CBSSports.com wire rep Until Chambers Bay morphed from an everyday public course into championship conditions, Mike Davis didnt know what to expect.

Davis, the U.S. Golf Associations director of rules and competition and responsible for developing the setup used at the U.S. Open, had some preconceived ideas of how Chambers Bay would play during the U.S. Amateur that ended on Sunday.

And after a week of watching the best amateur golfers in the world try and solve the hard fairways and sloping greens of the links course, Davis came away excited for what awaits five years from now when Chambers Bay hosts the U.S. Open.

“Its very fun to set it up,” Davis said.

Fun seemed to be the overwhelming word players and officials used to describe the way Chambers Bay played during the Amateur, won by Oklahoma States Peter Uihlein. Shot making was at a premium, as was imagination, taking away the idea of shooting right at pins or playing the hole exactly as it appeared.

Uihlein had a perfect example in Sundays final against David Chung. Knowing his downhill putt on the drivable par 4 12th hole had no chance of stopping near the hold, Uihlein rolled his putt past the hole, up a slope and watched it inch back toward the cup, settling just a couple of feet away.

“You cant really get close to the flags by hitting them at the flag. Youve got to use the slopes and be creative,” Uihlein said. “Youve got to hit every shot with a certain spin and height. Youve really got to control your ball.”

Chambers Bay was awarded the Amateur and the 2015 Open within a year of the course first opening. Its unique fescue grass, large footprint and setting on the shores of Puget Sound was the setting the USGA had been hoping to find to finally bring its national championship to the Pacific Northwest for the first time.

That meant the Amateur was a dress rehearsal for five years from now. The discoveries last week were plentiful.

For example, Davis learned that even with hard, brown fairways and greens, the grass at Chambers still needed sufficient water. During the stroke play portion of the Amateur, the firmness of the golf course got out of hand, Davis said.

The discovery: because of its sandy base, the golf course needed adequate water six, 12, 18 inches below the surface to maintain a level of fairness for players.

“There were some things that we did anticipate we thought might work really well. We had some questions about some things and there were some things that being very candid, we never had an idea, nor did the architects or any of the Chambers Bay people,” Davis said.

Davis said there will be plenty of adjustments to the golf course by the time its next in tournament conditions five years from now. Some fairways will be narrowed, others will be widened, and even others will be moved one direction or another. One major benefit for the USGA staff was seeing various weather conditions during the week and seeing winds blowing from three different directions.

Outside the ropes, there are issues with spectator transportation, crowd flow and fans climbing on the steep and slippery dunes around the course to be addressed.

“I think well spend the next few years trying to get that right because this was a dry run,” said the USGAs Tom OToole. “Thats why we came here. … A lot of notes this week [and] it will really help us in preparation for 15.”

Who: Thoroughbreds – Ice Box, Fly Down, Super Saver, Rachel Alexandra
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The Travers, The Personal Ensign
Where: Saratoga
When: Saturday and Sunday, August 28th and 29th  

If Super Saver bags The Travers (also known as the Midsummer Derby) tomorrow, he vaults right back into contention for 3YO division honors. The most recent winner of both races was Street Sense in 2007. He got the better of the mighty Curlin in the Derby, but Curlin beat him by a head in The Preakness, and went on to win Eclipse Awards for Horse of the Year as well as 3-Year-Old Male. Prior to Street Sense, you have to go back to Thunder Gulch in 1995 to find a dual Derby/Travers winner, and that colt garnered 3-Year-Old Male honors. With division leader Lookin At Lucky sitting this one out, it’s Super Saver’s time to shine.

Super Saver drew the outside post (No. 11) in The Travers, which should suit him well with such a long run to the first turn. There’s plenty of speed signed on, with #1-Miner’s Reserve, #4-First Dude and #5-A Little Warm expected to slug it out early. That should allow jockey Calvin Borel to find a comfortable spot for Super Saver in mid-pack. With a 2 ?-month break between The Preakness and The Haskell, it’s not surprising that Super Saver flattened out a bit in his comebacker, getting nosed for third. I’m expecting a major move forward here. Note that Super Saver is the only horse in the field to win at 1 ? miles toting 126 lbs., and has been working well at the Spa for leading trainer Todd Pletcher. I’ll bet on #11-Super Saver to win and place at odds of 4-1 or better, and key him top and bottom in exactas with the Nick Zito-trained duo of #6-Ice Box and #8-Fly Down. Both Zito runners are much better than they’ve shown recently, and should relish the classic distance.

Reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra returns to action on Sunday in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga. While it’s her first try at 1 ? miles, you’ll remember that she had little trouble dispatching her male counterparts in last year’s Preakness at the slightly shorter distance of 1 3/16th miles. She faces the red-hot Life At Ten, winner of six straight, including the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap two back at Belmont Park. Life At Ten is a very nice horse, but she’s never faced anything like Rachel Alexandra, who appears poised to make a serious run at back-to-back Horse of the Year titles. This mile-and-a-quarter test should provide her with the foundation to tackle all comers in The Breeders’ Cup Classic in early November at her favorite venue…Churchill Downs.

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

The $1 million mile and a quarter Pacific Classic has been about star power since Day One and this year will be no different. As for added incentive for the 10 entrants, the winner gets an automatic ‘win and your in’ ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Best Pal took the inaugural running. The late great Bobby Frankel saddled the next 4 winners.

Dare and Go upset the legendary Cigar to the tune of $81.20 when that runner was seeking to win his 17th straight. Unbeaten Candy Ride cashed in 2003 and California’s favorite son Lava Man won three years later. Last season Richard’s Kid was coming off a nose beat in a $150,000 stakes but he put it all together in the Classic coming from 2nd to last to post a career best 107 Beyer at 24-1.

Contenders this year include The Usual Q.T. and Unusual Suspect. Ben Cecil has a pair in the field in Crowded House and Isle of Giant’s while defending champ Richard’s Kid will be trying to rebound from a recent lost.

Perfect is what The Usual Q. T. has been at Del Mar after 3 starts. He has a super stalk and pounce style and was most impressive winning the Eddie Read going away. Q.T. just may be phoning home from the winner’s circle.

Unusual Suspect tracked a slow pace but would not go by a game and fast Temple City in the Cougar last month. This guy has been around the block and back but his best days are behind him.

Richard’s Kid has some things to prove. He obviously needed the Hollywood Gold Cup two back but basically ran around the track in the Cougar.

Kid picked up the tempo in a recent :58.60 bullet work but that is typical of a Bob Baffert trainee. The pro is dependent on a hot pace and a perfect traffic-free trip and that’s why he could be a liability at too short a price.

Crowded House was a Group 1 winner at 2 but only has one other victory on the slate. Backers have to hope he got a ton of experience out of his Read 4th.

Isle of Giant’s might have bounced a bit last time but his versatility is interesting as he can win on the front end or come from left field.

Temple City, just down the road from Arcadia, is a sleepy little suburb but there is nothing sleepy about the horse who is a flat out speed ball capable of tracking or leading and prevailing.

Hollywood Gold Cup winner Awesome Gem and San Diego Handicap victor Dakota Phone seem on target for their prospective starts in the Classic.

Gem recently prepped on the turf course where he finished with interest but his trainer is on record as saying he thinks the runner prefers Hollywood Park. And the horse is 0 for 8 at the beach.

Just the fact that Hold Me Back has shown up is important as his trainer Bill Mott does not go gallivanting around the country for fun.

Connections of Dakota Phone were confident going into this fixture. This is what Jerry Hollendorfer’s assistant trainer Dan Ward had to say about a recent drill.

Ward: “He went very well. Everything is going perfect right now for him. Were right on target.”

Awesome was far from that in last year’s Classic when a dull 7th at 17-1 but that happens when a runner has to come from left field.

Dakota Phone has a similar style but he loves this oval and won the prescribed prep in the San Diego in late July. He came from 11 back that day but can be much closer on his best day.

Battle of Hastings ran well to be second to Dakota Phone last time but his trainer Jeff Mullins is in the biggest slump he’s ever had in California, this guy has no speed and only at the last moment did Mullins decide to go.    

Here’s the projected scoop as the race unfolds.

