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Faith in his leap

Swilcan Burn, as any golfer worth his 9-iron knows, is the brook that runs through the Old Course at St. Andrews and is crossed, near the 18th fairway, by Swilcan Bridge.

It was on that bridge that Arnold Palmer made his famous farewell during his final British Open in 1995. But as another illustrious American showed recently, there is more than one way of crossing the water.

Michael Jordan, according to Senior Golfer magazine, bypassed the bridge during a round and horrified tradition-minded onlookers by jumping across the 8-foot-wide stream.

That, of course, would be one big leap for man, one small step for Jordankind.

A leap of faith

It might be safe for Jordan to soar over streams in Scotland, but don’t try that sort of thing just anywhere. “Those of you who play in tropical climes like Florida should know the dangers,” advises Australia’s Steve Irwin in the current issue of Esquire magazine. “An errant shot that winds up at water’s edge can land you in a world of trouble, mate.”

Irwin, whose show, “The Crocodile Hunter,” airs on Animal Planet, says a 12-foot ‘gator can launch itself 6 feet up a bank from a submersed position. “To be safe,” he wrote, “stay 20 feet from the edge at all times.” Sure. But trying telling the ball that.

Waiting for the shoe to drop

It appears Jason Elam still needs to pad his resume. Maybe fudge a few numbers. Drop a few names.

Despite an NFL record-tying 63-yard field goal, two Super Bowl rings, two Pro Bowl trips and six game-winning kicks, the Denver Broncos kicker can’t find anybody to endorse his phenomenal foot.

“I can’t even get a shoe deal,” Elam said. “I’m not with Nike anymore. Adidas won’t even return my phone calls. I can get hat deals and all these other kind of deals. You’d think the most logical one would be a shoe deal.”

If only Elam could leap across Swilcan Burn.

By the numbers

The ESPN media department has been working overtime publicizing the “SportsCentury” series on the best North American athletes of the 20th century.

Here are some tidbits:

Football has provided 18 athletes in the top 100, more than any other sport. However, only three of them - O.J. Simpson, No. 49, Bo Jackson, No. 72, and Barry Sanders, No. 76, won the Heisman Trophy.

Mark Spitz, No. 33, was the first athlete in the top 50 to participate in a sport that does not take place on dry land. And he and Greg Louganis, No. 54, are the only two water-bound athletes in the top 100.

Of the athletes named in the top 50 so far who played ball sports, only three - Sandy Koufax, No. 42, Lou Gehrig, No. 34, and Bobby Orr, No. 31 - were left-handed.

The last word …

Here’s why Mike Kielty of Chicago came to the PGA Championship: “It’s great to see the best guys. I mean, we won’t see a World Series in this town.”