What might be causing this phantom '\n' (in php generating html)

Question

The php snippet:

fputs($fout,"<H1>\n");
fputs($fout,$tname[0] . "@" . $tname[1] . ": " . $date);
fputs($fout,"<span id='score'> --- ");
if ($final[0] != $final[1]) {
    fputs($fout,$winner." wins: ");
} else {
    fputs($fout,"Tie: ");
}
if ($final[0] > $final[1]) {
    fputs($fout,strval($final[0]) . " - " . strval($final[1]));
} else {
    fputs($fout,strval($final[1]) . " - " . strval($final[0]));
    fputs($fout,"</span>");
}
fputs($fout,"</H1>");

fputs($fout,"<table id='visit'>\n");

The html snippet (its "span" element is 'hidden' until the game 'ends', as shown below):

<H1>
SDN
@PHI
: 1993/04/20
<span id='score'> --- PHI
 wins: 4 - 3</span></H1><table id='visit'>

A partial screen shot of the game display showing the offending '\n' (which '\n' appears as soon as the html is loaded): enter image description here