Isle of Giants and Temple City will cut out the splits with The Usual Q. T., Unusual Suspect, Richard’s Kid and Dakota Phone in the second tier. That will leave the other 4 trying to save ground and hoping for a fast pace.

At the top of the lane, the leaders will start to fell the pressure. Richard’s Kid and Dakota Phone will get first run but be quickly joined by Awesome Gem, Hold Me Back and Crowded House.

When the smoke clears, Mott, who won this race 2 years ago with shipper Go Between, will watch his synthetic specialist Hold Me Back make the last run and get the money over Awesome Gem and Richard’s Kind.

Good luck.

CBSSports.co Matt Kuchars fortunes took quite a turn Sunday, and so did his golf ball.

Kuchar beat Martin Laird in a playoff at The Barclays with a 7-iron out of the rough that rolled toward the back of the 18th green, then caught enough of the slope to turn back toward the hole and stop 30 inches away for a birdie.

It was a stunning conclusion to the first FedEx Cup playoff event.

Kuchar closed with a 5-under 66, and it didnt look as though it would be enough. Laird had a one-shot lead and needed two putts from just inside 25 feet for the victory, when he ran his putt 7 feet past the hole. He missed the par putt, setting up the playoff.

The timing could not have been better for Kuchar.

His first victory of the year came two weeks after he made his first Ryder Cup team, and the win can only give him a shot of confidence. Kuchar moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings by winning the first playoff event, giving him a good shot at the $10 million prize. And his third career win is likely to move him to a career-best No. 10 in the world ranking.

“Even if I had shut it down without a win, I would have felt it was a great year,” Kuchar said. “To win, its an incredible year.”

The Barclays: Final round Analysis Steve Elling
With his first victory of 2010, Matt Kuchar vaults onto the list of Player of the Year candidates. Read More >> Related links Final scores and earnings Scorecards: Kuchar | Laird

Tiger Woods continues to make progress, which in this case means he gets to keep going.

Woods, who started these playoffs at No. 112 in the standings, closed with a 4-under 67 to easily make the top 100 who advance to the second round next week at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Woods tied for 12th, his best finish since June, and moved up to No. 65.

Laird, who recovered from a shaky start, looked just as shaky at the end, especially with his putter.

He was tied with Kuchar when he had a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th, only to roll it nearly 8 feet beyond the hole. He made that birdie putt to take the lead, then repeated his mistake on the final hole in regulation.

This time, the comeback putt never had a chance. Neither did Laird in the playoff after Kuchars shot stopped so close to the cup. Laird hit out of the rough to about 50 feet and made par.

Matt Kuchar shoots 5-under 66 before earning his first victory of the season in a sudden-death playoff. (Getty Images) “Obviously, not the finish I was looking for,” Laird said. “But Im very proud of the way I played today. I was kind of battling all day, and probably holed two or three of the biggest putts Ive ever holed just to be where I was.”

The only consolation for Laird was being safe through next month in the playoffs. He was at No. 95, hopeful of advancing to the second round, and his runner-up finish puts him at No. 3 and virtually guarantees hell be among the top 30 at the Tour Championship who compete for the $10 million prize.

Steve Stricker closed with a 66 to tie for third with Kevin Streelman, whose parents grew up in this neighborhood and whose grandparents are buried in a cemetery next to the seventh hole. Two years ago at Ridgewood, Streelman narrowly missed a playoff. He also was on the bubble, starting at No. 102, and moved up to No. 18.

Rory Sabbatini had the low round of the day at 64 and tied for fifth.

The other big winner Sunday was Andres Romero of Argentina. He made back-to-back double bogeys to fall well outside the top 100, then made a stunning charge with four birdies over his final five holes. Romero holed a 40-foot putt on his final hole to finish at No. 100 in the standings and advance to Boston.

“After the double bogeys, I figured it was lost,” Romero said. “I knew I had to make birdies to have a chance.”

Woods thought he had a chance, despite starting the final round nine shots behind. Practicing a drill on the putting green to keep his eyes over the ball, he took that to the course and pl but he was encouraged by his play heading into next week at the TPC Boston.

“I havent won all year,” Woods said. “But this is a week that I was very close. I felt that if I would have putted better for all four days, I would have been right there. Looking forward to next week.”

