He Earned His Stripes on Amateur Comebacks

Tiger Woods first broke into national prominence when he won three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur titles and followed that by winning three consecutive U.S. Amateur championships--a string of 36 straight USGA matches.

More remarkable, says Woods, is that at one point or another he was behind in every match.

“Every final match I was in went to the last hole or beyond,” he said, “and I was somehow able to win. That is something that collectively has certainly helped me get to where I am now.”

The biggest comeback came in the 1994 U.S. Amateur at Sawgrass in Florida where he was six down with 11 to play against Trip Kuehne.

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Trivia time: Who was the youngest of the four major leaguers who have hit 600 home runs when he hit No. 600?

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Easy to spot: When Shaquille O’Neal is home in Orlando, Fla., he drives a 45-foot motor home with a giant Superman logo and his trademark TWISM (The World Is Mine) painted on both sides.

“Summertime in Orlando is my time to relax,” he said while attending Tracy McGrady’s charity event with his four children.

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What’s he worth?: Comedian Bill Murray, an avid golfer, caddied for Kailin Downs in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in Scarborough, N.Y., after her assigned caddie failed to show up. Downs lost in a 15-player playoff for the final two spots in match play.

Would he consider becoming her regular caddie?

“That all depends,” Murray said. “We’ll see what kind of tip I get. I went through her bag and only found $20, so it doesn’t look good for me.”

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Moving on: Pooh Richardson, after a career as a high school phenom in Philadelphia, a star guard at UCLA and with three NBA teams, including the Clippers in 1999, has joined the Harlem Globetrotters’ front office.

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No bleeps: Football coaches are notorious for banning things for their players--fast foods, cell phones, late nights, long hair, etc.

Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson has banned cursing. When defensive end Chuck Losey said, “Football is synonymous with cussing,” Johnson said, “Not this one.”

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Who’s at home? The last time Wisconsin played football in Las Vegas, the Badger fans turned Sam Boyd Stadium into a sea of red. That was 1996.

Wisconsin will play Nevada Las Vegas again Aug. 31 and UNLV authorities are withholding about 5,000 of the 40,000 seats for the hometown fans.

“We did not want to see every seat go to a Wisconsin fan like in ‘96,” said Terry Cottle, associate athletic director. “In reality, we could have sold out a year ago. The demand in Wisconsin is there. They’ll pay whatever.”

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Trivia answer: Babe Ruth, 36 years, 6 months, 15 days. Hank Aaron was 37, Willie Mays and Barry Bonds both 38.

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And finally: Billy Joe, football coach at predominately black Florida A&M; in Tallahassee, is looking to recruit white players.

“I can’t wait for the time to come for white kids to be more receptive to [historically black colleges and universities],” Joe said. “I’m trying to recruit them. Some just tell me, ‘No thank you, coach,’ and I understand.

“I want more Charlie Allens.” Allen is the team’s leading pass receiver--and white.