Daily News from New York, New York • 523

To IVlcKinney, Hamed is no Prince of a guy i 7 -Vv 1 Jl 1 1 w. By MICHAEL KATZ 1 Daily News Sports Writer Prince Naseem Hamed, who left Kennedy McKinney waiting to get married, now has completely jilted the man who upset Junior Jones last Dec. 19 and will instead fight Wayne McCul-lough on Oct 31, probably at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Arturo Gatti, if he beats Ivan Robinson at Bal-ly's Park Place on Saturday night could challenge Cesar Bezan of Mexico for the WBC lightweight title on the same HBO card with the Prince. Hamed withdrew from an April date at the Garden against McKinney, claiming a hand injury.

But that's when the undefeated WBO featherweight champion got married and celebrated the arrival of his first child. Murad Muhammad, McKinney's promoter, was furious with Frank Warren, Hamed's promoter, on a matter concerning a $100,000 advance check. "Kennedy McKinney's not a young man (32), he can't afford to wait around eight months," said Muhammad yesterday. "We could've fought three times this year, but he knew this was his big fight They knew that Kennedy was the most dangerous opponent out there for the Prince." McCullough, a former bantamweight champion, was beaten by Daniel Zaragoza when he moved up to junior featherweight in 1997 and now goes up another division. Meanwhile yesterday, the WBA stripped Ike Quartey, its undefeated welterweight champion, for not meeting mandatory challenger Andrei Pestraiev.

Quartey withdrew from an Aug. 20 date because of illness. This does not affect his scheduled Nov. 14 date with Felix Trinidad. 1 HUOHES DAILY NEWS WORD TO THE WISE: Golfing legend Lee Elder gets word out on diabetes to Big Apple radio listeners fulfill! 9 ICkMft iMif 1 ng Tiger rar you bail By JULIAN CARCIA I NO APPT.

NECESSARY OPEN 7 DAYS player," Elder said, "but not to the extent that he can win seven or eight majors in a row. But I think it's important because there was really no minority who was dominant between myself and Tiger Woods, so people felt it was time." When he started playing professionally in 1959, Elder certainly didn't have many of the luxuries Woods has. But Elder is one of the reasons Woods can say, "I am Tiger Woods." But Elder doesn't think it's a problem that Woods hasn't been as huge as people thought he would be since putting on the green jacket "I think it'll help his career. I think he'll have to work harder," Elder said. "This is all due to the fact there are good players out there challenging him." 10 MINUTE OIL CHANGE Datly News Sports Writer The way Lee Elder sees it, a tamed Tiger is a lot better than a Tiger chewing up opponents and spitting them out That's why it is not such a bad thing that Tiger Woods hasn't taken over the PGA Tour the way many people thought he would not too long ago, the Senior PGA Tour member explained.

"I think that would take away from the game," Elder said. "As long as you have a different winner at different tournaments, interest is gonna stay high." When Woods won the Masters in 1997, all the talk was about him doing it as a young minority. But Elder paved the way for Woods' victory 22 years earlier by becoming the first black to play at Augusta. Over his career. Elder has won five PGA and eight Senior PGA titles.

He came to town yesterday to play in this week's Northville Long Island Classic at the Meadowbrook Club and to take part in a 10-city tour called "Diabetes Diner Talk." Six years ago, Elder, now 64, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the same isease that took the life of his brother Marvin in 19G9. Raising awareness about diabetes has become one of Elder's causes, and yesterday he spoke to patrons at a Manhattan diner and stopped by two radio stations for interviews. "I probably had diabetes long before I found out about it," Elder said. "I really didn't check myself out Before I found out, I was eating almost everything, hitting the sauce (drinking)." It was only after the symptoms started piling up that Elder went to see a doctor. He has restructured his diet and exercise habits since and says he has never felt better.

He is very active on the tour and frequently plays the role of the "Elder" statesman. And no doubt, Tiger is one of his favorite topics. "If he sets his mind to it, he can be a dominant GET YOUR NEXT JIFFY LUBE OIL CHANGE FOR Convenient only 30 minutes to Saratoga Race Course Affordable Historic RAM AD A OFF BROOKLYN EXPIRES 9288 BRONX 4015 Boston Ri (718)798-0164 COUMTV OUUMU OF COMMCRCS 928 Coney Isle Ave. QUEENS 39-02 Queens Blvd. (718)361-9580 ii ic urossroaos 01 ine tmpire State (718)854-5512 1-800-962-8007 TOYOTA MAZDA HONDA ISU2U NISSAN VOLVO SUBARU DODGE PONTIAC GMC MITSUBISHI HYUNDAI LINCOLNMERCURY JEEP CHPYSI RPtYMOUTH Regardless of Your Credit History lIOilOIIWE LOANS No Credit No red rt Repossessions Charge Offs Foreclosures Medical Bills Bankruptcy Divorce Problems Tax Uens Judgements no Hassle! Ho Embarrassment! no Paperwork! EVliNIiVlUIVl FOR YOUR TRADE REGARDLESS OF CONDITION 91 sr.

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