Zach Johnson now has a plaid jacket to go along with his green one, after an extended wait before slipping on his prize at the Colonial.

Johnson won at Hogans Alley with a tournament record 21-under 259, sealing his victory with a pair of birdies in the short span of play in between two late weather delays Sunday.

When Johnson drained a 14-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole to take a two-stroke lead over Brian Davis, he had a wide smile on his face and emphatically pumped his fist. But the real celebration had to wait.

“As far as momentum and a big putt, that was a big one,” said Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion. “I didnt have a number in my head, but I figure if you get to 21, you have got a pretty good chance.”

Johnsons closing 6-under 64 left him three strokes ahead of Davis, who had a closing 68.

“Zach won the tournament, I didnt lose it,” Davis said. “It was a weird feeling walking up 18 knowing you cant win.”

When the horn sounded to suspend play the first time, Johnson was approaching his tee shot at No. 15 that had landed in the right rough short of a bunker. After that delay, he hit his approach onto the green and made the putt to get back to 20 under.

By time play was stopped again 31 minutes later, before he teed off at 18 for a closing par, Johnson was ready for the plaid jacket.

“Quite frankly, the biggest one, I thought, was probably on 15,” he said. “It calmed me down.”

The delays were because of threatening weather. Light rain fell despite sunny skies after the second delay lasted 46 minutes, a minute shorter than the first one.

Jeff Overton and Ben Crane both shot 67 to finish tied for third at 17 under. Scott Verplank (65) and Bryce Molder (70), who led after the second and third rounds, were another shot back.

Davis was again contending for his first PGA Tour victory, six weeks after the 35-year-old Englishman called a two-stroke penalty on himself on the first hole of a playoff at Hilton Head.

At Colonial, Davis was 19 under with a two-stroke lead after a 5½-foot putt at the seventh hole. But that was his last birdie of the day. A 9-footer at No. 17 slid just past the cup, then he finished with a bogey.

It is the seventh PGA Tour victory for Johnson and first since winning in San Antonio last May. His best finish through 12 tournaments this season had been a tie for 12th at the Sony Open in Hawaii the second week of the season.

Along with the plaid jacket, Johnson got a $1.116 million check.

“Going into the back nine, my mindframe was I dont care if I win this, I dont care if I lose it, Im content with whatever happens,” he said. “Im going to go out fighting, Im going to go out aggressive.”

Johnsons clinching shot at the 381-yard 17th was his fifth birdie on the back nine, though he gave back one of those with his only bogey over his last 2½ rounds.

Three of those birdies came on putts of at least 22 feet in a four-hole stretch. He took the lead for good when he drained the longest of the three, a 25-footer at the 427-yard 15th hole soon after the initial weather delay.

Kenny Perry was 19 under in both of his Colonial victories, in 2003 and 2005. The next-lowest score before this week was 17 under by a trio of players last year when Steve Stricker won on the second playoff hole.

The Colonial score was the lowest on the PGA Tour for a four-round tournament since Geoff Ogilvy won the season-opening SBS Championship in Hawaii at 22-under 270.

At Hilton Head in April, Davis made a birdie on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff with Jim Furyk. Davis ticked a loose reed in a hazard during a backswing in the playoff and immediately called over a rules official to point out something that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. A television replay confirmed the violation.

Davis tied for 57th at New Orleans and missed the cut his last three tournaments before getting to Colonial.

“If you would have said at the start of the week after three missed cuts you are going to finish second, you would be delighted,” he said. “Obviously, I had a chance today, I couldnt quite get over the hump.”

Molder led alone halfway through the tournament and shared the lead with Davis at the start of the final round, but his final birdie Sunday came on the 10th hole, the same as Saturday, when he finished with eight consecutive pars instead of being able to lower his score.

This time, he had bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17.

“You certainly learn,” said the four-time All-American from Georgia Tech who is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory nine years after turning pro. “This is the closest Ive been to winning. … Zach put the pedal down and he really kept going. Thats what you have to be able to do.”

Divots

Johnson and Phil Mickelson are the only players who have PGA Tour wins in each of the past four seasons (2007-10). Mickelson missed the cut at Colonial at 4 over when he could have been the No. 1 player in the world with a victory. Ian Poulter, the No. 6 player in the world, shot 76 Sunday in the first group off. His 7-over total was the worst among the 76 players who made the cut. Stricker finished at 8 under, tied for 38th, in his first event after a six-week hiatus because of a chest injury.

Brian Davis is seemingly done penalizing himself. And now he gets another chance to challenge for his first PGA Tour victory.

After a second consecutive bogey-free 65 Saturday, Davis shares the lead with Bryce Molder at 16-under 194 going into the final round of the Colonial.

When Davis got into a playoff last month at Hilton Head with Jim Furyk, Davis called a two-stroke penalty against himself on the extra hole that ensured a victory for the fifth-ranked player in the world. Davis then finished 57th the following week at New Orleans and had missed three consecutive cuts before Colonial.

“What happened during the playoff threw me off balance a little bit. I lost my focus. … Missing three cuts in a row, I wasnt exactly happy coming in,” Davis said. “Ive had to adjust my thinking a little bit. Not everybody can play well every week. You have to take the rough with the smooth some times.”

