SPORTS - Branch doesn't think A&M will move before hearing (AP)

SPORTS - Branch doesn't think A&M will move before hearing (AP)

Reuters – BMC Racing Team rider and Tour de France winner Cadel Evans (L) of Australia rides during the Cibel natour-criterium …

By Ian Ransom Ian Ransom – Fri Aug 12, 4:05 am ET

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Yellow-clad fans in their thousands thronged Melbourne's city center on Friday to hail Cadel Evans as Australia's first Tour de France champion took a ceremonial ride into town after returning from Europe.

Three weeks after his champagne-soaked ride to the finish line along the Champs-Elysees, the slender 34-year-old once again donned the yellow jersey, grinning as he shook hands with applauding fans banked five-and-six deep along the roadside.

Evans is the only Australian to win the Tour since the first edition in 1903 and his victory has been feted as one of the country's greatest all-time sporting achievements by local media.

For the steely BMC Racing Team rider, who calls the Swiss Alps town of Stabio home for most of the year and fiercely guards his privacy, the attention has been a happy, if somewhat overwhelming, surprise.

"I can say overwhelmed but that would be understatement for this month at least," an emotional Evans told a crowd of thousands gathered at a public reception at Melbourne's Federation Square.

"It's an honor just to be able to be here today, enjoying being here in yellow. It's just been a great ride and it's not over yet."

After being escorted by a team of bike-riding children to the square, Evans was congratulated by Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a video message beamed on a big screen before fans in the crowd unveiled a huge banner emblazoned with the yellow jersey.

SPELLBOUND

A large television audience at home had stayed up until the early hours to watch the closing stretches of the Tour as Evans defied mechanical setbacks before blitzing Luxembourg's Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank, in the penultimate stage time-trial.

"We have been charmed by his humility and now he's home," said Victoria state premier Ted Baillieu, resplendent in a cornflower-yellow shirt and tie.

"Night after night as we sat in the dark in the wee, small hours on the edges of our beds, there was a collective raising of our heartbeats.

"We were all well and truly spellbound."

Few countries revere their sports icons like Australia, where captaincy of the test cricket team is dubbed the second-highest office in the land behind the prime minister.

Evans's stunning win has also given Australia a boost during a relatively lean period of sporting success with the country's cricket team in the doldrums and Lleyton Hewitt's 2002 Wimbledon title a distant memory.

Debate has sprung up over the best way to honor Evans, with politicians suggesting naming a bridge or a bike-path in the seaside town of Barwon Heads, where he spends his time when in Australia, after him. Evans is originally from the remote farming town of Katherine.

Evans heads off to the United States on Saturday to prepare for a stage race in Colorado but he said he was just happy to get a hug from his mother during his whirlwind homecoming.

"There's one person that's been with me all the time, through all the journey, whether it was the first 16-inch BMX I got at age three or the first mountain bike I had at age 14," he said of his mother, Helen Cocks.

NO EGO CLASH

Evans has signed a contract extension with BMC and has been joined in the stable by world champion and sprint specialist Thor Hushovd for 2012.

Hushovd snatched Evans's title on the Australian's home turf at the world championships in the port city of Geelong last year and wore the leader's yellow jersey at the Tour de France for several stages this year.

Evans played down concerns the partnership with the burly Norwegian might spark a destabilizing clash of egos that could harm his Tour defense.

"Regarding Thor coming to the team, the main objective of (team president) Jim Ochowicz was to get some guys onto the team to get some results early so they wouldn't rely just on me for race wins at the start of the year," he said.

"I said: 'Look Jim, you want to bring a sprinter to the team, I don't want to ride with a sprinter, because I've done that and I've done my share.'

"'If I do the Tour I want to do it for the win.'

