Second Thoughts

Angry golfer weighs in on early pairings

Every golf tournament claims that pairings and tee times are mostly picked at random, with the USGA trying hard the past few years to have "interesting" pairings for the first two rounds of their biggest championship.

Some are figuring out that the process has some influence.

For this year's U.S. Open, for instance, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel and Adam Scott were paired for the opening two rounds. Those three have combined to win the past four Masters. Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama were all paired as the "young guns" grouping.

One pairing didn't go over so well with one of the players.

Shane Lowry wasn't too happy to be paired with Brendon de Jonge and Kevin Stadler. All three weigh in around the 230-pound mark, so they weren't the slimmest group on the course, and Lowry called out the USGA in an op-ed piece for The Irish Times.

"Someone's bright idea!!," Lowry wrote. "Put the three big guys together!! I think it is unfair on the three of us. It is definitely not drawn out of the hat, that's for sure. And I just hope we don't get stick from the galleries.

"What they did is making a mockery of the three of us. I spoke to Graeme McDowell, and he thinks I should say something to the USGA about it. I've always had a bit of extra weight. I have worked on my fitness, but people don't always see that."

It seems safe to say this probably won't happen during next week's U.S. Women's Open, which will be played on the same Pinehurst No. 2 course.

Jose, you can see

Jose Canseco, the former major-league slugger, is hopping in an recreational vehicle for 10 weeks and traveling the United States and Canada for a "Home Run Tour" during which he'll trying to break the records for longest home runs for baseball and softball.

He's bringing four dogs and three tortoises with him, plus his big bat and bulging biceps.

Jose Canseco's Home Run Tour will begin Tuesday in Minneapolis and run for more than two months as he visits 17 cities in Canada and the United States. He plans to cover 16,500 miles in 10 weeks in the CansecoMobile -- a 40-foot custom RV.

He will appear at minor-league ballparks and charity events where he will challenge local sluggers as he attempts to break the official world record for softball's longest home run of 510 feet, set by Bruce Meade, and Babe Ruth's record of 570 feet for baseball's longest home run.

"This will be fun for the fans and the kids," Canseco said. "I'm going for 600 feet for both records to really raise the bar. I have a 572-foot softball bomb at the College of the Canyons that was unofficial, so I think it is possible. I expect a lot of big sluggers to come out at each stop to make this a great competition."

Canseco added that it should be fun seeing the United States and Canada along the way.

"The RV makes it possible for my pets, four dogs and three tortoises, to come along," he said. "In addition to the scheduled stops, I look forward to dropping in on local baseball and softball games wherever we stop for the night."

Stops near Arkansas include Fort Worth on July 15 and Kansas City on Aug. 3

QUIZ

How many career home runs did Jose Canseco hit in the major leagues?

ANSWER

462

Sports on 06/14/2014

Upcoming Events