The 35-year-old Englishman and Molder, the second-round leader who finished his 67 Saturday with eight consecutive pars, are hoping for a little plaid to signify finally winning on the PGA Tour. The Colonial champion gets a plaid jacket along with a check of more than $1 million.

Molder has four top-10s this season, but the four-time All-American from Georgia Tech has only one p on the Nationwide Tour in 2006.

It was another hot but ideal scoring day at Hogans Alley, where there again were only light breezes. The forecast Sunday calls for nearly identical conditions.

“I dont know if Fort Worth has seen four calmer days in a row,” said Molder, who expects the winning score to be at least 20 under. That would break Kenny Perrys tournament-record mark of 19 under, which he set when winning in 2003 and 2005.

There are 17 players at 11 under or better going into the final round this year.

“I have no illusions about [Sunday],” Davis said.

Zach Johnson (64) was a stroke behind the leaders. Ben Crane (64) joined first-round co-leaders Jeff Overton (66) and Jason Bohn (68) in a tie for fourth at 14 under.

“This is a golfers dream to have the wind lay down like this,” Crane said. “Certainly this one of the best courses in the world and the greens are receptive.”

Crane got to 14 under when he made an eagle from 143 yards at the par-4 17th hole. He had a hole-in-one Friday.

Molder shot a career-best 62 Friday to take the halfway lead, then set another personal mark Saturday with nine consecutive one-putts. He made putts ranging from 4 to 34 feet from hole Nos. 2-11, a stretch that included five birdies and a double bogey.

Then on the closing 441-yard 18th hole, Molder slid a 10-foot birdie try just past the cup.

Davis, who hasnt had a bogey since the ninth hole in the opening round, needed a couple of save shots Saturday.

At the par-5 11th, Davis made a 16-foot par putt after hitting from a fairway bunker to the rough and then over the green. He overcame a bad chip at the 430-yard 15th hole with a 21-foot par-saver. When he hit his second shot of the day from a fairway bunker and then went over the green at the only other par 5, he pitched to 2 feet on No. 1.

Johnson had birdies on both backside par 3s, making a 22-footer at No. 13, then an 8-footer at No. 16. He made a 4-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to get to 15 under.

Phil Mickelson missed the cut and a chance at being the No. 1 player in the world, so he wasnt around for the Colonials second “Pink Out” to raise awareness of breast c from the clothing worn by most golfers, officials and spectators to signs and ribbons.

The first “Pink Out” was during the third round a year ago when Mickelson wasnt here to defend his 2008 title soon after finding out his wife, Amy, had breast cancer. Weeks after that, he found out his mother also had the disease.

Mickelson said he would be wearing pink at home Saturday in San Diego while spending the weekend with his family. Amy Mickelsons birthday is Monday.

K.J. Choi teed off at No. 18 with a chance to match the course record of 61 with a birdie, but instead had a quadruple-bogey 8. He hit his tee shot into the rough, flubbed his first chance to get out and then hit the next into the water. The 40-year-old South Korean knocked his drop through the green, chipped another one off the green and finally made an 8-foot putt.

“Everything went all right before that hole,” Choi said through an interpreter. “I knew that was a tough hole. In my mind, I thought bogey would be good. But things didnt go right.”

At about the same time Choi was struggling at No. 18, Molder was sinking a 34-foot putt at No. 8, his second consecutive birdie getting him to 15 under. That stretch also made up for a double bogey at the 481-yard No. 5, when he hit his approach to the par 4 out of bounds.

Divots New to this years “Pink Out,” title sponsor Crowne Plaza pledged donations for each birdie and eagle during the third round. Bolstered by six eagles on par 4s, that netted $36,600 for Susan G. Komen For The Cure. The only player over par through three rounds is Ian Poulter, the No. 6 player in the world. A 73 on Saturday put him at 1 over. Fourth-ranked Steve Stricker , the defending Colonial champ, and No. 8 Paul Casey are both 8 under. Another hole-in-one at No. 13: Paul Goydos aced the hole with a 5-iron from 195 yards.

and no top ranking.

Phil Mickelson missed the cut in his return to Colonial after a 3-over 73 Friday put him at 4 over 144. That was only one stroke better than the worst score recorded among the 119 players who completed the first two rounds under ideal scoring conditions.

“I played terrible. I dont know what to say,” Mickelson said. “The course was in great shape, there was no wind and there were a lot of birdies out there, and I just played terrible.”

A victory at the Colonial would have pushed Mickelson ahead of Tiger Woods for No. 1 in the world ranking for the first time in his career.

Missing the cut will also keep Mickelson from playing during the tournaments second “Pink Out” on Saturday.

Most players joined PGA Tour and tournament officials in wearing pink for the first “Pink Out” a year ago, when Mickelson wasnt at Hogans Alley to defend his 2008 Colonial title right after finding out that his wife, Amy, had breast cancer.

“I wish I was going to be here to partake in that. Ill be wearing pink tomorrow, but in San Diego,” Mickelson said. “Monday is Amys birthday and so it will give me a chance to spend a weekend with her to celebrate.”

The only tournament Amy Mickelson attended since being diagnosed last year was the Masters last month, when she was behind the 18th green with their three children on the final day to share in Leftys victory.

When asked how his wife was, Mickelson responded, “Shes doing well, thank you.”

It is Mickelsons first missed cut in 11 tournaments this season. The last time he didnt play a weekend round in a PGA Tour money event was at Houston in April 2009, a span of 21 tournaments.

