Sports briefs 3/4/05

Baseball

* Gil Hodges and Ron Santo were again denied by voters on the Veterans Committee for the Hall of Fame, raising doubts whether anyone can gain election from that panel.

Hodges and Santo fell eight votes shy of the necessary 75 percent, with each appearing on 52 ballots (65 percent) in totals announced Wednesday. Tony Oliva (45) and Jim Kaat (43) were the only other players to be picked on more than half of the 80 ballots.

It was the second straight shutout by the revamped committee, which includes all living members of the Hall and its writers' and broadcasters' wings, plus one holdover from the old Veterans Committee.

Basketball

* Charlotte Bobcats guard Kareem Rush will miss four to six weeks after spraining his left knee during Wednesday night's loss at New Orleans.

A MRI performed after the game revealed the sprain, the team said Thursday.

* Wesley Person signed with the Nuggets on Thursday, giving Denver a shooting guard for the playoff run to replace the injured Voshon Lenard.

The Nuggets also placed guard Luis Flores on the injured list with a strained hamstring. Flores was acquired from Golden State on Feb. 24 and has appeared in one game for Denver.

The 6-foot-6 Person appeared in 16 games for the Miami Heat this year and averaged 3.9 points before being waived Tuesday. He has averaged 11.3 points during his 11 years in the league.

Golf

* Phil Mickelson started making birdies and figured he better not stop, not with so many world-class players taking aim on a Blue Monster that lost its bite Thursday in the Ford Championship at Doral.

Lefty was right.

But it wasn't just the marquee names crowding the top of the leaderboard.

Mickelson made 10 birdies, including six on his last eight holes, for an 8-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, Brian Davis of England and Marco Dawson.

Ninety-seven players in the 144-man field broke par on the Blue Monster, a record for the opening round at Doral. The previous mark was 90 sub-par scores in the first round of 2001.

Tiger Woods did his best to keep pace, making three straight birdies before the turn, settling for pars on the two par 5s on the back nine and making a 15-foot par putt on the last hole for a 65.

* Ernie Els shot a 6-under 66 for a one-shot lead after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and David Howell of England each had a 67, with Jarrod Lyle of Australia and Sam Osborne of England at 68.

Tennis

* Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams both cruised through the Dubai Women's Open quarterfinals Thursday, remaining on course for a repeat of their Australian Open final.

Meanwhile, French Open champion Anastasia Myskina squandered a match point and was ousted by eighth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-7 (0), 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Davenport beat wild card Conchita Martinez of Spain 6-1, 6-4 in 77 minutes, while Australian Open champion Williams handled Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-4, 6-3 in 68 minutes.