Offtopic/fun » he and McEnroe each pointed out what they th

Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III keeps a separate points list for Americans to consider performances that might not show up in the standings, whether thats Rickie Fowler giving up potential starts to play in the Olympics or Kevin Kisner and Justin Thomas winning fall events that dont count.The bigger question is whether Darren Clarke is thinking along the same lines.That could determine whether Russell Knox is at Hazeltine next month. By winning the Travelers Championship, the 31-year-old from Scotland moved within 6.6 ranking points of the ninth and final automatic qualifying spot for Europe.Knox played college golf at Jacksonville University and has lived in Florida ever since. He didnt attempt to join the European Tour until after he won a World Golf Championship in Shanghai last year, meaning the 66 ranking points dont count. If they did, Knox would be No. 5 in the standings and virtually be assured of a spot.It puts me in a great position, Knox said Monday night.European qualifying ends in three weeks, though Knox The Barclays -- the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs and one of the strongest fields of the year -- does not count toward the European standings. His last chance to earn points would be the Wyndham Championship next week, but Knox said he doesnt think hes going to play. The Travelers was his 10th tournament in the last 13 weeks, and he still has four FedEx Cup events ahead of him.That means he might have to rely on a captains pick.I get it that the three picks are there for him to pick whoever he wants, Knox said. If he feels I can help the team, hell pick me. If he doesnt feel I can help, he has all the right in the world to pick someone else.Considering his two victories, anyone else might seem to be a lock for a pick.The problem is that Clarke already has five Ryder Cup rookies among the top nine -- Masters champion Danny Willett, Chris Wood, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Andy Sullivan and Matthew Fitzpatrick. Clarke likely would look for experience to round out his team for the Sept. 30 start of the matches at Hazeltine.Then again, Europe had six rookies when it won the Ryder Cup at Wales.I think it would be very difficult for me not to be on the team, Knox said.---PAYNE STEWART AWARD: Jim Furyk went from a record score to a humbling award in the span of two days.Furyk, who set the PGA Tour record with a 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship, was announced Tuesday as winner of the Payne Stewart Award. He will be honored Sept. 20 during the Tour Championship in Atlanta.The Payne Stewart Award began in 2000, a year after the two-time U.S. Open champion perished in a freak plane accident. It players who best exemplify his value, characters and charity.I was fortunate enough to know Payne as a colleague and friend, and I always admired the character and spirit he brought to the game of golf, Furyk said. The Payne Stewart Award is an important part of the tours efforts to honor Paynes legacy. Knowing my name will be forever linked to him through this honor is extremely humbling, and I am very grateful.Furyk and his wife Tabitha started a foundation after he won the FedEx Cup in 2010 to provide for needy families and children. With the Payne Stewart Award, he receives a $300,000 grant that he will distribute to six charities through his foundation.---THE KINGS TAKE: Arnold Palmer has heard the national anthem at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup during opening ceremonies, but never for his own performance on the golf course. That what he says he will miss the most about never having a chance to compete in the Olympics.Golf is back in the Olympics for the first time since 1904 -- 25 years before Palmer was born. He wrote his thoughts in an essay for Golf Channel, which is televising golf in the Rio Games.The winners at the Olympics step up, bursting with pride, because everything that they have worked for and all their dedication is rewarded in a climax that I, and most golfers, will never experience, Palmer wrote. Representing their countries, they will listen to the music, stare at their flag, wear a medal with millions of people watching around the world, and know that this moment in time is all about them and what they have achieved.---THE IMPORTANT RING: Before heading to an event symbolized by five rings, Stacy Lewis will have one of her own.A wedding ring.Lewis, one of three Americans to qualify for the Olympic womens competition that starts next week in Rio, got married to Houston womens golf coach Gerrod Caldwell on Aug. 6 in a private ceremony in Mystic, Connecticut.They are expected to arrive in Rio this weekend.Lewis was the second-highest American to qualify in the world ranking behind Lexi Thompson. Her last LPGA victory was two years ago. Perhaps marriage can have the same effect it once had on Juli Inkster. She was a 20-year-old newlywed who headed off to Prairie Dunes in Kansas in 1980 and won the first of three straight U.S. Womens Amateur titles.