“Absolutely, we are disappointed. Phil is one of the best players in the world. We would love to have him for the weekend,” tournament chairman Chuck Scherer said. “Phil is a great friend of Colonial. We understand that he gave it his all. We are disappointed but, no, nothing will change. ”

A few weeks after last years Colonial, Mickelson learned his mother also had breast cancer.

Tournament director Peter Ripa, who spoke to Mickelson in the locker room after his round Friday, said Lefty “was ready, head to toe” to participate in Saturdays event.

Ripa said the intention of the second “Pink Out” is to “transition this to be about breast cancer awareness and Susan G. Komen For The Cure, and build the funds for support for the research for curing the disease.”

Two downtown Fort Worth buildings were being illuminated with pink lights Friday night, and tournament title sponsor Crowne Plaza will make donations for each birdie and eagle made during the third round, which based on last year could be about $35,000.

Mickelsons return to Colonial got off to a spectacular start, with birdies on his first two holes Thursday. But he was 6 over with only three more birdies his final 34 holes, including two quick bogeys Friday and then three more in a row after his final birdie.

“I thought my game was sharper. I thought I had a good couple of practice sessions at home. This was a good barometer though because the start to my run into the U.S. Open, it tells me Ive got a lot of work to do,” he said. “I didnt drive it very well, didnt hit very many good iron shots. Ive struggled a little bit with the short game and the putter wasnt great.”

In his only other tournaments since winning the Masters, Mickelson was the runner-up at Quail Hollow and tied for 17th at The Players Championship three weeks ago.

Mickelson started his second round with a par at No. 10, then had consecutive bogeys, hitting his second shot out of bounds at the par-5 11th hole and then at No. 12 knocking a par-saving 5-foot putt a couple feet past the cup.

After consecutive birdies at Nos. 1 and 2 during his first round, he had to shout “Fore!” after errant shots toward spectators on both of those holes Friday.

Mickelsons 3-wood approach from thick rough at the par-5 first headed toward the gallery on the right of the green, though Mickelson managed to save par from there.

When his tee shot at the dogleg-right No. 2 stayed right toward spectators, Mickelson cupped his mouth with his hands and gave another warning. But he hit the shot from the rough to 12 feet of the pin and made birdie.

“Come on Phil, we need you baby,” a spectator shouted before Mickelson teed off at No. 3.

Instead, Mickelson bogeyed the next three holes.

“I was a little rustier than I thought,” he said. “Ill get home and get some practice in and see if I can get this thing turned around.”

Who: Thoroughbreds Tar Heel Mom, Malibu Prayer, Forever Together, Tuscan Evening
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips The Vagrancy Handicap, The Gamely
Where: Belmont Park, Hollywood Park
When: Saturday, May 29th

Next week well look at what is shaping up to be a less-than-stellar Belmont Stakes. In the meantime, weve got older fillies and mares competing on both coastsone group sprinting on dirt in the Grade 2 Vagrancy Handicap at Belmont Park and the other routing on grass in the Grade 1 Gamely at Hollywood Park. Lets analyze both races and identify the value plays.
Theres an abundance of speed in The Vagrancy Handicap, so it appears that a stalker would have a tactical advantage. Rightly So, Hold That Prospect, Lady Alexander and Saarlight have all done their best work on the front end. Likely favorite Tar Heel Mom also possesses excellent speed, but has turned in some huge efforts from just off the pace. A stalking trip would probably serve her best in this spot. Malibu Prayer strikes me as the horse to beat if shes ready to fire her best shot off a nearly 7-month layoff. She closed out her 3YO campaign with a pair of victories in one-turn mile events, the latter of which was the Grade 2 Chilukki at Churchill Downs. She ran a distant second behind Horse-Of-The-Year Rachel Alexandra in The Mother Goose, and her other Belmont start resulted in a 6 3/4-length romp in The Cat Chat last September, so you know she likes the Belmont oval. Her recent main-track breezes have been sharp, and Pletchers go-to guy John Velazquez will be back aboard. The layoff should provide us with decent value. Ill bet Malibu Prayer to win at odds of 3-1 or better.
Tuscan Evening has been on a roll, winning four straight and five of her last six. Her only defeat during that time frame was to the top-notch Ventura in the Grade 1 Matriarch last November. She has stretched her abundant speed to 1 ? miles, winning the Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap last out in gate-to-wire fashion. Helping her cause was the fact that she was able to set pedestrian fractions of :49 and 1:13 3/5 in that event. I dont believe shell enjoy that luxury in The Gamely, due to the presence of the rapidly-improving Medaglia d Amour. That filly is a confirmed stalker, but shes been tracking swifter fractions than what Tuscan Evening has grown accustomed to lately. I have a feeling that shell apply pressure to the favorite before leaving the backstretch, which should set things up for the late-charging Forever Together. The 6YO gray mare has lost five of her last six, but her comebacker at Keeneland, which she lost by a half-length, was encouraging. 1 1/8th miles is arguably her best distance, and her swift 5-furlong work on May 25th indicates shes on her toes. Ill bet Forever Together to win at odds of 2-1 or better, in what figures to be a mild upset.

Those are my horse racing betting tips for the weekend. Best of luck and happy gambling!

Its a line used as the name for a 1980s hit movie, lifted from the heavily played pop tune of the same name and era, penned by the Psychedelic Furs.

