TMZ Sports - Page 32

Tiger Woods is officially out of the U.S. Open ... the golf superstar just announced his surgically repaired leg is not in good enough shape to compete in the major tournament.

"My body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf," Woods said in a tweet on Tuesday morning.

The 46-year-old, who badly injured his leg in a car accident in February 2021, had competed in both the Masters and the PGA Championship earlier this year. But, in both major tourneys, Woods' leg seemed to really bother him.

At the Masters in April, he performed well in the first two rounds, but struggled in the last two. At the PGA Championship in May, he labored around the course for three rounds before he eventually withdrew prior to the fourth round.

Tiger did say, though, he was hopeful he'd be able to get his body strong enough to compete in the last major of golf's calendar year -- The Open Championship -- which is slated to begin on July 14.

"I'm excited to get back out there soon!" Woods said.

Metta Sandiford-Artest is a huge fan of Rasheed Wallace joining the Lakers as an assistant coach ... praising the ex-player as a hoops genius.

The 2010 NBA champion talked all things Purple & Gold after leaving Craig's in L.A. this week ... and when he was asked about 'Sheed joining the bench, Metta says the move could pay huge dividends for the Lake Show.

"I think Rasheed is brilliant, smart," Sandiford-Artest said ... adding Wallace is "as good as it's going to come when you talk about a basketball brain."

'Sheed joins the Lakers with previous coaching experience -- in 2013, he was a member of the Detroit Pistons coaching staff ... and last year, he was a member of the Memphis Tigers coaching staff under Penny Hardaway.

Wallace, who played for 6 different teams over his 18-year career, earned a reputation for being a savvy player on the court ... something Metta can attest to due to their battles over the years.

Sandiford-Artest admittedly said he won't be keeping up with the Lakers' offseason moves -- like whether they will try to get Zach LaVine -- but come October, he'll be tuned in to see what 'Sheed and newly hired head coach Darvin Ham do with the team.

Speaking of the team ... Metta said he's not bailing on the Russell Westbrook experiment in L.A. just yet ... amid pleas for the superstar point guard to be shipped out of town.

Greg LeMond -- a 3-time Tour de France champion -- just revealed he's been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia ... a treatable form of cancer.

60-year-old LeMond -- who is considered one of the greatest cyclists ever -- said in a statement he was concerned about his health after weeks of fatigue ... so he went to see his doctor.

"Following a series of tests and a bone marrow biopsy, which was completed last week, I received my formal diagnosis last Friday," the cyclist revealed.

LeMond said the diagnosis was chronic myelogenous leukemia, a form of cancer that is non-life threatening and treatable -- and he starts treatment this week.

"I should be feeling better in a few weeks and for the near future," LeMond said.

"My daily schedule will be altered only a little and I have been told that in a few months, I should be in remission."

LeMond added, "I will keep everyone updated about my health and treatments in the months ahead but for now, I believe I couldn't be in better hands."

LeMond says he may not be able to attend the Tour de France in July ... but he's trying to arrange a way he can be there for his friends.

"I will look forward to returning to the Tour next summer!"

LeMond started his career in 1981 and won three Tour de France and two Road Race Championships -- the first American cyclist to win that race.

He is the first pro bicyclist to sign a million-dollar contract ... as well as the first to make the Sports Illustrated cover.

LeMond retired in 1994 and was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1996.

Trevor Reed, a former Marine who was detained in Russia for nearly 3 years, is calling for the release of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, explaining the conditions in the country are "like you're waking up to a nightmare."

Reed, who just was released from Russian custody as part of a prisoner swap in April, asked for a sense of urgency in the Griner case at a rally organized by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in the hooper's Houston hometown on Monday.

"We need to all speak out for these Americans, because every single one of us is an American," Reed said. "Every day that you're in prison there, it's like you're waking up to a nightmare."

Reed said he believes it's pointless to let Griner's case play out in the court systems in the foreign country ... explaining, "There is no justice in Russia."

"Brittney and Paul [Whelan] will not receive justice in Russia," he said. "They will not receive a fair trial in Russia.”

Griner has been in custody since mid-February -- when Russian authorities claimed she tried to smuggle hashish oil into the country.

Reed said at the rally what she is going through is inhumane ... explaining the conditions that he experienced while in Russian custody included rotten food and lack of adequate medical care.