The $1 million mile and a quarter Pacific Classic has been about star power since Day One and this year will be no different. As for added incentive for the 10 entrants, the winner gets an automatic ‘win and your in’ ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Best Pal took the inaugural running. The late great Bobby Frankel saddled the next 4 winners.

Dare and Go upset the legendary Cigar to the tune of $81.20 when that runner was seeking to win his 17th straight. Unbeaten Candy Ride cashed in 2003 and California’s favorite son Lava Man won three years later. Last season Richard’s Kid was coming off a nose beat in a $150,000 stakes but he put it all together in the Classic coming from 2nd to last to post a career best 107 Beyer at 24-1.

Contenders this year include The Usual Q.T. and Unusual Suspect. Ben Cecil has a pair in the field in Crowded House and Isle of Giant’s while defending champ Richard’s Kid will be trying to rebound from a recent lost.

Perfect is what The Usual Q. T. has been at Del Mar after 3 starts. He has a super stalk and pounce style and was most impressive winning the Eddie Read going away. Q.T. just may be phoning home from the winner’s circle.

Unusual Suspect tracked a slow pace but would not go by a game and fast Temple City in the Cougar last month. This guy has been around the block and back but his best days are behind him.

Richard’s Kid has some things to prove. He obviously needed the Hollywood Gold Cup two back but basically ran around the track in the Cougar.

Kid picked up the tempo in a recent :58.60 bullet work but that is typical of a Bob Baffert trainee. The pro is dependent on a hot pace and a perfect traffic-free trip and that’s why he could be a liability at too short a price.

Crowded House was a Group 1 winner at 2 but only has one other victory on the slate. Backers have to hope he got a ton of experience out of his Read 4th.

Isle of Giant’s might have bounced a bit last time but his versatility is interesting as he can win on the front end or come from left field.

Temple City, just down the road from Arcadia, is a sleepy little suburb but there is nothing sleepy about the horse who is a flat out speed ball capable of tracking or leading and prevailing.

Hollywood Gold Cup winner Awesome Gem and San Diego Handicap victor Dakota Phone seem on target for their prospective starts in the Classic.

Gem recently prepped on the turf course where he finished with interest but his trainer is on record as saying he thinks the runner prefers Hollywood Park. And the horse is 0 for 8 at the beach.

Just the fact that Hold Me Back has shown up is important as his trainer Bill Mott does not go gallivanting around the country for fun.

Connections of Dakota Phone were confident going into this fixture. This is what Jerry Hollendorfer’s assistant trainer Dan Ward had to say about a recent drill.

Ward: “He went very well. Everything is going perfect right now for him. Were right on target.”

Awesome was far from that in last year’s Classic when a dull 7th at 17-1 but that happens when a runner has to come from left field.

Dakota Phone has a similar style but he loves this oval and won the prescribed prep in the San Diego in late July. He came from 11 back that day but can be much closer on his best day.

Battle of Hastings ran well to be second to Dakota Phone last time but his trainer Jeff Mullins is in the biggest slump he’s ever had in California, this guy has no speed and only at the last moment did Mullins decide to go.    

Here’s the projected scoop as the race unfolds.

Isle of Giants and Temple City will cut out the splits with The Usual Q. T., Unusual Suspect, Richard’s Kid and Dakota Phone in the second tier. That will leave the other 4 trying to save ground and hoping for a fast pace.

At the top of the lane, the leaders will start to fell the pressure. Richard’s Kid and Dakota Phone will get first run but be quickly joined by Awesome Gem, Hold Me Back and Crowded House.

When the smoke clears, Mott, who won this race 2 years ago with shipper Go Between, will watch his synthetic specialist Hold Me Back make the last run and get the money over Awesome Gem and Richard’s Kind.

Good luck.

CBSSports.co One swing cost Tiger Woods any chance of winning The Barclays.

Now he can only hope he gets to keep playing after Sunday.

Four shots out of the lead to start the third rou that sailed over the trees and off the property at Ridgewood Country Club. It led to a triple bogey, and he never got those three shots back.