For Phil Mickelson, a child of the 80s hims sort of like the color. Hum along with us for a moment.

Support for the Mickelsons dominated Round 3 at Colonial last spring. (Getty Images)

Back to semi-defend his 2008 title at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial after missing last year while tending to his ailing wife, Mickelson was both flattened and flattered to learn that for the second straight year, the tournament will stage a Pink Out on Saturday to raise awareness for breast cancer, the affliction contracted a year ago by Mickelsons wife and mother.

The funny part, and there is ample room for doses of humor given the generally dreadful topic, is that if Mickelson makes the cut, hell don the hue himself, which he joked was a bigger emotional hurdle than the medical reminder the color serves to represent.

“Mentally the challenge for me is wearing pink,” Lefty said Wednesday before his pro-am in Fort Worth, “because I know I dont look good wearing pink.”

I can almost hear him cracking, “Hey, does this color make my butt look big?”

Guess he never heard that everythings bigger in Texas, including some folks hearts. Rest assured, of all the magnanimous gestures made relating to the Mickelson familys dual cancer fight, the 2009 Pink Out was atop the familys list. Cobbled together in approximately five days as a show of support for Mickelson, a Colonial winner who could not be on hand to offer a title defense, it promises to be dwarfed by this weeks offerings.

Take a bow, the hundreds of you who will wear pink bows in the DFW area. The utterly impromptu 09 event will seem like a happy accident by the time Saturday night rolls around.

“You know, last week Amy and I commiserated over our one-year anniversary and this event really helped us get through some tough times,” Mickelson said. “It meant a lot to us and gave us a huge emotional boost at a very difficult time for us. We will always remember that and be appreciative of that.”

Mickelson has won the Colonial title twice, but last years fight in absentia might ultimately result in his biggest victory of all. On Saturday, every player, caddie, PGA Tour official, tournament employee, marshal and fan is being asked to don something pink.

On the Texas plains, something resembling a sea of Energizer bunnies will replace the ubiquitous jackrabbit. Donations to the breast cancer fight will be made by the hotel sponsor for every birdie and eagle, and two downtown office buildings will be lit with pink lights on Friday night. For the week, 50,000 pink fans will be supplied to attendees to both stifle the Texas heat and help spread the word.

The wise whys and wherefores are downright alarming. According to data, every three minutes a woman is or approximately 210 over the course of tournament play on Saturday. At the completion of the third round, exactly 210 helium-filled pink balloons will be symbolically released behind the 18th green at Colonial. Bubbles and baubles aside, it should all help raise the collective consciousness.

The jaw-dropping numerical tally cited above doesnt count women outside the States, where rates also are rising. If youre over the age of 20, you probably know somebody who has been afflicted by the malady, like last weeks winner, Australian Jason Day. His mom had the disease and didnt tell him for months because she didnt want him to worry.

“I think it means a lot, just to make people aware of breast cancer,” Day said of Saturdays event. “Just to make sure that they get checked up regularly.

“But for Phil, obviously, he has the pink ribbon on his hat, and he shows that. The support that people show towards and feel for his wife Amy was just fantastic. I think everyone was praying that she was going to get through this and his mom as well.”

So far, Mickelson says the long-term prognosis is good for both. The doctors caught the disease early enough, though Amy has been effectively floored by treatments and has attended exactly one to Phils emotion-sapping win in April at the Masters.

The Mickelsons learned that her tests were positive for cancer shortly before he was set to defend his Colonial title last year. Ryder Cup teammate Steve Stricker won the title in Mickelsons absence and is anticipating some tear-inducing responses from the gallery this week.

Stricker, a popular guy, isnt talking about his personal return from a painful clavicle injury after six weeks off, either.

“I think he will have a great reception here,” Stricker said of Mickelson. “I think he will be very excited to be here. He is almost the defending champion as well this week.

Analyst David Feherty went head-to-toe pink to show where his heart was. (Getty Images) “I thought it was the greatest feel-good story in golf when he won at the Masters, and seeing Amy there, and being friends of both of them, and seeing Amy break down the way she did was pretty cool.”

For the Mickelsons, and maybe a few others, the Pink Out last year felt like a group hug.

“That was at a time that we were at an emotional low, and to feel that type of support meant a lot,” Mickelson said. “I know that every year a couple of hundred thousand women are diagnosed with this disease and I think a lot of them felt some emotional support as well.”

Maybe the sentimental wave this week will at last propel Mickelson to the apex of his career. As was the case two weeks ago at the Players Championship, Mickelson can climb to world No. 1 with a victory, a position he has never enjoyed despite being the second-winningest active player on tour.

“I think its one of those things you will look back on in your career if youve accomplished it, whether its one week, a year or whatever the time frame is, it would be something very special,” he said. “But to accomplish that, I cant focus on that. Thats a result. I still need to go out and play like the No. 1 player in the world, so Ive got some work to do.”

Grab a shovel and rake, bro, because the road is cleared. Tiger Woods, the man who, with only a few short-lived exceptions, has ruled the rankings roost since he turned pro, isnt entered.

“I would say 13 of those years were in Tiger years,” Mickelson lamented of his quest to be No. 1. “It hasnt been the easiest.”

