And he'll have Tiger Woods to thank for missing the pivotal game. Dufner will take the course starting Thursday at the World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Woods is tournament host. Dufner took to Twitter to ask Woods if the tournament could change to 36 holes on Thursday and Friday so he could spend Saturday watching Auburn against Missouri. That got Woods to tweet something for the first time in a month: "Petition denied....

The Giants defensive end filed a lawsuit against Schefter and ESPN in Miami-Dade County, Fla., civil court Wednesday, according to the New York Post. Pierre-Paul cited a breach of privacy. He is seeking unspecified monetary damages. MORE: Sports’ most gruesome injuries | JPP changes avi to X-ray Pierre-Paul, 27, was injured during a July 4 fireworks incident that required the amputation of a portion of his right hand, including his index finger....

The Cubs star has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his thumb that will likely bring his sixth MLB season to a premature end, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He suffered the injury in Friday’s contest against the Brewers while sliding head first into a base. While he’s scheduled to see a specialist Monday to determine a timetable for his return, it doesn’t look like he’ll be back anytime soon....

Alas, as we approach Christmas, neither the Jazz (14-17) nor the Rockets (15-14) are in the conference’s current postseason picture. MORE: Three reasons why Warriors have nothing to worry about There is hope. The season’s start has not been a complete disaster in either place, and there’s reason to think both teams will eventually recover. But which is in a better position to scoot back up the standings — each is still within just six games of the No....

Fernando Elizari created two goals, one each for Fernando Marquez and Safawi Rasid respectively. The creative Argentine has been keeping Ignacio Insa out the side continued to shine with a goal of his own in the second half. Nazmi Fariz wrapped up proceedings late on as Melaka srptruggled without the presence of Khairul Fahmi Che Mat in goal. Over in Ipoh, Perak at least did their part in delaying JDT’s coronation by another round when they edged out Kelantan1-0....

Smart won the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series gong for her role as Deborah Vance in the comedy drama. The 70-year-old received a standing ovation as she accepted the award, thanking her husband for all his support, the late American actor Richard Gilliland. Gilliland recently passed away while the series was in production. He was included in the memoriam segment of Hacks. Smart said her husband put “his career on the back burner so that I could take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that I’ve had....

He was the only man to have been in every race since NASCAR first put cars onto the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. MORE: NASCAR’s arenas of speed | Drivers by home state Born in California and raised tiny Pittsboro, Ind., a half-hour west of the famed racetrack, Gordon completes his career this year. The first Sprint Cup winner at Indy, before NASCAR’s leading series carried that name. A five-time winner at Indy, where brick-flavored kisses became something expected and something special....

NASCAR officials said Shepherd was meeting the minimum speed requirement so he was not black-flagged or pulled from the race. But that minimum speed might be too low, one top Sprint Cup driver says. MORE: Shepherd wreck raises questions | Shepherd defends himself | Winners & Losers | Earnhardt disappointed The minimum speed is 115 percent of the fastest lap by any driver in the final practice. The minimum speed was 32....

That’s right, at the Spurs-Wizards game on Tuesday, Gordon challenged a fan to a tricycle race on the court. Needless to say, he did not take it easy on the poor guy. MORE: Kurt Busch testifies ex is assassin | Former MWR tire changer sues | Worker accused of stealing, selling RCR suits Racing a NASCAR star in anything seems like a bad idea, unless you’re prepared to lose....

“As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong,” Zucker said in an email to staff. “As a result, I am resigning today.”...

Steven Hoffenberg worked with Epstein in the 1980s, hiring him to help with the Tower Financial Corporation he headed, although the pair parted company before Hoffenberg was convicted in 1995 of defrauding investors. Hoffenberg had a view about the well publicized links between the former president and Epstein, who has been accused by prosecutors of luring girls as young as 14 to his luxury homes and paying them for sex acts....

‘Tottenham was our wet dream’ The Moroccan, who Jenas played with at Spurs and QPR, is currently plying his trade with Benfica’s B side after further unsuccessful spells with Fulham and AC Milan. But Taarabt initially made an impact in English football, most notably scoring 19 goals for QPR in the Championship to guide them back to the Premier League which prompted reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain. Jenas was discussing luxury players on BBC Radio 5 Live and admitted he was blown away by Taarabt’s skills in training upon his arrival at White Hart Lane....

Garner told host Ellen Degeneres that in order to persuade one of her daughters to take walks, she had to bring the cat. “One of my kids was not into going for walks, and we just had to get out of the house, and I said, ‘What can we do? We have to just commit to going for walks,’ and she said, ‘I want to take the cat.’ So, we ordered a cat stroller,” she said....

The Hornets point guard is known for his fearless play on the court and his humorous antics off it. Judging from the haircut he debuted Wednesday in Charlotte’s 99-81 win over Miami, he’s also not afraid to mix it up at the salon. Who cares if he may get a few laughs? He’s doing him. MORE: Classic Jeremy Lin photos | Lin strides toward comfort in Charlotte This isn’t Lin’s first foray into the flamboyant when it comes to his hair....

Maclin participated in five of the Chiefs’ OTAs before they cut him late Friday, without him anticipating it and, by all accounts, without offering him a chance to restructure his contract in order to stay. Maclin had done everything demanded of him from outside and inside the NFL — that is, shown up for workouts he wasn’t obligated to show up for, while fellow players were subjected to daily head counts and public judgments on how much they really cared about their teammates and how much they wanted to win....

He got a big one Monday. Yes, he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors and while he has been convicted, he is a lot better off than the man who faced 21 felony charges across three North Carolina counties since the Nov. 1, 2011 search of his home. MORE: Mayfield’s plea | Drivers with something to prove | Elliott, Earnhardt join forces | Daytona testing sked The former Sprint Cup star, who was suspended for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy, won’t face jail time — his 45-day sentence was suspended as long as he completes 18 months of unsupervised probation....

And Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt didn't mince words about the hire. "I'm ecstatic," said Richt, who's entering his 14th season with Georgia. MORE: Top 10 teams for 2014 | 73 college football icons | All the BCS champs Pruitt replaces Todd Grantham, who left Mark Richt’s staff a few days ago to become defensive coordinator for Bobby Petrino at Louisville. "This is an outstanding professional and personal opportunity," said Pruitt....

Aweyrat has mainly Yasir Arafat to blame. Forty percent of the investment in the 10-story Oasis project is Palestinian, according to Casinos Austria, which has a 15 percent stake in the project. Officials with an international economic-development organization in the West Bank say that companies run by members of Arafat’s inner circle are involved in the project’s construction and management. (Arafat’s economic adviser did not respond to requests for comment....

The committee held the hearing as the first step in the process to decide whether to confirm Powell for a second four-year term as head of the Federal Reserve. Powell acknowledged the harm inflation can cause to average Americans as well as to the economy in general. “We know that high inflation exacts a toll, particularly for those less able to meet the higher costs of essentials like food, housing and transportation,” Powell said....