Arnold Palmer might tee it up at the Masters again -- as an honorary starter.

The four-time Masters champion said yesterday he has given "careful consideration" to a request from Augusta National chairman Billy Payne that Palmer hit the ceremonial tee shot to open the Masters.

"I'm thinking about it," the 77-year-old Palmer said. "I'm giving it some very careful consideration now that I have stopped playing competitively. As you know, Augusta is one of my very favorite places, and of course, Bill Payne is a good friend."

The Masters has not had a ceremonial starter since Sam Snead died in 2002. Palmer played his 50th and final Masters in 2004.

Soccer

The U.S. women won the Algarve Cup in Vila Real De Santo Antonio, Portugal for the fifth time, beating Denmark, 2-0, in the final on goals by Kristine Lilly and Carli Lloyd. Lilly was named the tournament's most valuable player. "It gives us confidence, and that's what we need right now," Lilly said. Teams are preparing for the Women's World Cup, to be played in China from Sept. 10-30.

Argentina claimed the top spot in the FIFA rankings for the first time since they began in 1993, displacing World Cup champion Italy. The United States dropped two places to No. 30.

Dog racing

Lance Mackey won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Tuesday night, becoming the first musher to win major long-distance North American sled dog races back-to-back.

Boxing

The boxing card featuring cruiserweight Mike "Fully Loaded" Carr has been postponed from tonight at the Holiday Inn, McKnight Road, to an unscheduled future date because Carr was injured last week when attacked with a baseball bat by unknown assailants, promoter Mike Acri said. Tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase.

College Football

Big Ten football coaches and administrators will discuss the possibility of going from an eight-game league schedule to nine games when they meet May 16-17 in Chicago.

RiverRats

The Pittsburgh RiverRats of the American Indoor Football Association signed 6-foot-4, 239-pound wide receiver/linebacker Beau Gibbs. He played in 2006 for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. The RiverRats play at Johnstown Saturday.

Baseball

The Washington Wild Things re-signed second baseman Kyle Werman. He hit .254 last year. The Wild Things open their sixth season in the Frontier League in May.

Skiing

Renate Goetschl won the season's final downhill at Lenzerheide, Switzerland, in a 1-2 Austrian finish, and Julia Mancuso's bid for the overall title slipped after a fifth-place showing at the World Cup Finals Mancuso dropped from third to fourth in the overall standings. She is trying to become the first U.S. woman to capture the overall crown since Tamara McKinney 24 years ago.

On the men's side, Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal finished first. Bode Miller of the United States, who finished ninth, was knocked out of the chase for the overall title. Miller is now 303 points off the lead, with only 300 points still up for grabs.

Hockey

The Wheeling Nailers outshot the visiting Toledo Storm, 42-19, but lost, 3-1, in ECHL play. Paul Bissonnette had the Wheeling goal. In the AHL, the host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lost to Rochester, 5-2.