterranean Sea.

He shot 69 and was five strokes behind.

Padraig Harrington shot 73 and was at 138. Mark Calcavecchia (65) and Duffy Waldorf (67) were another stroke back.

Colin Montgomerie, who must win the $1-million first-place prize for an eighth consecutive European PGA Tour money title, holed a 100-yard wedge for eagle at No. 2, then made hole-in-one at No. 12.

It was his second ace in two tournaments.

"I told you I haven't given up," said Montgomerie, who was in the hunt at 67-142.

SENIOR MATCH PLAY: Vicente Fernandez beat defending champion Larry Nelson 2 and 1 in the first round in Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Fernandez, seeded last in the 16-player field, faces John Jacobs in the quarterfinals on the Hyatt Dorado Beach East course. Jacobs edged Spain's Jose Maria Canizares 2 and 1.

Nelson was seeded first after leading the tour with $2,708,005 and six victories.

Ray Floyd and Mike McCullough also won in the upper half of the draw, with Floyd beating Allen Doyle 1-up and McCullough (12) defeating Hubert Green 1-up.

Actors guild fines Woods

LOS ANGELES -- The Screen Actors Guild fined Tiger Woods $100,000 for shooting a non-union Buick commercial during the six-month strike against advertisers by SAG and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, Daily Variety reported.

The union's trial board agreed to suspend $50,000 of the fine, but that would be reinstated if Woods makes a commercial during any future strike, the Hollywood trade paper reported.

The decision was reached after a three-day hearing. Woods took part by telephone and agreed to the decision, Daily Variety said.

The Woods case was one of the most volatile issues during the strike, which was settled last month. Many activists wanted the golfer expelled from the union.

Woods had refused to shoot a non-union Nike ad in early May, a day after the strike began. He also issued a statement of support for the work stoppage but reversed course in July by shooting the Buick ads near Toronto.

"I have relationships to uphold with my sponsors who have supported me over the years. This is in no way a stance against the union," Woods said at the time.

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