9 straight pars—and you better believe we'll take 'em

1 SAME OLD STORY

Where are the kids?

Scrolling down me U.S. Open leaderboard should be cause for concern for American golf fans. Although Tiger Woods, 29, finished second at the Open, he was the only American under the age of 30 among the top 27 finishers.

Where is the next generation of great young American players? More than a few are trapped on the Nationwide Tour, which seems more a Champions Tour waiting room than a developmental tour.

The PGA Tour's restrictive all-exempt policy gives a safe haven to 125 players every year. Reducing that number would allow more qualifiers to enter PGA Tour events.

Only 15 of the top 27 finishers in our national Open were Americans, and most of them were much closer to the Champions Tour than college. Whatever happened to Charles Howell III and the rest of his class?--John Gordon

Answer: Tiger and the Bogeyin' Fogeys.

Question: If the top American golfers started a band, what would it be called?

2 USA! USA!

Maybe we'll get 'em next year

So you think the U.S. Ryder Cup team could benefit from some new blood? Makes sense, given the drubbing the Europeans laid on the Americans last year.

If played today, the matches would feature only eight of the 12 Americans who stumbled so ignominiously in Michigan.

On the strength of his Masters win, Tiger Woods leads the standings. Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco, the only American with a winning record at Oakland Hills, is second.

But don't lose hope. Tom Lehman, who will captain the 2006 team at Ireland's K Club, would make his own squad today. So would newcomer Joe Ogilvie. And Ryder Cup virgins Bart Bryant, Zach Johnson, Tim Herron, Rocco Mediate, Ryan Palmer, Kevin Na and Vaughn Taylor are lined up outside the top 10, waiting for the new qualification rules--heavily weighted toward 2006 performance--to shuffle the deck some more.--Reid Spencer

3 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

Can Sorenstam be stopped?

The LPGA Tour's irresistible force, Annika Sorenstam, has yet to find an immovable object.

On June 12, Sorenstam captured the second leg of what would be an unprecedented calendar year Grand Slam with a 3-stroke victory in the LPGA Championship.

"It's almost like she's toying with us, like a mouse and a cat," LPGA Tour veteran Laura Davies says of Sorenstam's dominance.

Sorenstam is a prohibitive favorite to win her third major of the year at this week's U.S. Women's Open (final-round coverage at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC) at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado.

Not so fast, says 15-year-old Michelle Wie, who leads a bumper crop of young talent that includes 18-year-old Paula Creamer (an LPGA Tour winner the week before her high school graduation), Natalie Gulbis, 22, and Lorena Ochoa, 23.

"I think all the other players, including me, are going to practice harder trying to stop her," says Wie, who finished second in the LPGA Championship. --R.S.

4 A PAIR (ALMOST) BEYOND COMPARE

Annika vs. Anna K

         34                       Age                      24
         5-6                    Height                     5-8
         12                Began playing at                 5
                                age ...
  Divorcing former        Relationship status        Dating Enrique
  caddie David Esch                                     Iglesias
         62                 Tournament wins        0 (16 doubles wins)
       324,000           Google search results        1.53 million
   June 12, 2005:            Last official        May 14, 2003: Beaten
         Won                  tournament            in first round by
                                                   384th-ranked player
          7               Player of the year                0
                                awards
          0                  Maxim covers                   2
        $199                 Top value of                $99.95
 Text messaging pal        autograph on eBay      Waving from Team New
  Tiger Woods "9-9"            Last seen          Zealand yacht before
  after winning her                                a pre-America's Cup
 ninth major, tying                               race off the coast of
        Woods                                             Spain
"I am throwing myself          Her plans           "I have definitely
     into golf."                                     not officially
                                                        retired."
 She has a very good                                Gratuitous photo
  chance to win the        Why we're writing           opportunity
  third leg of the             about her
     Grand Slam

--Paul Grant

5 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Tune in for some relief

The College World Series has become a breeding ground for major league closers.

Keep an eye--if their teams still are playing late this week--on Texas righthander J. Brent Cox, who was drafted by the Yankees three weeks ago, Nebraska righthander Brett Jensen (Nationals) and Florida righthander Connor Falkenbach (Blue Jays). Tulane righthander Daniel Latham won't be eligible for the draft until next season, but he also bears watching on the top-ranked Green Wave.