Griner has another court hearing in Russia slated for later this month ... but Reed said at the rally he's not optimistic it'll lead to anything positive for the 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury center.

Odell Beckham doesn't need a damn invite to have a good time -- the NFL superstar straight-up crashed Sean McVay's wedding over the weekend ... and the Rams coach loved every second of it!!

McVay got hitched to his longtime GF, Veronika Khomyn, at an incredible ceremony in Beverly Hills ... but while on the "I Am Athlete" Sirius XM radio show, coach explained the guest list was kept pretty short, so only a few current Rams players made the cut.

"So, I just invited the captains from last year's team and then there was a couple of other guys that are retired players that you still have great relationships with," McVay said on the pod.

But, that didn't stop the free-agent receiver from popping up unexpectedly ... with McVay saying OBJ pulled off his best Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn and crashed the party.

"Only in Odell's fashion could he be the wedding crasher at our wedding," coach added. "So, O showed up, crashed the wedding and I loved it that he was still there."

As it turns out, OBJ's appearance came with a cost -- 'cause coach joked the Super Bowl champ now has to re-sign with the Rams this offseason!!

Another interesting note ... McVay says Odell -- who tore his ACL during the Rams' win over the Bengals -- was looking smooth on the dance floor ... even to the point where the team doc had to tell him to chill out.

Dustin Johnson's days of playing on the PGA Tour are over -- at least for right now -- the golf superstar just announced he's resigning his membership in order to play full-time in the Saudi-backed LIV league.

DJ broke the news during a meeting with media members at Centurion Club near London on Tuesday ... just days before he's set to tee it up for the first time at a LIV Golf Invitational Series event.

"For right now," Johnson said, "I resign my membership from the Tour. I'm going to play here for now, and that's the plan."

The new league -- which is backed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia -- has been controversial, due to the country's past record of human rights violations.

Golfers who have defected to the league have been accused of taking loads of cash to play and effectively help the country "sports wash" that track record.

In addition, the PGA Tour has not been friendly about the rival league ... threatening suspensions and bans for golfers who accept the invite to play in it.

Johnson -- who reportedly received around $125 million to golf in the new league -- said the decision to leave the Tour ultimately came down to "what's best for me and my family."

Now ineligible for the Ryder Cup, Johnson said he was unsure if he'd be allowed to participate in golf's major events from here.

Other golf superstars, meanwhile, have joined in Johnson's decision to play in the league -- most notably, Phil Mickelson revealed on Monday he, too, has accepted the invite. He has not, however, formally resigned from the Tour yet.

Top golfers Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na and Sergio Garcia have joined as well. Tiger Woods, however, reportedly turned down a "nine-digit" offer to play.

More details are emerging about the burglary at Tito Ortiz's Southern California home ... cops say people at his residence claimed thieves "ransacked" the UFC legend's house, and stole a safe.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, a caller reached the Huntington Beach Police Dept. at around 9:54 AM on Friday ... claiming Ortiz's home had been burglarized.

The docs show the person alleged the home was "ransacked" and that a "safe is missing." The person also said a window on Ortiz's balcony had been broken.

As we reported, multiple officers were seen at Ortiz's Huntington Beach home for hours on Friday investigating the scene.

No word yet on if any arrests have been made -- but we're told Ortiz was not home at the time of the incident, and is safe.

In the documents, cops say Ortiz's neighbors told them they would review their surveillance cameras with the hopes of helping them catch the culprits.

Ortiz -- who grew up in Huntington Beach and fought in the UFC under the nickname "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" -- provided us a short and sweet comment on the situation.

If Ryan Clark's goal for Monday was to stir things up, mission accomplished ... the former NFL star just kicked a hornet's nest by saying Chris Brown is "more talented" than the legendary Michael Jackson!

Oh, he was immediately ripped for it ... the ex-safety received all sorts of mean comments from Twitter users after he tweeted the controversial statement.

"Chris Brown is more talented than Michael Jackson," Clark said, "there I said it! Have a great week."

"I do not care!! You out CB and MJ in the talent Olympics Chris Brown wins."

The responses RC got were hilarious -- from GIFs to some fans asking Clark if he was drunk or high ... 'cause they couldn't believe a sober mind could come up with such an analogy.

"Drinking early this morning??" one fan said while another said, "Whatever you're sippin on, I need it for later 😂 😂"

Another fan thought Ryan needed a Snickers candy bar ... saying, "I trust you and highly respect you but maybe you are hangry or something! Stay happy!"

