BRIEFLY : PEBBLE BEACH FINALE PUSHED TO AUGUST.

Byline: - Daily News Wire Services

The AT&T Pebble Beach golf tournament, which was to finish March 2 after a storm washed it out Monday, will now conclude on Aug. 17, the PGA Tour said.

Tom Watson and Tim Herron were tied for the lead at 10-under-par after 36 holes. The tournament was shortened to 54 holes, but not even that could be completed.

Citing storm damage to the three courses on the Monterey Peninsula used in the Pebble Beach event and new storms predicted in the next few days and later this month, the tour said it was unlikely the courses would be in playable condition by March 2.

The change of date might also get more players to show up for the final 18 holes of the rain-shortened event. Several players not in contention - including Tiger Woods and defending champion Mark O'Meara, had said they would not return March 2 because of previous commitments.

Ken Venturi, who walked to victory in 100-degree heat at the 1964 U.S. Open despite severe dehydration, testified that allowing Casey Martin to ride a cart would give him an unfair advantage.

Venturi and fellow champions Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were all called by the PGA Tour to portray walking as a fundamental part of tournament golf that makes it a test of athleticism and stamina.

The testimony in the case in Eugene, Ore., came after Martin's lawyers rested their case seeking permission for him to ride a cart in professional golf tournaments under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NBA: The Denver Nuggets fired Allan Bristow, the embattled vice president of basketball operations, and are reportedly talking to the Lakers about hiring general manager Mitch Kupchak. The Nuggets reportedly have offered Kupchak $4 million for four years to leave the Lakers.

NHL: The league confirmed a ban on trades during the Winter Olympics, giving teams until today to work out possible swaps.

Meanwhile, Vancouver made two more deals. First, it traded forward Mike Sillinger, one of four Canucks with at least 10 goals this season, to Philadelphia for a conditional 1998 sixth-round draft pick. Sillinger joined Vancouver in a March 1996 trade with the Ducks. Then it obtained center Peter Zezel from New Jersey for a fifth-round draft pick.