---DIVOTS: Jordan Spieth is not playing the John Deere Classic, making him one of five players who did not or will not defend a PGA Tour title this season. The others are Sangmoon Bae (Frys.com Open), who started his mandatory military service in South Korea; Scott Piercy (Barbasol Championship) qualified for a World Golf Championship at Firestone; and Danny Lee (Greenbrier Classic) did not get a chance because flooding canceled the tournament. Davis Love III had hip surgery and will not be at the Wyndham Championship next week. ... Mariah Stackhouse, who led Stanford to the NCAA title last year, has received a sponsor exemption in five Symetra Tour events. She also has signed up for the first stage of LPGA Tour qualifying that starts Aug. 25. ... Tim Mickelson, the brother of Phil Mickelson, has left as golf coach at Arizona State to work for Lagardere Sports. He is representing Sun Devils star Jon Rahm of Spain.---STAT OF THE WEEK: Russell Knox moved to No. 18 in the world, making him the fourth player from Scotland to be among the top 20 following Sandy Lyle, Sam Torrance and Colin Montgomerie.---FINAL WORD: Its not a strong golfing region, but thats a great thing, too. Those people may be experiencing golf for the first time and hopefully the bug bites, if thats not too unfortunate a term. -- International Golf Federation President Peter Dawson on golf returning to the Olympics in Brazil. The mens competition has been hurt by 21 withdrawals, most of them citing the mosquito-borne Zika virus.China Shoes Jordans . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. China Shoes Cheap . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. https://www.chinashoesshop.com/ . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Cheap Shoes From China . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. China Shoes Cheap . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end.LONDON -- Given that Roger Federer already owns seven Wimbledon championships, it really should not shock anyone that he made it back to the semifinals for the 11th time.And yet, for various reasons, even Federer himself did not expect to still be in action at Centre Court on the grass-court tournaments second Friday, facing Milos Raonic for a berth in the title match.Federer is, lets remember, a month shy of his 35th birthday, an age at which no man has made it to the final at the All England Club since Ken Rosewall was 39 in 1974.And its been four full years since Federer last won a Grand Slam title, at Wimbledon in 2012.More relevant, though, is what he has endured this season. In February, Federer had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, the first operation of his professional tennis career. Hes dealt with recurring back problems. He sat out the French Open, ending a record streak of 65 consecutive appearances at major tournaments dating to the start of 2000.And he came to Wimbledon with only a 16-6 match record and zero titles in 2016, the first time since 2000 that he went this far into a season without winning a tournament.I was very worried coming here, the third-seeded Federer acknowledged after saving three match points and coming back from a two-set deficit to beat Marin Cilic 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 in the quarterfinals Wednesday.Yes, he added a moment later, I did surprise myself, in quite a big way, actually.In Fridays second semifinal, No. 2 Andy Murray will meet No. 10 Tomas Berdych.Murray lost to Federer in the 2012 final at Wimbledon, then won the trophy a year later, the first British man to do since Fred Perry in 1936.Berdych was the runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2010, his only appearance in a Grand Slam final, after beating Federer and Novak Djokovic along the way.That was the first time (I showed) myself that I can play well for two weeks, Berdych said. I can beat the beest guys, not only at the beginning of the tournament, but also in the later stages.ddddddddddddMurray, who has won his last four matches against Berdych, is more familiar with this territory. This will be his seventh semifinal at Wimbledon and 20th at a major. He has participated in 10 Grand Slam finals, facing Federer or Djokovic each time, and winning twice.Like Federer, Murray played five sets in the quarterfinals, although he took the first two sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, then dropped the next two, before pulling away in the last.That was a really hard, hard match to come through. I think it can give you a bit of confidence. It can help to go through games and stages in matches that are challenging, said Murray, who recently reunited with Ivan Lendl, his coach when he won his two major trophies. If youre in that position in the next couple of matches, you know youve been there.Raonic also has a past Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked man in his corner. Two, actually. Already being coached by Carlos Moya, who won the 1998 French Open, and Ricardo Piatti, Raonic has added three-time Wimbledon winner John McEnroe as a consultant.During an initial phone conversation about the partnership, Raonic said, he and McEnroe each pointed out what they thought could be improved.Obviously, being more effective coming forward was a big thing on my side. A big thing on his side was demeanor on the court, presence on the court, the sixth-seeded Raonic said. Both those things have been given quite a bit of attention.This is the 25-year-old Canadians second Wimbledon semifinal. The other also came against Federer, who beat Raonic in straight sets two years ago.Im happy, Raonic said, that I have another shot at him.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ' ' '