The Barclays: Third round Analysis Steve Elling
Despite the early shank, Tiger still sounded as upbeat as he had since last year about his prospects. Read More >> Related links Leaderboard | Tigers scorecard Laird seizes control, leads Day, Johnson by three Elling: No answers on future Barclays venues Video Watch live coverage of The Barclays

Woods finished with back-to-back birdies for a 1-over 72 that put him well behind the leaders.

“In the end, it probably cost me a chance to win the tournament,” said Woods, who rallied to get to 3-under 210. “But Im pleased how I sucked it up and got it back the rest of the day, when it easily could have gone the other way. Hitting a ball like that, it can derail you. And it didnt. I got it right back.”

It was hard to believe the swing came from someone who had only missed two fairways over the first 36 holes. Woods attributed it to having too many swing thoughts swirling between the ears.

“I got caught between two swings,” he said. “And I wasnt committed to what I was doing. I wasnt focused on exactly what I should have been doing, what Ive been doing on the range, what Ive been doing the last couple of weeks. And it backfired.”

The top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings advance to the second round next week in the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston. Woods started the playoffs at No. 112, and he seemed safe after opening with a 65 to share the lead.

At one point Saturday, after a bogey from a fairway bunker on the ninth hole, Woods was projected outside the top 100. That was his last big mistake, however.

Woods hit to the front of the green in two on the 616-yard 13th hole for an easy up-and-down for birdie, and his 3-wood on the 587-yard 17th stopped 20 feet from the pin for a two-putt birdie. He finished with a 7-iron to 8 feet for birdie on the 18th.

Equally important were two pars in the middle of his round.

After his atrocious start, Woods hit through the green on the sixth hole and chipped poorly to about 10 feet. He made that putt for par, then escaped with par after getting mud on his ball in the middle of the seventh fairway.

Woods approach sailed right of the green and bunkers, leaving no room for error. The pitch under tree limbs landed in the rough, trickled onto the green and he made an 8-foot putt.

“I need to make that putt to not let it slide any further,” he said.

Woods all but ruled himself out of the tournament, although Sunday looms large.

He most likely will need a round somewhere around par or better to advance to Boston, and the better he plays, the higher he moves up and increases his chances for the third round in Chicago, which is for the top 70.

In the meantime, hes still working on his swing, although there remains a higher priority.

“Posting a score,” Woods said. “Always.”

CBSSports.com wire Gary Boyd and David Lynn of England and Julien Guerrier of France were tied for the lead at the Johnnie Walker Championship on Friday, completing two rounds at 9 under.

Guerrier shot a 5-under 67, while Boyd and Lynn had 68s. Marc Warren of Scotland (70), Mark Foster of England (67) and George Coetzee of South Africa (68) were two shots back.

European Tour Related links Leaderboard

Simon Dyson of England shot a 70 to grab a share of seventh place at 6-under. He is four places outside of qualifying for the European Ryder Cup team and needs to capture the Johnnie Walker to ensure automatic selection for the event at Celtic Manor.

Also at 6 under were Paul McGinley of Ireland (70), Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain (68) and Edoardo Molinari of Italy (68).

Jimenez was a late entry as he looks to secure his place on the Ryder Cup team, while Molinari is hoping a good showing will help him earn a captains pick.

Guerrier, who captured the 2006 British Amateur championship and turned professional right after the 2007 Masters, was inspired by Martin Kaymers recent run to the PGA Championship title.

“I watched Martin Kaymer, 26 years old, make the fantastic title in the U.S. PGA and I said, Hes a good player, but Im a good striker and I can do it,” Guerrier said. “So I try to do it and dont try too much, just play your golf, play your best and go see the flag and play it. Thats all.”

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie missed the cut and will now focus on his Sunday night choice of captains picks.

“I just think its super that everyone is performing to the best of their ability,” Montgomerie said after shooting 71 and 76 to finish at 3 over.

“I cant please everybody, the only way I could do that was to pick 20 players, but I have to leave out some good players, some winners,” the Scott said. “Its a good headache to have.”

