Buick ended more than 50 years of PGA Tour sponsorship Tuesday when it announced that it no longer will sponsor golf tournaments in Michigan and California because of the court-ordered restructuring of parent General Motors.

The decision came two days after Tiger Woods won the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich. Woods acknowledged the end of the tournament, which he won for the third time, by heaving his golf ball toward a massive gallery after his final putt.

The additional blow came with the end of the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, where Woods has won a record six times. The Buick Invitational is among the top tournaments in the early part of the PGA Tour schedule because it typically is the first event on network TV and has the highest TV rating because of Woods.

“While this is disappointing news, both the PGA Tour and Buick remain in discussions regarding future sponsorship possibilities,” Buick and the tour said in a statement.

The Buick Open will be replaced on the schedule next year by a new tournament at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, according to two officials with knowledge of the deal. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the tour does not plan to announce the new event until today. Golfweek was the first to report on The Greenbrier getting a tournament.

Buick was the oldest, continuous corporate sponsor on the PGA Tour and once had its name on four tournaments — the Buick Classic in New York, the Buick Challenge in Georgia, the Buick Open and the Buick Invitational. It also took over the Buick Championship in Connecticut for three years after its Georgia event folded.

It also had an endorsement contract with Woods, who carried its logo on his golf bag. As it headed for bankruptcy, Buick and Woods agreed last November to cut off the final year of a five-year endorsement.

The tour said it remains “very interested” in keeping a tournament in Michigan and was exploring opportunities.

One of the officials said General Motors was trying to put together a consortium of sponsors to keep a tour event in Michigan, but the tour signed off on The Greenbrier before that could be pulled together.

The PGA Tour now has lost four title sponsors this year — Buick’s two events, U.S. Bank in Milwaukee and Stanford Financial in Memphis, which was played in June without a sponsor.

It has extended contracts with Zurich (New Orleans), Accenture (Match Play) and Travelers (Connecticut) through 2014, and found a new title sponsor for Kapalua in SBS, which has signed up through 2020.

Government

Holtz to run for Congress?

Orlando, Fla. — Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz is mulling a run for Congress in Florida as a Republican, a GOP strategist said Tuesday.

Holtz could decide in the next several weeks whether to seek the central Florida congressional seat held by Democrat U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, said the strategist who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to talk about the matter.

The 72-year-old Holtz has worked as an analyst at ESPN since retiring from his last coaching stint at the University of South Carolina at the end of the 2004 season.

Football

End near for Arena League

The Arena Football League is on the brink of folding and declaring bankruptcy, an inglorious end for the 22-year-old indoor league that has suffered through a year of turmoil.

James Guidry, the regional director of the AFL players association, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that it “seems to be inevitable at this point” that the AFL will soon announce that it has ceased operations. Guidry, speaking by telephone, said the players association will accept the owners’ decision.

The AFL suspended play for the 2009 season, but some owners expressed hope that the league would return in some form in 2010.

College football

Receiver returns to UF

Gainesville, Fla. — Florida receiver Riley Cooper, who has agreed to play baseball for the Texas Rangers, is returning for his senior season. Gators coach Urban Meyer announced Cooper’s decision Tuesday.

Cooper started 12 games for the eventual national champions last season and caught 18 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. He has 30 career receptions for 535 yards and nine scores. He’s also quarterback Tim Tebow’s roommate.

Colleges

MU’s Stewart retires again

Columbia, Mo. — Former Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart has left his job as a university ambassador now that a $1 billion fundraising campaign is complete.

The college basketball Hall of Fame member retired from coaching in 1999 with 731 career victories. He stuck around as special assistant to the chancellor and helped with the “For All We Call Mizzou” campaign.

Courts

Mayweather uncle arrested

Las Vegas — Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, was arrested at a Las Vegas apartment in an attack on a female boxer he once trained, authorities said Tuesday.

An aide to Clark County District Attorney David Roger said criminal charges were pending following the Sunday morning arrest of Roger Mayweather.

Police file Forrest charges

Atlanta — Atlanta police say they have charged a 20-year-old man with murder in the death of ex-boxing champion Vernon Forrest.

Lt. Keith Meadows said Tuesday night that Demario Ware of Atlanta has also been charged with aggravated assault and armed robbery. The 38-year-old Forrest was shot to death on July 25.

Police say Ware is responsible for the robbery but he was not the triggerman.

Hockey

Roenick expected to retire

San Jose Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick is expected to announce his retirement Thursday, ending the provocative hockey star’s 20-year career.

The Sharks have scheduled a news conference for Thursday in which Roenick will make an announcement about his career. The nine-time All-Star has scored 1,216 points, third-most among American-born players in NHL history.

Tennis

Cilic upset by qualifier

Washington — Qualifier Somdev Devvarman of India upset No. 6 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia, 7-5, 6-4, on Tuesday to advance to the third round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

Germany’s Benjamin Becker beat American Robby Ginepri, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (1), 7-6 (4), to advance to the second round, where he will face top-seeded Andy Roddick.

Soccer

Wizards tap interim coach

Kansas City, Mo. — The Kansas City Wizards have named Peter Vermes the interim head coach for the rest of the season.

President Robb Heineman said Tuesday that Vermes will maintain his role as the team’s technical director while serving as coach. He replaces Curt Onalfo, who was fired Monday with the Wizards stumbling to sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

WNBA

Griffith calls it quits

Indianapolis — Two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith is ending her playing career after 11 seasons in the WNBA.

The 39-year-old Indiana Fever forward announced her retirement Tuesday, saying she plans to begin coaching after this season.

Auto racing

Massa home from hospital

Sao Paulo — Ferrari driver Felipe Massa left the hospital Tuesday and returned home for the first time since a life-threatening crash in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix 10 days earlier.

After spending a night at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo and undergoing a series of exams, doctors allowed Massa to continue his recovery at home with his relatives.

Doctors said they reevaluated the driver’s condition and concluded there was no need to keep the 28-year-old Brazilian driver in the hospital.