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Golf digest

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 13, 2000

Woods named most powerful athlete

NEW YORK -- Tiger Woods, winner of three of four major championships this year, was named the most powerful person in sports by the Sporting News.

The world's top-ranked golfer, Woods won 10 tournaments and made about $9.2-million in prize money. He was 10th in last year's poll.

Woods, 24, is one of only five athletes on this year's list. He is the second athlete to be ranked No. 1 since the list was first published in 1990. Michael Jordan was first in 1997.

Other athletes among the top 100 are Alex Rodriguez (43), Anna Kournikova (76), U.S. Olympic wrestler Rulon Gardner (80) and Shaquille O'Neal (90).

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue was second, followed by News Corp. chief executive Rupert Murdoch, NBA commissioner David Stern and Nike Inc. chief executive Philip Knight. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was sixth.

The list was voted on by executives and editors of the Sporting News.

Woods also won Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year -- the first two-time recipient in the 46 years of the award. It marked the sixth time a golfer has received the award. Before Woods first won it in 1996, the previous golfer to win was Jack Nicklaus in 1978.

WOODS RENEWS CONTRACT: Woods renewed his endorsement contract with American Express, making him a spokesman for the company until mid-2007. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Woods signed with American Express in 1997. Golf World magazine reported the original deal to be worth $26-million over five years. In September, Woods renegotiated his contract with Nike that will pay him at least $100-million over five years starting in 2001. That brings his endorsements with 12 companies to about $54-million a year.

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