Who: Thoroughbreds – Ice Box, Fly Down, Super Saver, Rachel Alexandra
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The Travers, The Personal Ensign
Where: Saratoga
When: Saturday and Sunday, August 28th and 29th  

If Super Saver bags The Travers (also known as the Midsummer Derby) tomorrow, he vaults right back into contention for 3YO division honors. The most recent winner of both races was Street Sense in 2007. He got the better of the mighty Curlin in the Derby, but Curlin beat him by a head in The Preakness, and went on to win Eclipse Awards for Horse of the Year as well as 3-Year-Old Male. Prior to Street Sense, you have to go back to Thunder Gulch in 1995 to find a dual Derby/Travers winner, and that colt garnered 3-Year-Old Male honors. With division leader Lookin At Lucky sitting this one out, it’s Super Saver’s time to shine.

Super Saver drew the outside post (No. 11) in The Travers, which should suit him well with such a long run to the first turn. There’s plenty of speed signed on, with #1-Miner’s Reserve, #4-First Dude and #5-A Little Warm expected to slug it out early. That should allow jockey Calvin Borel to find a comfortable spot for Super Saver in mid-pack. With a 2 ?-month break between The Preakness and The Haskell, it’s not surprising that Super Saver flattened out a bit in his comebacker, getting nosed for third. I’m expecting a major move forward here. Note that Super Saver is the only horse in the field to win at 1 ? miles toting 126 lbs., and has been working well at the Spa for leading trainer Todd Pletcher. I’ll bet on #11-Super Saver to win and place at odds of 4-1 or better, and key him top and bottom in exactas with the Nick Zito-trained duo of #6-Ice Box and #8-Fly Down. Both Zito runners are much better than they’ve shown recently, and should relish the classic distance.

Reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra returns to action on Sunday in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga. While it’s her first try at 1 ? miles, you’ll remember that she had little trouble dispatching her male counterparts in last year’s Preakness at the slightly shorter distance of 1 3/16th miles. She faces the red-hot Life At Ten, winner of six straight, including the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap two back at Belmont Park. Life At Ten is a very nice horse, but she’s never faced anything like Rachel Alexandra, who appears poised to make a serious run at back-to-back Horse of the Year titles. This mile-and-a-quarter test should provide her with the foundation to tackle all comers in The Breeders’ Cup Classic in early November at her favorite venue…Churchill Downs.

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

CBSSports.com wir Michelle Wie had the second hole-in-one of her professional career Thursday on the way to a 7-under 65 and a three-shot lead after the first round of the Canadian Womens Open.

“It was the first time I had actually seen it go in a tournament,” the 20-year-old Hawaii native said of her ace on the 190-yard, par-3 11th hole. “It was pretty cool. It was surreal. I didnt believe it had actually happened.”

The youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship at age 10, the 6-foot-tall Wie says she has notched eight holes-in-one in her career, but only one other as a pro, in her rookie season at last years LPGA Championship.

LPGA Tour Related links Leaderboard

Sarah Kemp of Australia was three strokes back of Wie after her morning-round 68, while defending champion Suzann Pettersen was in third place with a 69.

Rookie Ilhee Lee of South Korea initially ha a mark shared by a group of players.

Wie bogeyed the 12th hole but birdied three of her final six. Wie holds the first-round lead for the second time in her career and first since the 2005 U.S. Open.

Seema Sadekar was the lowest Canadian after shooting a 73.

Wie delivered a second spectacular shot, on No. 17, when she holed out from a greenside bunker for a birdie.

“I just really thought I could make it, and I went up there, really thought about it, just trusted it, and kind of did what I thought it would do,” Wie said.

The Canadian Open is Wies 15th event this season. Shes had three Top-10 finishes, with the best a third at the Tres Marias Championship in May. Her only career victory came at last Novembers Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Kemp overcame blustery winds during the day to tally six birdies and two bogeys on the par-72, 6,572-yard course.

“My putter, I think, was the 4-under today,” said Kemp, 25, whos in her third season on the Tour. “I holed some really good putts and I just kept it in play.”

After a couple of withdrawals on Wednesday, the 156-player field features 46 of the top 50 players on the money list and all of the top 15 on the Rolex World Rankings.

Most of the worlds top players didnt fare well.

No. 1 Ai Miyazato of Japan was tied for 63rd after shooting a 74, No. 2 Cristie Kerr finished tied for 81st with 75 and No. 3 Pettersen had the best with her 69.

Jiyai Shin of South Korea, is ranked fourth in the world and posted one of the 70s.