Clark -- who currently works for ESPN -- even got ripped by his colleagues ... Marcus Spears hit him with the classic 'how?' GIF. Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr. even got in on the fun, responding, "get your boy man".

😬😬😬😬😬

Terrifying moment involving a professional boxer in South Africa ... the previously unbeaten fighter became disoriented and started punching air, as if he saw a fighter that didn't exist.

Video of the incident hit social media on Sunday ... showing Simiso Buthelezi fighting Siphesihle Mntungwa for the WBF African lightweight title. In the 10th round of the fight, Simiso was easily winning, when something went very wrong.

A few seconds into the final round, Mntungwa falls through the ropes. When he gets up, the ref tells the men to continue fighting.

However, Buthelezi turns to the referee, and squares up to him, as if he is the opponent. Seeing this happening, the ref shuffles to the side.

Buthelezi then advances to the corner of the ring and starts throwing punches at the air ... as if he were fighting an invisible opponent.

The ref did a great job, sensing something was wrong ... and immediately ended the fight.

Buthelezi was taken to a local hospital where he is reportedly in stable condition.

As for why he had the reaction he did ... that's currently unclear.

Most importantly ... get well soon, Simiso.

Rejoice, Rams fans ... Aaron Donald is coming back!

Arguably the best defender in the NFL has re-worked his contract with the Rams, putting him in line to come back for his ninth season in 2022.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Donald's new deal with L.A. contains a $40 million raise. A.D. is now set to make $95 million between now and 2025.

The staggering figure is a record for non-quarterbacks, Rapoport reported.

Of course, Donald is worth every penny, he's a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year who played a huge role in the Rams' Super Bowl win in February.

Through 127 career games, Donald has logged 98 sacks and 448 combined tackles -- both extremely impressive totals, considering he plays defensive tackle.

Donald had been pondering retirement after the Super Bowl -- but it's clear, the Rams' elite roster and the new loads of cash have drawn him back to the game.

Sean McVay's June just keeps getting better and better!

Tom Brady's niece, Maya Brady, just had a monster day at the plate -- smashing 2 home runs and logging 5 RBIs -- and at one point, she screamed "Let's f***ing go" during the big game ... which had the NFL superstar fired up!

The UCLA outfielder -- whose mom is Tom's sister -- proved, yet again, GOAT blood runs thick in the Brady family ... coming through for the Bruins in a must-win game against Oklahoma on Monday morning.

The centerfielder went yard not once but twice in the contest ... and in one of her trips around the bases -- she used Tom's familiar "Lets f***ing go!" rallying cry.

Of course, Tom was watching -- and he loved it, tweeting out, "Must run in the family (Sorry mom!)."

Tom also praised Maya on his Instagram page during the game, calling her "clutch" and adding, "WAY TO GO MAYA!!"

Maya's huge game propelled UCLA to a 7-3 win ... but she and the Bruins still have to beat OU one more time on Monday afternoon to advance to the Women's College World Series championship.

Adrien Broner is putting all his fake supporters on notice ... callin' them out for going MIA on him -- and vowing to be a champion again soon enough.

The 32-year-old welterweight made the guarantee in a lengthy post on his social media page Monday morning ... saying he's been "working my ass off alone" the past two and a half months in order to start the journey back to the top.

In the post, Broner -- who's slated to return to the ring on July 23 -- called out everyone who used to be in his corner while he was a rising star in the sport ... saying he's fine with training alone now, as long as everyone keeps "the same energy when I’m back CHAMPION!!!!!!!"

"I see a lot of people left me and think I won’t be champion again," Broner said. "Now it’s just me @coachmikestafford and @vithecutman and I wanna keep it this way ain’t no hard feelings to nobody."

"Some of the closest people switched up on me and I’m fine with they decision," Broner added, "cause I know I'm a hustla I started this S*** alone and I’m go finish this s*** alone."

Broner will take on Omar Figueroa (28-2-1) in Chicago in the July matchup ... and it's slated to be his first fight since his controversial win against Jovanie Santiago in February 2021.

Broner has had a rocky road since the victory -- he was famously arrested in October.

Absolutely wild scene in Oklahoma City on Monday ... a cow got loose on a busy highway -- and two cowboys (not the ones from Dallas!) had to wrangle it in with horses and lassos!!

