Strange looking leaderboard

What is it about the British Open that allows for such great comeback stories? Seemingly, this is the one golf major at which old guys and has-beens (two groups which obviously are not mutually exclusive) turn in the kinds of scores that make you think, “Wow, he’s still alive?”

This week’s cases in point: Tom Watson and John Daly.

Watson, 59, won back-to-back British titles in 1982 and ’83 and has won this major five times in his career. He was the leader in the clubhouse when he finished the first round on Thursday.

Daly, who shocked the golf world by winning the Open in 1995, was at even par after two rounds. And at the British, that puts him very much in the hunt. At this time last year, some probably wondered whether Daly, who has struggled with alcohol and gambling problems, would live to see 2009.

Watson’s success brings back memories of Greg Norman, who at 53 led through three rounds at last year’s British Open.

Of course, these Cinderella stories out of nowhere seldom finish the championship holding the Claret Jug. But they do beg the question as to why, at arguably the most difficult major, players who are all but vanished from golf’s radar, can grab headlines again.

Dumb birds

So, are the Blue Jays really dumb enough to trade Roy Halladay within the AL East? For whatever reason, they seem hellbent on sending him someplace, even though, as far as I know, he's never expressed any desire, let alone demand, to leave Toronto.

But I keep hearing that the Red Sox and Yankees are two big contenders for the right-hander's services. A few things puzzle me about these scenarios.

Let's start with the Yankees:

1. With all their wheelings and dealings through the years, how can they possibly have any prospects left that the Blue Jays could possibly be interested in?
2. Where do the Yankees get this endless supply of money to pay guys like Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez, among others, and possibly, Roy Halladay, who will make $14.25 million this year? Seriously, are the players' paychecks clearing? They already have the highest payroll in the major leagues, by far, and just built a billion-dollar stadium that has received, so far, a lukewarm reception.

Similar questions could be asked about the Red Sox, but here's another:

1. Where does Halladay fit in their rotation? Obviously, a guy like that, it's not hard to find a spot for him (it's called No. 1). But you figure the first four spots in the rotation go like this: Halladay, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield. Then you have Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and if he ever comes back, Daisuke Matsuzaka battling for the fifth spot. My guess is, Boston isn't sending it's $100 million Japanese investment to the bullpen. Smoltz and Penny are veterans who want to start, but you have to surmise that one or both of them will be moving on if the Sox get Halladay.

And then there are the glaring questions facing the Blue Jays:

1. How do you propose to get better by sending your immediate competition one of the best pitchers in baseball?
2. Halladay is not Allen Iverson or Brandon Marshall, a malcontent who thinks much more highly of himself than he should and wants to leave town because he's not appreciated. Halladay is basically a model employee in Toronto. He gets his money, he does his job very well, and you don't hear a whole lot from or about him. And he still has a year left on his current contract, which he extended just a few years ago. So why the hell would the Blue Jays trade him anywhere, especially in the division?

Hopefully they come to their senses and don't.

Prince is king of Derby

OK, I'll admit it. I probably wouldn't have stayed up to watch the entire Home Run Derby on Monday night if Prince Fielder hadn't been in the running. Until this year, I can't remember the last time I watched until the end.

That said, I was pretty impressed with Prince's performance (alliteration intended). He bested the two hometown boys (the Cardinals' Albert Pujols and St. Louis native Ryan Howard) and hit the four longest homers of the night. In a competition where guys tend to run out of gas late, making for an anticlimactic finish, Fielder was consistent through all three rounds.

Aside from the absurd amount of time that this competition consumed, watching Fielder, Nelson Cruz, Pujols and Howard battle it out was pretty entertaining.

Of course, it's easier to pay attention when a guy from your team is in it, and wins it.

Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships finals

FROM HALL OF FAME MEDIA CENTER

Rajeev Ram became the 15th player in the history of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships to claim his first career ATP World Tour title on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. On Sunday, Ram won his maiden title with a 6-7(3) 7-5 6-3 win over fellow American Sam Querrey.



Ram is the first lucky loser to claim the Newport crown. Initially in the qualifying tournament, Ram entered the main draw when top seed Mardy Fish withdrew on Monday in order to replace Andy Roddick on the US Davis Cup team for a tie against Croatia. No lucky loser had ever advanced beyond the quarterfinals previously in Newport. Ram is the first lucky loser to win on the ATP circuit since Sergiy Stakhovsky won last year in Zagreb.



On the ATP World Tour, Ram is the third player to claim his first career title in 2009, joining Benjamin Becker (‘s-Hertogenbosch) and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Kitzbuhel). The most recent Newport champion to be claiming his first career title was Robby Ginepri in 2003.



Querrey, who fired a tournament record 80 aces during the week, was in search of his second career title. This is his second runner-up finish of 2009, having lost to Juan Martin del Potro in Auckland in January.



The all-American final was the ninth in Newport history and the first since 2002 when Taylor Dent defeated James Blake. It was the first all-American title match on the ATP since 2007 when Blake defeated Fish in the New Haven final.



Ram is the15th American champion in tournament history, and joins Roddick and Fish as the only American winners on the ATP World Tour in 2009.



Ram later teamed up with Jordan Kerr to defeat Michael Kohlman and Rogier Wassen 67(6) 76(7) 10-6. This was the first time either team was playing together on the ATP World Tour.



Ram is the third player in tournament history to claim both the singles and doubles titles in the same year while Kerr adds to his record haul of Newport trophies by winning the title for the fifth time.



Ram was the 15th player in tournament history to contest both the singles and doubles titles in the same year, and joins Dan Goldie (1987) and John Fitzgerald (1983) as the only three players to win both.



Kerr moves to 18-1 lifetime in Newport, having won the title in 2003 with David Macpherson as well as 2004, 2005 and 2007 with Jim Thomas. His five doubles titles are the most in tournament history, and it ties him with Vijay Amritraj for the most overall (Amritraj won three singles and two doubles titles).