Tiger Woods still has the power to amaze on the golf course

Golf has been no elixir for Tiger Woods.…

His numbers still astound, but not in a good way.…

For the first time in 12 years, by the way, Woods is playing in a major championship in which someone else is favored.…

Step right up, Phil Mickelson.…

Golf’s four reigning major champions represent four continents: Asia (Y.E. Yang), Africa (Louis Oosthuizen), Europe (Graeme McDowell) and North America (Mickelson).…

Renegade JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater’s reclaiming his job seems more likely than a third consecutive October matchup between the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.…

It’s possible that, including those two, seven of the eight teams that made the playoffs last year won’t return.…

Only Derek Jeter and the defending World Series champion New York Yankees seem a fairly safe bet for an encore.…

Leading off must agree with Bobby Abreu, whose streak of seven consecutive 100-RBI seasons appeared all but ended until he caught fire after moving to the top of the order.…

Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds must really hate the St. Louis Cardinals after this week’s Cardinals sweep.…

In regard to an ESPN the Magazine poll showing that a majority of college football players would prefer a playoff to the Bowl Championship Series format: So would a majority of fans.…

Here’s guessing Lane Kiffin’s got Dillon Baxter’s attention.…

Zenyatta’s appearance Saturday at Del Mar, where she ran her record to 18-0, was a coronation.…

Her fans adore her.…

Trevor Ariza, all but certain to miss the playoffs with the New Orleans Hornets, must be kicking himself anew.…

Neither Kobe Bryant nor two-time winner LeBron James is favored to be the NBA’s most valuable player next season, according to odds posted at Bodog.com.…

The favorite: Kevin Durant.…

James’ first visit to Cleveland with the Miami Heat is not until Dec. 2, but TNT will start hyping it any minute now.…

Shaquille O’Neal seems taken so far with the Big Shamrock, but reader David Hogrefe of Saugus e-mails to suggest a more situation-appropriate nickname for the Boston Celtics’ backup center: the Jolly Green Benchwarmer.…

Attention, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints: All but one of the last 11 Super Bowl champions failed to even reach the conference finals a year later.…

Five missed the playoffs.…

Only the New England Patriots, in 2005, repeated.…

Forecasting a Super Bowl run for the New York Jets presumes that Mark Sanchez will make a giant leap forward.…

He’s still a work in progress.…

Commissioner Roger Goodell continues to push for an 18-game regular-season schedule, which should grow his popularity among fans and owners, if not players.…

Candle power: Rookie Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves on Monday became only the fourth player in major league history to hit a home run on his 21st birthday, joining Ted Williams, Frank Robinson and Alex Rodriguez.…

The latter three hit more than 1,700 among them — a total that jumps, of course, every time A-Rod hits another.…

The 1960 U.S. Olympic team that will be inducted Friday into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., included four NBA rookies of the year: Oscar Robertson (1961), Walt Bellamy (1962), Terry Dischinger (1963) and Jerry Lucas (1964).…

Lucas, after graduating from Ohio State, signed with the George Steinbrenner-owned Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League, but the ABL folded before he could play.…

As John McEnroe once famously remarked, you cannot be serious: For the first time since the men’s tennis computer rankings debuted in 1973, no American ranks among the top 10.…

Thirty years ago this week, Pete Rose banged out hit No. 3,631, breaking Stan Musial’s National League record.…

One last playoff run next spring — and perhaps a first-of-its-kind best-of-seven series against Drew Doughty and the Kings — would be a sensational parting gift for Teemu Selanne.…

NASCAR doesn’t love us anymore.…

Serena Williams tells SOBeFit magazine, “When I get injured it’s devastating because I know I won’t be able to wear heels; I’m practically in tears.” …

Men wouldn’t understand.

jerome.crowe@latimes.com