A news crew's camera in the sky captured the entire incident ... from the pursuit to the moment the cowboys captured the escaped animal.

Two people using vehicles attempted to pin the cow to a fence near the road ... but once that failed, a cowboy riding on his horse sprang into action and took off after the cow with a rope in hand.

The cowboy then threw the lasso out ... and hooked the beast around its neck. A second cowboy came in and lassoed the cow's feet, mercifully bringing the wild chase to an end.

The takedown was heroic -- considering there were cars zooming by at a high rate of speed on the opposite side of the road just feet away.

Still no word yet on how the cow broke loose ... but, fortunately, it appears all parties involved came away from the scene OK.

A 24th female masseuse has just filed a lawsuit against Deshaun Watson ... alleging the NFL star was sexually inappropriate with her during a massage session -- and the new allegations are graphic.

In the suit, filed in Harris County, Texas on Monday, Katy Williams claims Watson got in contact with her back in 2020 to set up a professional rubdown.

On Aug. 5, 2020, the woman says she massaged Watson without issue -- and the quarterback gave her $100 for her services.

A few days later, however, Williams says during a second massage session with the QB, which she says took place at her apartment, he became very inappropriate.

Williams claims in the suit that Watson asked her to rub his inner thighs, and then demanded she go higher and higher, which caused her to touch his scrotum.

In the docs, Williams says Watson eventually got an erection, and then stood up and masturbated. She said he ultimately ejaculated, and some of his semen got on her chest and face.

She says in the suit she ran away from Watson into a bathroom to clean herself off -- and claimed when she returned, the 24-year-old "offered no apology or explanation for his conduct."

Williams said in the suit he then paid her $150, and left. She claimed in the docs the incident left her "humiliated and traumatized."

She added that she quit massage therapy a short time later. She's asking for damages in the suit.

Williams' attorney, Tony Buzbee -- who's representing Williams and 23 other women in the civil cases against Watson -- said in a statement of the new lawsuit on Monday, "Our entire team is incredibly proud to represent these women, and we look forward to the day when we can lay out their cases in detail in front of a jury."

Rasheed Wallace is coming back to the NBA -- this time, as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers!!

The news broke on Monday ... Shams Charania of The Athletic announced the former NBA star has agreed to join the Lakers staff as an assistant coach under new head coach Darvin Ham.

FYI, Wallace and Ham -- who signed with L.A. last week -- played together on the Detroit Pistons from 2004 to 2005.

This won't be Wallace's first gig as an assistant coach -- he held the same position with the Pistons from 2013 to 2014 ... and last season with the Memphis Tigers.

In fact, Tigers' head coach Penny Hardaway hinted to a local reporter in Memphis that Wallace was likely to sign with the Lakers.

Before his coaching career, Wallace played 16 seasons for the then-Washington Bullets, Blazers, Hawks, Pistons, Celtics and Knicks.

The 4x All-Star's most notable years were with the Blazers and Pistons ... where he won an NBA championship in 2004.

Two of the best moments in Sean McVay's 2022 have now featured a Lombardi Trophy ... 'cause just four months after he lifted the prize at the Super Bowl, he ate a cake in the shape of one at his wedding!

The L.A. Rams head coach finally tied the knot with his longtime model girlfriend, Veronika Khomyn, with a gorgeous outdoor ceremony in Beverly Hills this weekend ... and, at one point during the proceedings, he got to munch on a Lombardi cake!

The 36-year-old, wearing a sweet white tuxedo, took a big bite out of the pastry -- and then the crowd around him cheered as he fist-pumped.

As for the rest of the wedding, it looked amazing -- Khomyn walked down the aisle in a beautiful white gown, while dozens of guests looked on.

At the reception, McVay and Khomyn danced the night away ... and the two even jumped onstage and sang with the live band.

The good-looking couple met way back when McVay was working for the Commanders ... and she was a student at George Mason University.

McVay proposed to Khomyn in 2019 prior to becoming the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl in February 2022.

"I've watched this guy grind nonstop. Day in and day out. No breaks," Kohmyn said on IG after the Super Bowl LVI win.

"He always puts everyone else first, and winning this Lombardi trophy for his team, his family, his friends… is a dream come true!!!"

"I love you babe, you deserve this times a million. Victory tastes pretty damn good!"