U.S. Open playoff format is riveting

A wounded knee couldn't bury a champion's heart. ...

"Great fight," Tiger Woods said. ...

Great theater too. ...

Monday's drama at Torrey Pines, with 24,000 golf fans ditching work to line the fairways and Rocco Mediate refusing to fold, made you wonder why the other majors don't embrace 18-hole playoffs. ...

At the Masters, sudden death is used to break ties. ...

At the British Open and the PGA Championship, four- and three-hole playoffs are used, respectively, with aggregate score determining the winner. ...

Woods, a seven-time winner at Torrey Pines, has won 13 of his 65 PGA Tour titles in his native California -- 10 in the San Diego area, two at Pebble Beach and one at Harding Park in San Francisco. ...

A case of wine, a keg of beer and 20 shots apiece might not be enough for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to wash away Game 6 of the NBA Finals. ...

Not even game-fixing referees would have helped. ...

It looked strangely like a Clippers game, circa 1988. ...

As in, over at halftime. ...

Where was the passion? ...

Speaking of which, in 18 playoff games against the Lakers, Kevin Garnett has never failed to register a double-double, according to STATS LLC. ...

Wouldn't it be great to see him play with Bryant? ...

Maybe in the Olympics. ...

ABC's Jeff Van Gundy, after Sasha Vujacic of the Lakers was knocked to the floor Sunday by Sam Cassell of the Boston Celtics, "If you get thrown down by a 38-year-old, you've got to get a new strength program." ...

It's getting worse before it gets better for Brad Penny and the Dodgers. ...

Hank Steinbrenner's rant in favor of designated hitters -- "The National League needs to join the 21st century" -- clearly was self-serving, coming after pitcher Chien-Ming Wang of the New York Yankees suffered a foot injury while running the bases in an interleague victory over the Houston Astros. ...

But anyone who saw Bartolo Colon of the Boston Red Sox flail helplessly at the plate Monday couldn't help but wonder if maybe Steinbrenner has a point. ...

Reader Sid Skolnik of West Hollywood e-mails to note that if the Milwaukee Brewers obtained Ryan Spilborghs, they could team him with Ryan Braun and GabeKapler to form the first all-Jewish outfield in major league history. ...