U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover brought a new set of irons to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf to start getting ready for next year, and it worked out beautifully in Bermuda at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Southampton.

Glover briefly gave up the lead to British Open champion Stewart Cink until running off three straight birdies around the turn at Port Royal Golf Course and closing with a 5-under 66 for an 11-under 131 total and a five-shot victory. He earned $600,000, pushing his total for the year over $4 million.

Masters champion Angel Cabrera also had a 66 for 136 and finished second after Cink bogeyed the last hole for a 70—137. PGA champion Y.E. Yang shot 70—141 to finish last among the four major champions.

"I brought out new irons this week with the new grooves just to try and see how they work, because I wanted a couple of rounds under my belt with this new model," Glover said. "So Nike made a good set, and I think I like them."

A new rule changing the dimensions of grooves in irons starts next year.

BOXING

PAVLIK TITLE BOUT OFF

Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik called off a title defense against Paul Williams set for Dec. 5 because of an infected left hand.

Pavlik was to fight Williams at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, but promoter Top Rank announced yesterday that Pavlik is unable to make a fist or punch with the injured hand.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef said Pavlik's recovery has "not progressed as projected by Dr. Peter Evans at the Cleveland Clinic. Once Pavlik is cleared medically by Dr. Evans, we will pursue all avenues with regards to a future bout."

Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) and Williams (37-1, 27 KOs) were supposed to fight in October, but the bout was postponed at the last minute because of the hand injury.

AND WHAT'S MORE...

Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko lost to Marat Safin, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, and third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was ousted by Maria Kirilenko, 6-3, 6-3, yesterday in the first round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. ... Olympic champion Liu Zige set a world record in the women's 200-meter butterfly yesterday with a time of 2 minutes, 1.81 seconds at China's National Games in Jinan. She beat the 2:03.41 set by Australia's Jessicah Schipper.