Nor will his wardrobe selection on Saturday. Guys like rookie Rickie Fowler might look tolerable in fuchsia, magenta or salmon, but Mickelson, who turns 40 on June 16, usually gravitates toward darker hues. Hibiscus-tinted trousers are not exactly his thing.

But he can always make exceptions for worthy reasons. For instance, like on Sunday, when the winner at Colonial dons a particularly colorful champions sport coat.

As a new world No. 1, Mickelson wouldnt look half bad in plaid, would he?

The players were flailing in Dallas and wailing in England. As usual, the Americans were trailing on the LPGA. CBSSports.com senior writer Steve Elling is railing about it all in his weekly take on the tours.

Up

Athlete D breathes easy The dominoes continue to fall in the case against the so-called “spin doctor,” Anthony Galea, the controversial Canadian physician linked to the smuggling of performance-enhancing drugs into the United States. Charges were filed last week and documents seem to support Tiger Woods adamant assertion that, while he used Galea several times for a rare blood-spinning technique believed to promote faster healing, there were no suggestions that Woods used PEDs to get a leg up on rivals. In the documents, a sports figure listed as Athlete from Orlando is believed to be Woods, who was treated several times in 2009. No question, Woods brought an incredible amount of sc but still, it remains inconceivable to me that Woods cheated on this particular front. There quite possibly wouldnt be drug testing on the PGA Tour if Woods hadnt backed the notion. We invite you to make all the well-deserved cracks you want about his general credibility and his views on marriage, but he has long held the sanctity of the game as inviolate.

Little dude in Big D Its as hard to believe as it is to stomach, but the Byron Nelson Championship needed a huge boost from a 16-year-old to be relevant last week on the global golf scene. High-schooler Jordan Spieth cavorted with the folks at the top of the leaderboard and finished T16 before he reported back to Dallas Jesuit this week for school. The field last week, given Nelsons place in the game, was abysmal and continued to suffer a dropoff since the beloved tournament namesake died in late 2006. Woods hasnt played there since 2005 to end his record cut streak and most of the games top stars have bailed as well, a redesign of the host TPC course notwithstanding. Nelson and his longtime Lone Star State running mate, Ben Hogan, would not be amused by the current state of the Texas Swing, which, because of scheduling, host courses or outright indifference have fallen off the must-play lists of the top guns. Spieth, who has already signed to play college golf at Texas, has been given an exemption into Memphis in two weeks as well. By the way, does anybody else think the skinny Spieth bears a passing resemblance to Charles Howell?

Laird in his lair, finally He was born in nearby Glasgow and his parents live about 15 miles from St. Andrews, so it was fitting on both the familial and geographic fronts that Scotsman Martin Laird secured one of eight spots at the British Open qualifier held in Texas on Monday. “Id be lying if I said I hadnt been thinking about this qualifier for a while,” said Laird, who has played in exactly one British Open. Laird, who plays on the PGA Tour and attended Colorado State, has become something of a celebrated figure in his native haunts, although not completely for good reason. At No. 116, he is the top-rated Scot in the world rankings, a mind-boggling proposition considering the upswing in the fortunes of neighboring England of late. So, while St. Andrews might be the home of golf, at the moment, the property has been repossessed. Before winning last fall in Las Vegas, Laird was perhaps best known for making a clutch 6-footer for par to retain his U.S. tour card on his final shot of the 2008 season, which allowed him to finish No. 125 in earnings.

In the pink David Feherty looked like the Easter bunny, and he was not alone. In a magnanimous gesture that deeply touched Phil Mickelsons family, half of Forth Worth turned up last year for the third round of the Colonial Invitational decked in pink attire to honor the absent Mickelson clans battle against breast cancer. Sometimes the PGA Tour overreaches and lays it on pretty thick with schmaltz, ham and contrived cheese, but this gesture meant so much to the Mickelson, he was at a loss for words to express it. He will get another chance this week, since hes back to defend his Colonial title, sort of. Mickelson hit one of the most memorable shots of his career with a wedge from the trees on the 72nd hole at Colonial to win in 2008, but didnt play last year because of wife Amys illness. Never before have those little pink ribbons loomed so large.

Down

Its not Wentworthy In golf circles, it produced a bigger comparative mess than the BP oil spill. Forget the tournament. The excruciatingly brutal panning of the Wentworth course makeover dominated overseas coverage of the biggest event to date on the European Tour, the BMW PGA Championship. Ernie Els, who lives at Wentworth and has been tweaking the course over the past several years, was roasted like a Springbok over an open pit by his peers, especially for his owner-ordered redesign at the 18th, which nobody liked and Els himself didnt favor. He was overruled by the guy with the checkbook, who spent roughly $10 million to precipitate the largest outcry of synchronized whining anywhere in years. The Wentworth ownership has already signaled full retreat and plans to redo the changes (is that called a three-do?) before next year, which must make the members deliriously happy. Dont put away those Ground Under Repair signs just yet, lads.

Well, duh Nobody has poked more fun at Corey Pavin than I have, mostly because hes not particularly glib and, compared to the last U.S. Ryder Cup captain, is the anti-Azinger. But the fact that Pavin has been mildly criticized for suggesting that Tiger Woods needs to play well in order to land a spot on the team this fall is ludicrous. Pavin deserves the 12 best players on his team, which won two years ago while Woods watched from his couch and sent text-messages to teammates. Woods brings more baggage to the Ryder than the whole U.S. contingent of Louis Vuitton-toting player wives. The bigger question is whether Woods would ask to be considered for one of the four captains picks if he doesnt crack the top eight in points to cement an automatic berth. In my mind, thats hardly assured. Its hard to imagine what fans might have in store for him in Wales, since the Ryder is the lone event all year where spectators root against certain players. He would be John Dillinger. Do Pavin or Woods really need that type of distraction? His presence might swallow the event whole.