No. 5 Yani Tseng of Taiwan was tied for 46th after going 1-over.

U.S. teen sensation Alexis Thompson shot a 71. Thompson turned pro in June at the age of 15, the youngest female to do so.

“Honestly, I think shes unbelievable, just being 15 and doing what she does,” 18-year-old Rebecca Lee-Bentham said. “I had fun out there. It was great playing with her. Shes a great player.”

The $1 million mile and a quarter Pacific Classic has been about star power since Day One and this year will be no different. As for added incentive for the 10 entrants, the winner gets an automatic ‘win and your in’ ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Best Pal took the inaugural running. The late great Bobby Frankel saddled the next 4 winners.

Dare and Go upset the legendary Cigar to the tune of $81.20 when that runner was seeking to win his 17th straight. Unbeaten Candy Ride cashed in 2003 and California’s favorite son Lava Man won three years later. Last season Richard’s Kid was coming off a nose beat in a $150,000 stakes but he put it all together in the Classic coming from 2nd to last to post a career best 107 Beyer at 24-1.

Contenders this year include The Usual Q.T. and Unusual Suspect. Ben Cecil has a pair in the field in Crowded House and Isle of Giant’s while defending champ Richard’s Kid will be trying to rebound from a recent lost.

Perfect is what The Usual Q. T. has been at Del Mar after 3 starts. He has a super stalk and pounce style and was most impressive winning the Eddie Read going away. Q.T. just may be phoning home from the winner’s circle.

Unusual Suspect tracked a slow pace but would not go by a game and fast Temple City in the Cougar last month. This guy has been around the block and back but his best days are behind him.

Richard’s Kid has some things to prove. He obviously needed the Hollywood Gold Cup two back but basically ran around the track in the Cougar.

Kid picked up the tempo in a recent :58.60 bullet work but that is typical of a Bob Baffert trainee. The pro is dependent on a hot pace and a perfect traffic-free trip and that’s why he could be a liability at too short a price.

Crowded House was a Group 1 winner at 2 but only has one other victory on the slate. Backers have to hope he got a ton of experience out of his Read 4th.

Isle of Giant’s might have bounced a bit last time but his versatility is interesting as he can win on the front end or come from left field.

Temple City, just down the road from Arcadia, is a sleepy little suburb but there is nothing sleepy about the horse who is a flat out speed ball capable of tracking or leading and prevailing.

Hollywood Gold Cup winner Awesome Gem and San Diego Handicap victor Dakota Phone seem on target for their prospective starts in the Classic.

Gem recently prepped on the turf course where he finished with interest but his trainer is on record as saying he thinks the runner prefers Hollywood Park. And the horse is 0 for 8 at the beach.

Just the fact that Hold Me Back has shown up is important as his trainer Bill Mott does not go gallivanting around the country for fun.

Connections of Dakota Phone were confident going into this fixture. This is what Jerry Hollendorfer’s assistant trainer Dan Ward had to say about a recent drill.

Ward: “He went very well. Everything is going perfect right now for him. Were right on target.”

Awesome was far from that in last year’s Classic when a dull 7th at 17-1 but that happens when a runner has to come from left field.

Dakota Phone has a similar style but he loves this oval and won the prescribed prep in the San Diego in late July. He came from 11 back that day but can be much closer on his best day.

Battle of Hastings ran well to be second to Dakota Phone last time but his trainer Jeff Mullins is in the biggest slump he’s ever had in California, this guy has no speed and only at the last moment did Mullins decide to go.    

Here’s the projected scoop as the race unfolds.

Isle of Giants and Temple City will cut out the splits with The Usual Q. T., Unusual Suspect, Richard’s Kid and Dakota Phone in the second tier. That will leave the other 4 trying to save ground and hoping for a fast pace.

At the top of the lane, the leaders will start to fell the pressure. Richard’s Kid and Dakota Phone will get first run but be quickly joined by Awesome Gem, Hold Me Back and Crowded House.

When the smoke clears, Mott, who won this race 2 years ago with shipper Go Between, will watch his synthetic specialist Hold Me Back make the last run and get the money over Awesome Gem and Richard’s Kind.

Good luck.