ELS CHEERS UNITED - FROM HOME

Wentworth, England -- Ernie Els abandoned his plan to watch his Manchester United heroes play in the Champions League final yesterday because he feared he would miss the start of the BMW PGA Championship golf tournament today.

The South African golfer considered going to yesterday's clash between United and Chelsea in Moscow, then dashing back to the PGA European Tour event in England in time for his tee time today.

But the avid United fan had to concede defeat and settled for watching the big match on television at home. "Unfortunately, I've had to change my mind about that one - I think getting out of Moscow after the game might be tricky," he said on his website.

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NZ Open delayed until next year

The New Zealand Open golf tournament will not be played this year and will instead probably take place in March next year.

New Zealand Golf Chief Executive Bill MacGowan said in a statement on Thursday that the tournament, won by Britain's Richard Finch last December, would have to be moved as no dates were suitable before Christmas.

The European Tour co-sanctioned tournament will again be played at The Hills course near Queenstown. "We are currently negotiating with key parties on the final dates and sanctioning agreements in relation to the championship," said MacGowan, adding that it would probably take place next March.

"This new date and other arrangements should result in stronger fields, which we view as paramount.

"However, we wanted to let golf fans and the general public know that the Open will not be at the same time as last year."

Dubai World buys Scottish championship golf course for £55m

Dubai World, the state controlled investment company, has bought the Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire for £55m.

The sovereign wealth fund has bought the golf resort, which will host next year’s Open Championship, from hotel and leisure company Starwood.

Dubai World plans to redeveloped Turnberry’s 219-room hotel ahead of next year’s tournament, which Starwood will continue to manage.

The golf resort boasts two 18-hole championship courses, the Ailsa and the Kintyre, a nine-hole course and the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy.

It has staged three Opens including 1977’s ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

Turnberry was bought by Dubai World through its subsidiary Leisurecorp, formerly Istithmar Leisure which was set up two years ago to develop a portfolio of sports and leisure investments.

The deal is expected to complete in October.

Watson ready to defend Sr. PGA Championship title

ROCHESTER, N.Y.: Somewhere between the champions dinner and the five-inch rough he encountered during his practice round at Oak Hill this week, Denis Watson came to realize how difficult a test he's facing to defend his Senior PGA Championship title.

"It started sinking in last night," Watson said Wednesday, a day after being one of numerous past PGA winners to be honored. "I started to see that this is a big deal."

A bigger deal, perhaps, was the rough Watson found himself trying to hit out of along the East Course's narrow fairways. The deep grass is an indication the ever-demanding Oak Hill won't prove to be the walk in the park he thought it might have been when he first played the course two weeks earlier.

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PGA Tour notebook: Tiger Woods planning to play in Buick Open

After skipping last year's Buick Open due to the birth of his daughter, Tiger Woods has committed to play in the 2008 PGA Tour event June 26-29 at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich. Buick Golf Marketing Manager Larry Peck made the announcement Monday during a news conference to promote the tournament. Woods will be making his ninth appearance in the Buick Open, where he has recorded seven top-10 finishes and a pair of victories.

"Tiger's presence at Warwick Hills always creates a tremendous amount of excitement for us and the fans," Peck told reporters.

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Sabbatini defends title at Colonial

South African Rory Sabbatini will bid to resurrect his impressive early season form for his title defence at this week's PGA Tour Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Tex. He posted two top-three finishes in his first three starts in 2008 before losing momentum after suffering from the flu. He has missed two cuts in his last five tournaments, but said his game is close to where he wants it for today's opening round at Colonial Country Club (3 p.m., 8:30 p.m., GOLF).

"We're close, we're getting there," Sabbatini, 32, said. "It feels like the ball-striking is there and I feel like I'm hitting it well. We've just got to get everything clicking together."

Sabbatini, who won last year's Colonial Invitational in a three-way playoff with American Jim Furyk and Germany's Bernhard Langer, faces a strong lineup.

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