Confederacy of dunces In a vacuum, its a brilliant idea. Englands Paul Casey, in a particularly chatty and insightful moment, suggested last week that some sort of historical registry ought to be established in golf to review design changes proposed at old courses, like Wentworth, which has been torn asunder so often, it ought to use a backhoe as its new logo. In theory, which is where the best ideas go to incubate before they suffocate in open committee, a panel of golf experts would review proposals on course changes at venerable tracks and provide input before the revisions are made, protecting the design for later generations. Casey even floated the idea past R&A chief Peter Dawson, who is going to take a pasting next month for the new tee he installed at the Road Hole at St. Andrews. The problem is, the most obvious choices for such a panel are the USGA and R&A types who put us in this mess to begin with by allowing the oversized clubheads, lengthier shafts and HGH-fueled golf balls that have made every par-5 under 600 yards reachable for many, if not most, top tour players. And no offense, but I dont want a bunch of dudes who grew up in the Andy Warhol, Leroy Neiman and Peter Max eras redesigning anything that has historical value.

Yoo gotta be kidding me Hope you like your sarcasm with huge dollops of smarm. I tell you, I was stunned, shocked and stupefied to learn that the LPGA match-play final last weekend between Texas native Angela Stanford and waifish Sun Young Yoo was won by the latter, who recorded her first U.S. win. There is a faction of fans that believes the globalization of golf is a good thing, and its true, at least if you are selling equipment. But if you are trying to find domestic sponsors for the LPGA, thats a whole different kettle of marketing fish. Going back more than a year to Miami native Cristie Kerrs win May 10, 2009, at the now-defunct Kingsmill event, foreign-born players have claimed 24 of the past 25 LPGA events. Michelle Wie, who claimed her first tour win last fall, is the lone Yank to make the winners circle in that span, and in 2010, all seven LPGA events have been won by Asian players. Bluntly put, minus top stars Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam, the disconnect between fans and the tour feels larger than ever. Maybe the notion of the womens tour being taken over by the PGA Tour isnt a bad one, because in my experience, Tim Finchem could convince some sponsors to buy tire chains in Key West.

Oh, the humanity Blake Adams was given the biggest reprieve of his life when Jason Day smother-hooked his approach into the water at the 18th at the Nelson on Sunday, giving the 34-year-old rookie and mini-tour veteran a huge chance at erasing Days one-stroke lead. Under the trees and needing to execute a fairly straightforward punch shot to get the ball near the green, there was one dead left into the same watery grave that grabbed Days ball a moment earlier. In fact, at the moment Blake hit the shot, it appeared that a bogey might be good enough to force a playoff. Astoundingly, completing the worst closing stretch by two guys in contention for a title in years, Adams jacked it dead left into the lake, made a double-bogey and utterly handed Day the first win of his career. It was must-flee TV: Day played the final six holes in 2 over and was hitting sloppy hooks everywhere. Sometimes, when you are watching golf, its easy to see why certain guys have never before cracked the winners circle. The last few holes of the Nelson were Gila-monster ugly.

Online betting players are gearing up for the final jewel in thoroughbred racings Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, which is a difficult test for only the top three-year-olds in the racing world. Instead of a battle of horses, though, this race could end up being a battle of the Hall-of-Fame trainers. Who will have the upper hand in this rubber match?

What: Horse Betting
When: Saturday, June 5th, 5:00 PM ET
Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
2009 Winner: Summer Bird

The Storyline

There will be no Triple Crown winner for the 33nd straight year, but the Belmont Stakes will still be one of the top races of the year. This 1 ?-mile race is the oldest of the Triple Crown races, and its known as the toughest of the trio due to its length, which makes it the longest dirt track on the continent.

Belmont Stakes Betting The History

This will be the 142nd edition of the Belmont Stakes, which was first held in 1867, and its called the Test of Champions because of its length, which three-year-old horses dont usually ride. Secretariat romped to a 31-length victory in 1973 to wrap up his Triple Crown, and he is one of 11 horses that have won the Belmont Stakes to go on and produce another winner in this event, as he sired Risen Star, who won in 1988.

Last years winner, Summer Bird, was another descendant of a Belmont winner as his father was Birdstone, who also sired last years Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird. Summer Bird would go on to beat his sibling in the Belmont, which kept Calvin Borel from the jockeys version of the Triple Crown.

Belmont Stakes Betting The Favorites

You would have to think that the favorites would be horses trained by either Bob Baffert or Todd Pletcher, whose horses won the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Pletcher won his first Kentucky Derby in 25 tries thanks to a thrilling ride by Borel, who steered Super Saver to the victory, Borels third in the last four Kentucky Derbies. But Super Saver faded to eighth in the Preakness Stakes as Lookin At Lucky, who was a favorite at Churchill Downs along with Super Saver, romped to the win at Pimlico.

