Faldo Finds an Original Way to Say ‘Cheers’ to His Fans

Everybody has heard the expression, “drinks on the house.” Well, Nick Faldo is virtually springing for an entire country.

After winning the British Open last July at Muirfield in Scotland, Faldo told the gallery:

“To all those who kept cheering for me, boy, do I thank you. I owe you all a big Scotch.”

Now, after making arrangements with a major distiller, Faldo said he will put two bottles of Johnnie Walker Scotch in every golf club in Scotland; more than 500 clubs with a combined membership of about 160,000.

Since he has already earned $1.3 million this year on the European tour--not counting his endorsements--Faldo can well afford his gesture.

*

Trivia time: Who ran the first four-minute mile?

*

Thanks, but . . . : Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway is, in his own words, “a very strong Republican.”

However, when the Broncos play an Oct. 12 game at Washington, Elway says he’ll decline any White House invitation because of an experience there in 1989.

After having breakfast at the White House the morning of that Monday night game, Elway developed a severe stomach virus--initially thought to be food poisoning--which forced him to miss the game.

*

Rubbing it in: Now that the Oakland Athletics have virtually clinched first place in the American League West, Manager Tony La Russa is gloating.

Of the trade that sent Jose Canseco to the Texas Rangers for Bobby Witt, Ruben Sierra and Jeff Russell, La Russa told the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Only the most stubborn and ‘never change my mind type of person’ would say now that it was anything but a good trade for the A’s.”

*

Turned off: “I’m so sick of reading these pompous essays about chess,” Tony Korheiser writes in the Washington Post, “about how it takes such genius to understand and play--how chess is a metaphor for death, love madness, decay and power. Look, it’s Monopoly with horse heads.”

*

Still running: Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has predicted that running back Herschel Walker “will be out of the league after two years.”

After two 100 yards-plus rushing games with the Philadelphia Eagles, Walker seemingly isn’t on a retirement course.

*

Good luck: The city of Philadelphia has sent notices to 4,500 professional athletes who played games in town the past six years, saying they owe wage taxes.

“No city has ever mounted an operation this size,” said Nicholas J. Panarella, an attorney working for the city on the collection. “I think we’ve sent a message.”

Yeah, but who will answer it?

*

Big deal: The Devil’s Darlings, an Arizona State University organization that helped court athletes, has changed its name to something less sexy while opening its roster to men.

The hospitality group whose members volunteer to greet Sun Devil recruits at campus events is now the Devil’s Athletic Recruiting Group.

“That doesn’t look as slimy,” said senior Nancy Gold, a director of the organization she said serves a good purpose but “gets bashed” over appearances.

*

Trivia answer: A bit tricky, but Britain’s Derek Ibbotson ran 4:00.0 in London on Sept., 3, 1958.

*

Quotebook: Gary McCord, CBS golf commentator and part-time player on the tour: “My career started slowly, then tapered off.”