Mickelson Calls On Harmon for Help

After finishing out of the top 10 at the Masters, Phil Mickelson has turned to Tiger Woods's former coach. (By Chris O'meara -- Associated Press)

Phil Mickelson is changing coaches, saying yesterday he will start working with Butch Harmon with hopes of sorting out driver issues that cost him a chance to win the U.S. Open last year at Winged Foot.

Mickelson had worked most of his career with Rick Smith, whom he credited for helping him win 30 times on the PGA Tour and three majors. But he has continued to struggle with his long game, particularly the driver, and it was exposed two weeks ago at the Masters when Mickelson finished out of the top 10 for the first time since 1998.

"Butch is one of the very best teachers in the world," Mickelson said in a statement. "He's helped two players rise to number one in the game, and I'm fortunate that he has agreed to spend time working with me on my game, particularly on my driving."

Harmon spent 10 years working with Tiger Woods, starting with him when Woods was an amateur. Before that, Harmon was the coach for Greg Norman when he was No. 1 in the world. . . .

After missing two chances to become No. 1 in women's golf, Lorena Ochoa finally replaced Annika Sorenstam at the top without even hitting a shot.

Despite the LPGA Tour having no tournaments last week, Ochoa moved to No. 1 in the computerized rankings with 12.84 points, while Sorenstam was at 12.70. The women's world rankings began 14 months ago.

· FIGURE SKATING: The U.S. Figure Skating Championships are headed to NBC in a deal that involves no rights fees for the national governing body.

Instead, the USFSA will split the sale of ad time with NBC and will sell its own sponsorship packages.

Skating ratings have diminished in recent years, and ABC ended its 43-year partnership with the skating organization after the contract ran out this month. The USFSA was collecting $12 million a year in rights fees from ABC and ESPN, which shared programming on the national championships and Skate America.

Both of those events are part of the three-year contract with NBC, which will televise 10 hours of competition and plans to carry live all the finals at nationals. That includes the women's final in prime time.

Under the contract, all finals at nationals will be rescheduled to occur on the weekend. In the past, pairs and men's finals often have been on Thursday or Friday nights.

· OLYMPICS: Taiwan has agreed to participate in the Olympic torch relay, according to the vice president of the 2008 Beijing Olympic organizing committee, but a top-ranked Taiwanese official declined to confirm the deal.

"In general, both sides agreed that the torch relay can go through Taiwan," Wang Wei, the Beijing official, said. "As for the details, they are under discussion."

· HOCKEY: The Washington Capitals, who are returning to their former color scheme of red, white and blue next season, will unveil their new uniforms during the draft day party on June 22 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the team announced yesterday. . . .

Atlanta Thrashers captain Scott Mellanby is expected to announce his retirement today.

The Thrashers have scheduled a telephone news conference for the 40-year-old Mellanby and General Manager Don Waddell for this morning.

· COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Notre Dame assistant Coquese Washington will become the next women's basketball coach at Penn State, a university employee with knowledge of the situation said.

Washington will replace Rene Portland, who resigned last month after 27 years on the job. In March, she and the university settled a lawsuit by a former player who claimed Portland had a "no-lesbian" policy for her team.

-- From News Services and Staff Reports