Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have led tributes from the world of golf to Muhammad Ali following the death of the boxing legend at the age of 74. Nicklaus crossed paths with his fellow sporting icon many times over their careers, and the Golden Bear was the proud recipient of the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award in December last year.The award, promoted by prominent magazine Sports Illustrated, honoured Nicklaus for his sportsmanship, leadership and philanthropy and celebrated not only his remarkable golfing career, but also his charitable work.Alis passing was announced during The Memorial, a tournament hosted by Nicklaus at his home club of Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, and the 18-time major champion expressed his long-time admiration for The Greatest. The Greatest meets the Greatest: Nicklaus enjoyed some playful sparring with Ali at Valhalla in 1996 Nicklaus released a statement which read: It is an understatement to say that the hearts of the sports world are heavy with the loss of Muhammad Ali. He transcended not only the sport of boxing, but sports in general.He long ago established a legacy that crossed any boundaries of competition or the borders of just our country. He was a global icon.I was incredibly honoured and humbled to receive an award in December bearing his name. That night I told a story about how the walls in my home are not for plaques and trophies, but rather for photos of my kids and grandkids. Tiger Woods described Ali as a champion Yet there is one special photo in my office, and that is of Muhammad and me playfully sparring at the PGA Championship in 1996 at Valhalla in his hometown of Louisville. I have always been a great fan of Muhammad, because I admired the champion he was in the ring and the champion he became out of the ring for so many causes.I hope on a day when we mourn the loss of the Champ - the greatest of all time - we can reflect and appreciate his many contributions past and present, and ensure that generations going forward will admire and be inspired by all that Muhammad Ali accomplished.Tiger Woods was one of the first to pay his respects on social media in a post on his Twitter account which read: Youll always be The Greatest for more than just what you did in the ring. A champion to so many people in so many ways. Justin Rose met Ali ahead of the 2008 Ryder Cup Nicklaus long-time friend and rival Gary Player added: Muhammad Ali was simply the best. He was both brilliant and controversial. He inspired and empowered athletes all over the world. He was the GOAT of boxing. We should all celebrate his legacy. Rest in peace.Justin Rose was part of the European Ryder Cup team that were photographed alongside Ali ahead of the contest at Valhalla in 2008, and he tweeted: Had the pleasure of meeting the Greatest at the Ryder Cup. An amazing and inspirational gentleman. RIP Muhammad Ali. Also See: Olympic concerns for Day Poulter out for months Golf live on Sky Sports 4 World Rankings Cheap Jerseys China . After rookie right-hander Alex Colome excelled in a 5-2 victory in the opener, the Rays fell to Chris Tillman and the Orioles 4-1 on Friday night. Wholesale Baseball Jerseys China .J. Hardy to avoid a three-game sweep after blowing a big early lead. Odour had a leadoff single in the seventh and scored the tiebreaking run with the help of two errors by Hardy as the Rangers went on to beat the Orioles 8-6 on Thursday night. http://www.cheapnflwholesalejerseyschina.com/. On Friday night, after a long rain delay, he was scratched from his scheduled start. Cheap NFL Jerseys Online . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night. Wholesale Authentic Jerseys .ca! There is plenty of blame to be shared as a result of the most recent NHL player (Pittsburghs Brooks Orpik) to be evacuated from the ice on a stretcher following an ugly incident Saturday night in Boston.ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Bobby Ryan helped the U.S. to the silver medal in the 2010 Olympics. Unless Ryan gets a spot for the Sochi Games to replace an injured player, he will not have a chance to help the Americans go for gold. The U.S. Olympic hockey team was announced Wednesday after Torontos shootout victory over Detroit in the NHL Winter Classic. "We did not pick the 25 best players," general manager David Poile said. "We picked the 25 players we thought gave us a chance to win the gold medal." Ryan was perhaps the most surprising omission on the 25-man roster. Jack Johnson and Erik Johnson, a pair of defencemen who played in the Vancouver Games, also didnt make the cut. Jimmy Howard, who couldnt make enough stops to help the Red Wings beat the Maple Leafs, appears to be the Americans third goaltender behind Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller. At Sochi, the U.S. forwards will be: David Backes, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, T.J. Oshie, Max Pacioretty, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Paul Stastny, Derek Stepan, James van Riemsdyk and Blake Wheeler. John Carlson, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Paul Martin, Ryan McDonagh, Brooks Orpik, Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan Suter will be on defence for the Americans.dddddddddddd Miller was named MVP of the ice hockey tournament at the Vancouver Games, but he wasnt a lock to keep a spot because Quick, one of many players on the team who has been injured this season, has been perhaps the worlds best at stopping shots the past two seasons. Howard, Schneider, Gibson, Tim Thomas and Craig Anderson also were options for the selection committee. To play to their potential, a lot of banged-up players will have to get healthy this month and stay that way through February. Players who couldve potentially been on the team, but werent selected include: Ben Bishop, Keith Yandle, Kyle Okposo, Cory Schneider, Brandon Saad and Dustin Byfuglien. The Americans expect to be a medal contender after they were regarded as young underdogs in 2010, when they were a goal away from knocking off the host Canadians. The team will be led by Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. He has been at ease publicly, saying he likes the Americans chances to win gold for the first time since the Miracle on Ice victory in 1980. ' ' '