ReutersGOLF
GARY PLAYER
It wasn’t like the diminutive South African didn’t have some unique traits that made him stand out. He wore all black clothes on the hottest of golf courses, saying he absorbed energy from the sun. He ate raisins and other health foods and was a fitness fanatic when that wasn’t the case for golfers of his era. But Gary Player will always be the forgotten one from the ‘Big 3’ that launched golf into national prominence. Why? Because Jack Nicklaus, the original master of the majors, and Arnold Palmer, he of the celebrated comebacks and legion of fans known as Arnie’s Army, were the other two. The Palmer-Nicklaus rivalry is one of the greatest in any individual sport. Player was a player, too, with nine major titles. But he didn’t seek the spotlight and it rarely found him.
Honorable Mention:
Ernie Els: He’s the least known of the ‘Big Four’ with his elegant game and gentlemanly style that is overshadowed by Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mikkelson.
Annika Sorenstam: It isn’t her fault that she is the runaway No. 1 player on the LPGA Tour that is just a blip on the radar screen compared to the Tiger Tour.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''
Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.