He Thinks Sorenstam’s a Cut Above the Rest

Much has been said about Annika Sorenstam belonging on the course in the Colonial this week, but from a purely analytical view, Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell figures she should be right at home.

Computing factors such as her average drive, the length of the Colonial’s course and Sorenstam’s typical LPGA score, Boswell suggests Las Vegas casinos change their over-under line -- set at 76.5 on her first round -- “before all the female golfers in America find out about it and end up owning the Strip.�

He figures the extra distance off the tee should add about 2 1/2 strokes to Sorenstam’s average LPGA Tour round of 68.7.

That would put her at about 71.2, which should easily make the cut.

As for whether she belongs, Boswell wrote, “Most likely, this is the first time she’s been in the right golf league for her. On the LPGA Tour ... she’s just much too good.�

Trivia time: Tim Duncan is the eighth NBA player to be selected most valuable player in consecutive seasons. Name the three players who have won three in succession.

Unretire: John Elway is finding it was easier to improvise winning calls on the football field than it is calling the shots as a chief executive.

After a 2-14 season, Elway, president of the first-year Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League, fired his entire coaching staff Monday, even head coach Bob Beers, a longtime family friend.

“We will do everything we can to put a winner on the field,� Elway promised.

Ironically, what his team really needs is a quarterback. In the Crush’s finale, starter Bobby Pesavento completed two of 12 passes for five yards. Replaced just before halftime, he spent the rest of the game with an ice pack on his head.

Cover charge: Responding to a report that Athlon’s took a $10,000 hit because the sports publication had to change thousands of magazine covers featuring deposed Alabama football Coach Mike Price, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Tom FitzGerald quipped, “Price-fixing can be costly.�

Weighty suggestion: Denver post columnist Jim Armstrong offers Laker fans this advice:

“Get over it.... It wasn’t Rick Fox’s injury, it was Shaq’s fork. If they’re going to win another title or two, Shaq Daddy is going to have to lose a third grader.�

Trivia answer: Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

And finally: Red Auerbach, who won a record nine NBA championships as coach of the Boston Celtics, recently opined on radio that three titles in a row do not constitute a dynasty.

It was a shot at Phil Jackson, who has nine championship rings of his own as coach of the Chicago Bulls and now the Lakers, whose run of three consecutive titles ended last week.

Monday, on his weekly radio show on KMPC, Jackson fired back, telling co-host Chris Myers that the Laker streak qualified in his mind because it “dominates a great period of time in a decade.�

As for Auerbach, Jackson added, “I just hope when I get to be his age, someone will pull a cigar from my mouth and insert an oxygen tube to allow me to breathe and think clearly.�

He didn’t say if he’d then offer Red a light.

-- Mike Hiserman