Neither horse will make the trip to Belmont Park for this race, which leaves a wide-open field. This is the third time in the last 40 years that the winner(s) of the first two jewels of the Triple Crown have skipped the Belmont Stakes, but it gives another horse a chance to step up to the plate. However, you have to consider any horse trained by Pletcher or Baffert, who both have a win at Belmont Park.

Belmont Stakes Betting The Field

Other options in your best sportsbook could be Ice Box, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby and probably would have won if the race had gone just a little bit more. Ice Box is trained by Nick Zito, who has won a pair of Belmont Stakes, and hes finished second six times in this race. Because of his finish in the Preakness, Ice Box could very well end up as the favorite at Belmont Park, or it could be Fly Down, who romped to a win in the Dwyer Stakes, which is the big prep race for the Belmont Stakes. First Dude will be another horse to watch in your best sportsbook after his second-place run at the Preakness.

Belmont Stakes Prediction & Outlook

Its still very early to pick a winner in this race, as we dont know post positions, jockeys, or track conditions yet, but were betting on a showdown between horses trained by Pletcher or Baffert, who didnt have a horse in last years Belmont, while the Pletcher-trained Dunkirk finished second to Summer Bird. Pletcher would like to avenge the poor showing of Super Saver at the Preakness, and he could even enlist Borel once again. Check out which horses he has in the field before making your sports betting pick for the Belmont.

Through the courtesy of Tony Soprano, heres is one word for all the scribes that are begging for a change or tweak in the format of the Triple Crown series— FORGETABOUTIT.

The theory of some of these self-proclaimed guardians of the sport is that a Triple Crown winner would somehow change the atmosphere, the vibe, the overall climate of the sport, but the truth of the matter is that a Triple Crown winner would be nothing other than a blip on the equine barometer.

Face it, this is a niche sport and the sooner the geniuses that spout negativism about a non-Triple Crown winner wake up and smell the cannoli, the better for all.

Winning 5 races in three weeks under conditions those runners, which are not yet mature 3-year-olds, is a difficult feat.

So is throwing a perfect game in baseball. Thats why there have only been 19 Perfectos in the history of baseball.

Before Dallas Bradens gem against Tampa on May 9, the last perfect game came in July of last year by Mark Buehrle but before that you had to go back to May of 2004 to review Randy Johnsons special day against at Atlanta.

To take it a step further, the last perfect game before Johnsons was in 1999.

Did major league baseball gather and whisper and try to move the pitching mound in 6 feet? No, they went to the ballpark and rolled out the ball the next day.

If a National Football League team loses 5 or 8 games in a row, does the NFL say you guys only have to go 75 yards to score next week?

No, the schedule is done, tough luck, move on.

I was so lucky to watch Affirmed train early in his sophomore season at Santa Anita in 1978 and had no concept how great a horse he was to become.

He was special physically and almost a glow was around him in the early morning hours when he was put through the motions by Laz Barrera but racing writers and fans that just woke up from a slumber in the cave next to Osama bin Laden may have forgotten that before the golden age of the 70s, it was 25 years before Secretariat duplicated the Triple Crown feat recorded by Citation in 1948.

Also, remember that since 1980, 10 horses won the first 2 legs of the Triple Crown and 4 of them just failed to turn the triple when second.

So FORGETABOUTIT. Leave well enough alone. As Tim Layden in Sports Illustrated recently said: The Triple Crown, by its very exclusivity, is one of the sports rare strengths.

Well said.

BELMONT TAKING SHAPE

Even with the Derby and Preakness winners licking their collective wounds and staying away from the Belmont Stakes, the prospective field is still light at this point in time.

Setsuko, who would have been a late factor in New York, developed inflammation in his ankles and is out.

That will leave 10 shooting for the money in the Big Apple. Ice Box looms the chalk and would be joined by Fly Down, Drosselmeyer, First Dude, Game on Dude, Make Music for Me, Stately Victor, Spangled Star and Uptowncharlybrown.

A SHORE THING

Everybody knows there is no such thing as a sure thing, but officials at Monmouth Park are thinking out of the box as they are trying to innovate their own version of a SHORE thing.

I cut my teeth at Monmouth Park, first went to the track there when I was 10 and made my first bet there at 8, but more on that later on.

This meeting in Oceanport is so unique it is now the buzzword of the sport.

First off, the numbers. A total of 148 horses entered for opening day, last year 46 less passed the entry box.

Not only will $5,000 claimers run for a $30,000 purse, unheard of even in todays slot driven world, Monmouth will pay $1,500 to the last-place finishers in Jersey-bred races.

What this will do is to try to even the playing field a little so the smaller barns will not be totally swallowed up by the huge purses offered for quality runners.

Consider this; on opening day $25,000 claimers ran for a $46,000 purse; Jersey-bred MSW runners aimed at a $75,000 purse and $15,000 claimers ran for a $38,000 purse.

Granted, this is a bold experiment but if it works and the people bet in droves, it just may change the way racetracks do business in the future.

As far as the players involved, Garrett Gomez will be a new steady fixture as will Johnny Velazquez to go along with Jersey Joe Bravo and Elvis is in the house Trujillo.

Trainers to watch will be Todd Pletcher, Mike Mitchell, the Dutrow boys, underrated Robert Hess Jr. Joe Orseno and Linda Rice.

With more runners, the complexion of the races may also alter from the speed conducive track Monmouth has been for years.

