Golf

Greg Norman has agreed to play in his native Australia for free in a bid to avoid criticism over appearance money. Norman, upset by controversy over appearance money on previous visits home, said he would forgo his reported pounds 125,000 fee to play in three successive Australian Opens, starting in 1997.

Players on the women's American Express Tour will have pounds 2m more prize-money to play for next year. A minimum of 21 tournaments will be played between May and November, with pounds 4.5m in prize-money to be won. A new event, to be played in Britain next autumn, is a World Matchplay Championship for 32 players while the Tour will include events in the Czech Republic and Poland for the first time.

Laura Davies finished second behind Annika Sorenstam in the Betsy King LPGA Classic in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Davies shot a final round of 73 to finish on 278, eight shots behind the Swede.