Two golfers quoted by a weekly magazine as making disparaging remarks about Tiger Woods and his marriage said they never spoke to the publication. In a story that Life & Style posted on its website, Ben Crane is quoted as saying Woods is a “phony and a fake’’ and that Woods’s wife knew about allegations of extramarital affairs. It also quotes Charles Warren as saying Woods’s wife “had stars in her eyes and maybe dollar signs too’’ and should leave him. The magazine said in a statement it was investigating. “This is unbelievable,’’ Crane said. “I never said a word about anything. They print this and put my name next to it.’’ Warren said through his agent that he has not given an interview of any kind in two months. “I have not spoken to Life & Style magazine, so there is no story here,’’ Warren said in a statement . . . In-Kyung Kim shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 (9-under 135) to build a two-shot lead over Michelle Wie at the halfway point of the Dubai Ladies Masters. Wie shot 68 in a round that included six birdies. Tania Elosegui and Amy Yang are a shot behind Wie . . . Ulrich van den Berg shot an 8-under 64 to lead by one stroke after the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa.

Lamell McMorris, the lead negotiator and spokesman for the NBA’s referees, said Tim Donaghy made threats against him, and that the disgraced former official’s accusations about his colleagues shouldn’t be believed because he is a “compulsive liar.’’ . . . Kobe Bryant is the leading vote-getter for the NBA All-Star game and, amazingly, Tracy McGrady is on track to join him in the Western Conference backcourt despite not playing yet this season. McGrady is nearing a return from microfracture knee surgery. LeBron James and Celtic Kevin Garnett lead the voting among East forwards . . . The NCAA is rekindling discussion of expanding its men’s tournament and possibly moving it from broadcast to cable. The NCAA can opt out of the final three years of its 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS after this season.

The Justice Department is refusing to back a posthumous pardon for Jack Johnson, the black heavyweight champion who was imprisoned nearly a century ago because of his romantic ties with a white woman. The department’s pardon attorney, Ronald L. Rodgers, told Peter King (R-N.Y.) in a letter that the Justice Department’s general policy is not to process posthumous pardon requests. The letter was in response to one that King, and Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) had sent to President Obama in October urging a pardon. Rodgers wrote that Obama still has the authority to pardon whomever he wishes.

US forward Landon Donovan is in talks about a loan move to Everton that would give him experience in the English Premier League in the run up to the World Cup. If a deal is reached, Donovan would likely join the Liverpool-based club in January for three months before returning to the US for the start of the Major League Soccer season in March . . . Olympic leaders made two roster changes for the 2012 London Games: Track cycling’s signature endurance race is out and tennis mixed doubles is in. Tennis was dropped from the Olympics after 1924 but returned as a medal event in 1988 without mixed doubles . . . Rangers rookie defenseman and Boston University alumnus Matt Gilroy, last season’s Hobey Baker winner as college player of the year, was sent to Hartford of the AHL. He is second among NHL rookie defensemen with four goals . . . Michael Machuga of Eire, Pa., rolled a perfect game and broke the Professional Bowlers Association’s 32-game scoring record to take the fourth-round lead in the Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open at Wichita. The 33-year-old Machuga averaged 250.50 for 32 games, posting an actual total of 8,016 pins to break the PBA record of 7,940 set by Parker Bohn III in Japan in 1999.