Watch runners from Tampa and runners that drop, because since they will be running for more money, the drop may not really be a drop.

Personally, I have something invested in this track.

I made my first bet at 8 through a friend of my fathers. Pops was a big shot at General Motors and once a year he got a perk at Monmouth Park and was allowed to utilize a special box. It was not just some chairs in the Turf Club but a fully staffed area for about a dozen at the very top of the track. To put it in perspective, Princess Grace Kelly owned the box next door.

All of dads friends would gather for drinks at the house before the track and one of his buddies asked me whom I liked in a particular race. After glancing at the sheet, I offered my opinion and broke the piggy bank for the $2 bucks needed.

About 10 hours later, the gang was home and I got $16.80 back and the rest as they say is history.

One thing Ive learned is that this game is a work in progress and if you cant improve or learn something every day, you are not paying attention. Bettors cannot just do their work in their room, go to the track, be ignorant about scratches, the weather or the environment at the track and expect to win. There are far too many variables that make up a race that need to be scrutinized.

How huge were the numbers at Monmouth opening day? A total of 7,611 more were on hand than on the 2009 opener and the total bet was through the roof.

Last year, just over $4.2 million was bet on opening day. Last Saturday, combined handle for the card was $9.357,444.

Hope some Shore things come through for bettors this season.

Jason Day fought through a rocky final round for a 2-over 72 that was good enough to give the 22-year-old Australian the Byron Nelson Championship title for his first win of his PGA Tour career.

Already in the record bo Day had to wait until he was 22 for this breakthrough.

“Its been a hard, tough road,” Day said. “Ive had a lot of negative thoughts go through my head. … I would always think of what jobs I could do if I didnt secure my card. … Im glad I just stuck through it.”

For many the 2010 Nelson will go down for the remarkable PGA Tour debut by Jordan Spieth, a 16-year-old local high school student.

“I was walking to the fourth hole and it looked like there was a thousand people following him,” Day said. “It took a little bit of pressure off my shoulders knowing that the good majority of the fans that were following me were close friends and family.”

Spieth was within three shots of the lead on the final nine holes, but dropped back into a tie for 16th. He shot a 2-over 72 in the final round, his highest score of the tournament. His 4-under 276 was six strokes behind Day.

Day nearly withdrew Thursday morning because he felt so ill. He wound up sharing for the lead after the first round and was near the top all week.

He thought he might have blown his chances when his approach to the final hole went into the water. But he got a reprieve when playing partner Blake knocked his ball into the water, too.

Day salvaged a bogey, while Adams, a 34-year-old Tour rookie, took a double bogey and dropped into a tie for second with Brian Gay and Jeff Overton. Gay shot 7-under 63, the best round Sunday by three strokes.

“I wasnt nervous,” Adams said. “I just didnt play well.”

Spieth, meanwhile, became the sixth-youngest player to make the cut on the PGA Tour, then said he was serious about wanting to win. When he shot 3-under Saturday, it wasnt so farfetched.

He hit back-to-back bogeys early in the final round and a shot out of a fairway bunker that angered Spieth so much, he pulled back with his iron, ready to throw it at his bag. But a deft chip led to a par putt and he turned everything around.

Three birdies and three near-misses left him standing on the 11th tee at 7-under while the leaders were at 10-under.

< a bogey, then a double-bogey. Yet he bounced back once more, too, with a birdie on the next hole and knocking his tee shot to the par-3 17th just 14 feet from the cut.

Alas, Spieth missed that putt and a par putt of about the same distance on No. 18 for a closing bogey. He walked off to a loud ovation, a handshake from playing partner Corey Pavin and a hug from Peggy Nelson, widow of the tournaments namesake.

“It was awesome … the entire round, the entire week,” Spieth said. “Starting the week, I definitely wouldve taken a top-20, in a heartbeat. Obviously now, looking back, being a competitor, I look back at the mistakes I made that didnt give me an opportunity to win.”

Spieth, the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion, wouldve made $91,185.71 had he turned pro this week. But hes planning to wait through another year of high school, then attend the University of Texas.

“I wouldnt say [this week] changed me fundamentally,” he said. “I cant wait to get back out there and do it again.”

Hes already gotten a sponsors exemption to play in Memphis next month. First, hell play an American Junior Golf Association event in Arizona next week. Then he has finals.

Days next event is the Colonial in Fort Worth, where he lives. He also seems to have conquered the illness thats befuddled him since the opening week of the season.

Its been diagnosed variously as swine flu, bronchitis and allergies. Medicines to fight those ailments caused so many problems he withdrew from a tournament and went to the emergency room. Finally, on Monday, another doctor called it a chronic sinus infection, and Day is convinced thats right.

But even that diagnosis caused a problem. A heavy-duty shot and other antibiotics left him so queasy Thursday morning that when he went to get an umbrella from his car, he thought about driving home. He might not have made it through that first round without a nearly 4-hour delay because of threatening skies, which let him sit, relax and drink lots of water.

“I still have blocked ears and some gunk in the back of my throat and my nose,” he said. “But its dried up a lot more than it was.”

Day was as amazed as anyone by Spieths success, which is saying something.

Hailed as another Tiger Woods while growing up in Australia, he began playing PGA Tour events at 18. He played 65 tournaments before finally winning one, but figures the experience was worth it, admitting he got a bit lazy after having success and money at a young age.