NEW YORK — The LPGA Tour is expected to announce it will trim two to three events and $4 million to $5 million in prize money from its 2009 schedule amid the nation’s economic downturn, The New York Times reported today.

LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said events that will be taken off next year’s schedule include the $1.8 million SemGroup Championship and the $2.6 million Ginn Tribute hosted by Annika Sorenstam.

“The headline for us, I would say, is that no renewal — no partner, no sponsor, no contract — is an automatic renewal,” Bivens said. “That means for us and for just about every other sports organization.”

Bivens added that Safeway, which sponsored two LPGA events, would pull its sponsorship from the Safeway International and consolidate it into one event at the Safeway Classic.

The LPGA has increased its tournament purses over the past three years and will maintain its average of $1.8 million per purse.

PGA officials have said they have a full 2009 schedule and expect to make no cuts in prize money next year. If a bankrupt sponsor were forced to pull out in 2009, the PGA can rely on a large reserve fund.

TRACK & FIELD

Clay, Brown Trafton named top athletes

INDIANAPOLIS — USA Track & Field has selected Olympic gold medalists Bryan Clay and Stephanie Brown Trafton for the Jesse Owens Awards as the sport’s top American athletes in 2008.

The awards will be presented Dec. 6 in Reno, Nev., as part of USATF’s annual meeting.

Clay was the Olympic champion in the decathlon, posting the two highest scores in the world this year at the Trials and at the Games in Beijing. He also was the world indoor heptathlon champion this year.

Brown Trafton was the first American woman to win the gold medal in the Olympics in the discus since 1932.

BASEBALL

Dempster agrees to new contract with Cubs

CHICAGO — Pitcher Ryan Dempster and the Chicago Cubs agreed on a $52 million, four-year contract that includes a player option for 2012.

He gets a $4 million signing bonus, $8 million next year, $12.5 million in 2010 and $13.5 million in 2011. Dempster’s 2012 option is for $14 million.

Dempster was 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs last season, then became a free agent after making the switch from the closer to starter.

AUTO RACING

Racing teams cut jobs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hall of Fame Racing, the NASCAR team owned by Arizona Diamondbacks executives, will cut its staff even if it secures sponsorship to run a full 2009 season.

Other teams aren’t waiting.

Petty Enterprises, The Wood Brothers, Bill Davis Racing and Ernie Elliott’s engine shop all reduced their staffs in the two days since Sunday’s season finale.

Although exact numbers are hard to pin down, Petty chief marketing officer Mike Bartelli said the company released 30 employees. The Wood Brothers are believed to have let go more than 20 employees.

BDR, which has no sponsorship lined up for its Sprint Cup program, has cut its staff to all but a handful of employees. Elliott, who built engines for Chip Ganassi Racing, did the same since it’s unlikely Ganassi will use his motors once he completes a merger with DEI.

The layoffs come as team owners adjust to the economic crisis, which slowly trickled into NASCAR but is now wreaking havoc on the industry. Just last week, 100-plus employees were released from DEI so the team can move forward with its merger.

Ganassi let go of 71 people in July, starting a wave that has hit all teams regardless of their level of funding.

Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing all had small staff reductions over the past month, and Roush let additional employees go this week as the organization adjusts to running fewer entries in the Truck Series next season.

But it’s the smallest teams — like Hall of Fame — that are being squeezed the hardest.