A GRIP ON SPORTS • A cool wind blew through our area last night, dropping temperatures down and taking the edge off summer. It’s sure a lot better than thundershowers, tornadoes and golf delays. Read on.

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• We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: It’s too bad the nation’s most prestigious golf courses, the places they play most of the major tournaments, are in the East, Midwest and South. Why? Because two of the three majors held in this country are constantly being disrupted by bad weather. It happens every year the U.S. Open – held in June – takes place in a one of those three geographical areas. And it happens every year the PGA – held usually in August but the last week of July this year – is as well. When those tournaments are held on the West Coast? Nothing like that. There was the year the U.S. Open was held at Torrey Pines and the fog delayed the start one day, but that’s an anomaly – and kind of fun. Pebble Beach can get a rain shower or two that slows things down, but not like the downpour that happened yesterday in New Jersey. It pulled a Chris Christie and completely shut down the course. Today the PGA is in catch-up mode, trying to get the third round done and the fourth round as well. The last two times majors have been played at Baltusrol, the 2005 PGA and 1993 U.S. Open, the tournaments didn’t end until Monday. So why aren’t Riviera and the Olympic Club and, yes, even Chambers Bay, used more often? Those courses, as well as the dozen of other Best Coast tracks capable of hosting such tournaments, are too far from the base of our national media, for one thing. Put any of those courses in Connecticut and the majors would visit there every few years. Guaranteed. Instead, we have to put up with early morning starts on a Sunday and, more than likely, a disruption to the workweek for the finish. Wait, does that mean some of you might have to call in sick tomorrow to watch the end? Maybe. OK then. Doctor’s notes for everyone.

• The Hawks opened training camp yesterday. Michael Bennett, he of the contract he feels is not good enough, did not hold out. He just doesn’t do that sort of thing. He also didn’t hold his tongue. He doesn’t do that sort of thing either. Of that we – and by “we,” I mean anyone who pounds a keyboard for a living – are eternally grateful. Bennett not only says a lot of stuff, what he says is usually intelligent, articulate and funny. The big three of interview criteria. He was again yesterday. Good for him.

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• WSU: With training camp opening in Lewiston soon, Jacob Thorpe took the chance to update the Cougars’ depth at every position. ... The receiving depth took a bit of a hit yesterday with the news Kyrin Priester (pictured) has left the program. ... Oregon’s basketball depth also took a hit.

• Shadow: The women celebrated a league championship with another win while the men also won.

• Indians: Everett is undefeated in the second half, with a couple of its wins coming at the Indian’s expense. Last night, for example. Josh Horton has the game story from Spokane’s 5-2 defeat at Avista. ... Eugene is struggling to start the second half.

• Golf: There was a major golf tournament of sorts at the Coeur d’Alene Resort yesterday. It was major for those who are battling cancer and, as Jim Meehan reports, the Community Cancer Fund’s The Showcase raised more than $1 million this weekend.

• Mariners: Things look gloomy for the Mudville Nine yesterday. But might Leonys Martin struck at a 100-miles-per-hour fastball in the eighth and led the M’s to a 4-1 comeback victory over the Chicago Cubs. Martin, a left-handed hitter, doubled home two runs off Aroldis Chapman, the left-handed reliever with the golden arm. ... The trade deadline looms. ... Nathan Karns went to the disabled list. Former Gonzaga pitcher Cody Martin was recalled to take his place. ... And we also can pass along this piece on former Ferris High pitcher Andrew “Bud” Kittredge.

• Seahawks: The stories from the first day of camp are numerous, covering subjects as varied as Thomas Rawls and Jimmy Graham’s injuries to observations on who performed well – and another Pete Carroll story. ... And there is the obligatory Russell Wilson offseason story.

• Sounders: No more Sigi Schmid on the sidelines. So where do the Sounders go from here? Well, first off, they take their new players and their interim coach to face the L.A. Galaxy today.

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• For some reason I want to call Jimmy Walker, the leader of the PGA at this moment, J.J. Does that mean I’m old? (The answer is “yes,” and if you know why I want to call him that, you are old too.) Until later ...

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