Woods is three behind after opening round at Dubai

Tiger Woods opened his title defense in the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday with a four-under-par 68, leaving him three strokes behind leaders Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell.

Woods flew halfway around the world after winning the Buick Invitational on Sunday in Torrey Pines for his seventh consecutive victory on the PGA Tour. The Dubai tournament is a PGA European Tour event.

Ernie Els, Jose Manuel Lara and Jyoti Randhawa shot 66s on the Emirates Golf Club course, and Simon Dyson, Thongchai Jaidee, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Phillip Price opened with 67s.

Dudley Hart shot a seven-under 64 for a one-stroke advantage atop a crowded leaderboard after the opening round of the FBR Open at Scottsdale, Ariz.

Sarah Kemp shot a six-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Karrie Webb and Nikki Campbell at the Women’s Australian Open in Sydney.

BASEBALL

Myers, Phillies agree

to $25.75-million deal

Right-hander Brett Myers agreed to a $25.75-million, three-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, avoiding arbitration. Myers, 26, went 12-7 with a 3.91 earned-run average in 31 starts last season.

Austin Kearns agreed to a three-year contract with the Washington Nationals that guarantees the outfielder $17.5 million.

MISCELLANY

Former Patriot blames

Belichick for poor health

Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson said Coach Bill Belichick subjected him to hard hits in practice while he was recovering from a concussion -- against the advice of the team’s top trainer.

Johnson, 34, who helped the Patriots win three Super Bowl titles before retiring two years ago, told the New York Times that a collision with another player during that 2002 practice led to another concussion.

After sustaining additional concussions over the next three seasons, he says he now forgets people’s names, misses appointments and suffers from depression and an addiction to amphetamines.

Tommy Haas and Vince Spadea won in straight sets, setting up a quarterfinal matchup at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in Florida.

Haas, seeded second and a semifinalist at the Australian Open, beat Sam Querrey, 6-4, 7-5.

Spadea, seeded eighth, defeated Ryan Sweeting, 7-5, 6-4.

Maria Sharapova outlasted Francesca Schiavone, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

She will play Ai Sugiyama in the next round.

The World Boxing Council declared the light-flyweight champion belt up for grabs, stripping Mexico’s Omar Nino of the title for testing positive for methamphetamine after a Nov. 18 bout in Las Vegas.

A federal judge ruled that Korey Stringer’s widow, Kelci, can proceed with her negligence lawsuit against the NFL and equipment maker Riddell Inc. over his heatstroke death.

Two sons of Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid are under investigation -- one suspected of pointing a gun at a motorist, the other accused hours later of possessing drug paraphernalia after a car accident.

Tom Hicks, owner of the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers, is close to adding England’s Liverpool soccer club to his list of sports holdings.

Former Spurs standout Alvin Robertson, 44, twice sentenced to jail time for incidents involving former girlfriends, has been arrested on six warrants in San Antonio, including an alleged violation of a protective order.

PASSINGS

Jockey who won

‘53 Kentucky Derby dies

Former jockey Henry Moreno, who scored his biggest win aboard 24-1 longshot Dark Star in the 1953 Kentucky Derby, died in Florence, Ore., after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Section B.

John A. Bell, III, a prominent horse owner and breeder for more than 50 years, died at a hospice in Lexington because of pulmonary fibrosis. He was 88. Section B.