| Council awaits feasibility study on ballpark The Birmingham City Council is expected to vote on supporting a lodging tax increase to pay for a downtown baseball park and entertainment district on Tuesday, but Councilor Johnathan Austin said the feasibility study on the project has not been presented to the council. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Lincecum, Burrell help Giants edge Rockies, retain NL West lead Tim Lincecum threw eight stellar innings, Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer and the San Francisco Giants retained their slim lead in the NL West ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Injury may harm Westwood's No1 bid • Ryder Cup star guards against recurrence of calf damage• Thomas Bjorn is co-leader with 66 at St AndrewsThe spectre of injury returned today for Lee Westwood, forcing the world No2 to consider withdrawing from the Dunhill Links Championship and putting his clubs away for the rest of the season.The Englishman, who would become the world No1 with a victory or a second-place finish at St Andrews on Sunday, shot an opening-round 70, two under par, at Kingsbarns and retired immediately to the European Tour's physiotherapy van for treatment after a recurrence of the calf injury that almost cost him his place in Europe's winning Ryder Cup team.This is Westwood's first competitive individual event since the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron in August, when he pulled out after the opening round. He then spent six weeks rehabilitating and only just made it back to fitness in time for Celtic Manor."I don't want to be stupid, that's the problem," he said after today's round. "I made a mistake going to the Bridgestone. I was playing great before the injury and I've not had a chance to practise. That's frustrating in itself. I'm just not able to work hard. I was advised not to flog myself last week and although I didn't have to play five games it was four on a hilly, heavy course. Steve [McGregor, his personal trainer] said it wouldn't be right for six months."I think Steve would like me to take a rest. If I keep coming back and it's not right, and all I can do is rehab away from the course, I don't think I'm being fair to myself, to be honest."Later it emerged he intends to play tomorrow, although it is likely he will then take a rest from the game for a month, which means he will be unable to tee it up at next week's Portuguese Masters, a tournament he won last year.Ironically, any such absence may help Westwood in his effort to replace Tiger Woods as the world's leading player. The mathematics are complicated – it is ever thus when it comes to golf's world rankings – but if he did not hit another ball in competition before the end of the month and if Woods, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker do not play in the US, England would have its first world No1 since Nick Faldo. Not that Westwood seemed overly concerned about that."All the biggest tournaments this year have gone," he said. "I missed the fourth biggest tournament on my schedule, the PGA Championship, I got back for the Ryder Cup and didn't let anybody down. But the most important thing is to be right physically for next year's Masters."Westwood's travails overshadowed the opening day of the Dunhill, which is traditionally one of the more confusing events on the European Tour schedule, in large part because it is played on three different courses and because of a format that sees the pros paired with "celebrities". But amid the hooks, the slices and the occasional good shot, there was some decent golf played, not least by Thomas Bjorn, a vice-captain for the victorious European team in Wales, who shot a 66, six under par, around the Old Course to share the lead with three others after the opening day.This was a fine effort by the Dane, better than any of the nine members of the European team who are playing this week, and much better than his captain, Colin Montgomerie, who shot a level-par 72 at Kingsbarns. Freed from his Ryder Cup duties, the Scot was typically upbeat about his prospects of competing at the highest level, or at least improving on his world ranking of 425th. "I need to find 40 yards, then I can compete again, though I don't know how one can do that," he said, before adding: "Maybe I should go to the gym and lift one of the those weights I have never lifted before."Lee WestwoodGolfLawrence Doneganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
New rules on complaining an adjustment for Celtics By BRIAN MAHONEY 2010-10-14T08:31:25ZNEW YORK (AP) -- Jermaine O'Neal believed he had the right to question a referee.... hosted.ap.org |
David Stern concedes that NBA could contract some teams The commissioner says he thinks eliminating teams will be on the table during collective bargaining as a way to solve the league's financial ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |