Let’S Run 18 Holes

From Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, on David Duval’s quest to keep up with Tiger Woods:

“At the Masters, one of Duval’s key strategic questions was how many miles he should run in the morning before he played. In his quest to catch Tiger, Duval has gone far beyond dieting to weight training and distance running. To him, a 6-mile run is something to `get me loose.’

“Not so long ago, a 6-mile run would have killed Billy Casper, Julius Boros, Fuzzy Zoeller, Lee Trevino, Phil Rogers and the young Ohio Fats version of Jack Nicklaus. All six of them, as a relay team, probably couldn’t beat Duval.”

When do we eat?

Mike Curto, the play-by-play announcer for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League, reports that on Easter Sunday the club gave away a ham for every strikeout by 6-foot-11 flamethrower Ryan Anderson recorded against Tucson.

Anderson’s seven strikeouts raised his league-leading total to 35 - in 21-2/3 innings. Every time the Seattle Mariners prospect had two strikes on a hitter, the fans chanted: “Ham! Ham! Ham!”

May I play through?

When Neville Rowlanson, 56, teed off on the first hole on a golf course in Suffolk, England, his drive struck a tee-box marker, ricocheted to the right, scooted 25 yards onto the 18th green, hit the pin, and disappeared into the cup.

Golf World magazine called the feat a “course-in-one.”

One dive is enough

Tom Sweeney, doorman at San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake hotel, was flying to Boston to run in the Boston Marathon when stock quotes flashing on the plane’s video told of the stock market’s drastic plunge.

Passengers cried out in despair, and a flight attendant rushed back to see what the problem was.

Someone told her the stock market had just fallen 600 points.

“Whatever you do,” Sweeney pleaded, “don’t tell the pilot.”

And throw in five rings

Gary Shelton, in the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times:

“Juan Antonio Samaranch is already talking tough to Greece, host of the 2004 Games. Seems he wants better transportation and better facilities. And a new Rolex wouldn’t hurt, either.”

The last word …

“He’s got the whole package. Sometimes I find myself just watching him. He puts you in awe.”

- Blake Sloan of the Dallas Stars, describing teammate Mike Modano.