Nationwide

Golf

KOCHI, Japan – Michelle Wie was hoping to make the cut, but ended up just trying not to finish last.

Wie beat only one player in yet another embarrassing performance in a men’s event, shooting an 8-over 80 in the second round of the Japanese tour’s Casio World Open.

The 17-year-old Wie finished at 17-over 161 on the Kuroshio Country Club course, leaving her 27 strokes behind leader Tetsuya Haraguchi and a shot ahead of amateur Tomomichi Oto. She didn’t birdie a single hole in the tournament.

In her previous two men’s events, she finished last in the European Masters (78-79) and 84 Lumber Classic (77-81).

MELBOURNE, Australia – Australian amateur Aaron Pike followed up his record-tying round of 64 with a 3-under 69 to take a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Australian Masters.

The 21-year-old Pike, who led by one stroke after the first round, is at 11-under 133.

Justin Rose is in second place after he shot a 66 for a 9-under 135.

Kurt Barnes also shot 66 and is in third at 136, followed by a group of five tied for fourth, including former Australian Open champion Greg Chalmers (67) and last week’s winner of the Australian Open at Royal Sydney, John Senden (68).

College Football

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Larry Coker’s tumultuous and disappointing season at Miami ended with his dismissal as head coach.

Coker was fired one day after the Hurricanes finished a 6-6 regular season. He will coach the team in a bowl game if Miami is invited.

Coker led the Hurricanes to a 59-15 record and two appearances in the national championship game in six seasons, but and no conference titles or major bowl bids since 2003.

Auto Racing

LONDON – Lewis Hamilton will race for McLaren next season, becoming the first black driver in Formula One.

The team announced that it selected the 21-year-old British driver to race alongside two-time defending F1 champion Fernando Alonso in 2007.

Hamilton won this year’s GP2 championship, a feeder circuit for F1. In 2005, he dominated the F3 series, winning 15 of 20 races.

Cycling

ROME – American cyclist Tyler Hamilton, who recently completed a two-year doping ban, signed a one-year contract with a new team.

Hamilton is joining the Tinkoff Credit Systems team for the 2007 season, the team said.

Hamilton was suspended for two years after testing positive for a blood transfusion at the Spanish Vuelta in September 2004. His ban ended on Sept. 22

Baseball

HOUSTON – The Houston Astros signed outfielder Carlos Lee and right-hander Woody Williams.

Lee, a two-time All-Star left fielder who played with Texas and Milwaukee last season, signed a six-year, $100 million deal, the largest contract in Astros history. Last season was Lee’s fifth straight with at least 30 home runs and 99 RBIs.

Williams, who grew up in Houston and was a college star there, is a 14-year veteran who was 12-5 with a 3.65 ERA last season with San Diego, his best ERA since 2002 with St. Louis.