"I was fairly clear about that and Jim was accepting of that, so it's under that basis that Thor comes to our team."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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SPORTS - Evans beats Ortiz in main event of UFC in Round 2 (AP)

SPORTS - Evans beats Ortiz in main event of UFC in Round 2 (AP)

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SPORTS - Big 12 tries to keep A&M as SEC considers adding (AP)

SPORTS - Big 12 tries to keep A&M as SEC considers adding (AP)

AP – New York Yankees' Jorge Posdada, center, watches his grand slam during the fifth inning of a baseball …

By HOWIE RUMBERG, AP Sports Writer Howie Rumberg, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Aug 13, 8:55 pm ET

NEW YORK – Jorge Posada gave manager Joe Girardi little choice but to give him another start.

Phil Hughes also got a reprieve, though his strong outing Saturday might not have been enough on its own to prevent a possible demotion to the bullpen.

Posada hit a grand slam and drove in six runs in his first game since being benched six days ago, and Hughes made his case to remain in the New York Yankees' rotation with six effective innings in a 9-2 victory that ended the Tampa Bay Rays' five-game winning streak.

"It's special," Posada said. "I got an opportunity today to play — and it's tough to sit around. It's not easy to be sitting here and look at everybody playing."

Curtis Granderson hit his 33rd homer to tie Jose Bautista for the big league lead and Robinson Cano had two hits and scored twice to help the Yankees rebound from a loss to the Rays on Friday night.

"We didn't pitch well," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "That's not like us."

Getting the start at designated hitter on the day his pal Derek Jeter was honored for reaching 3,000 hits, Posada laced a bases-loaded single off Jeremy Hellickson (10-8) in the second to give New York a 2-0 lead. He singled in the fourth then hit his 10th homer and 10th career slam in the fifth off Brandon Gomes.

Posada has not played since being dropped from his regular spot as the designated hitter Sunday at Boston.

After the game, he learned that he would DH again Sunday.

"As I've said, he's still going to play a role on this team," Girardi said. "We need him."

In the final year of a four year, $52.4 million contract, Posada turns 40 on Wednesday. He is in what most likely is his last year with the Yankees, and it's been a trying one.

He took himself out of the lineup in May when he was dropped to ninth in the order then apologized to his teammates a day later. He has had difficulty adjusting to his role as a full-time DH after being the team's primary catcher for most of his 17-year career.

Posada said before the game Saturday that he wants "to do everything I can to try to stay in the lineup."

He sure came through in the clutch: Posada's run-scoring hits both came after a Rays pitcher walked two batters to load the bases.

"From now on I have to look at the lineup card and be ready," Posada said.

Hughes (3-4) is in jeopardy of being dropped from the rotation despite two consecutive solid starts. Girardi is committed to going to a five-man rotation from the temporary six starters and the two names being mentioned most for demotion were Hughes and A.J. Burnett.

But that decision will have to wait. After days of talking about the coming change, Girardi revealed postgame that Freddy Garcia cut his finger in a kitchen accident about four or five days ago and will not start Sunday.

Instead, Burnett will face the Rays.

All the starters will move up a day and Hughes will stay on a regular schedule.

Hughes has struggled this season after going 18-8 last year and earning his first All-Star trip. The 25-year-old right-hander had a 7.11 ERA coming into Saturday with a long stint on the disabled list. But he threw a rain-shortened, six-inning three-hitter in his previous start Aug. 2 and gave up four hits — one a homer to Desmond Jennings leading off the sixth — and two runs this time. Hughes walked one and struck out seven.

Hughes said he didn't think about what could happen afterward.

"It's hard enough to pitch a really good game when you have a clear conscience so I knew I couldn't let anything distract me," he said.

Mark Teixeira led off the second with a single then Hellickson lost the strike zone, walking Cano and Nick Swisher. Eric Chavez popped foul to the catcher ahead of Posada's single.

With his dad Steve Hellickson watching in the crowd, the 24-year-old rookie with a dog named Jeter pitched at an extremely deliberate pace but it did not help. New York reached base in each of the five innings he started and only once did Hellickson retire the leadoff batter. He gave up a homer to Granderson to open the fifth, and now is 3-8 in games he yields a homer as opposed to 6-0 when he doesn't.

"I'm disappointed, especially after the way we played last night," Hellickson said. "I wanted to come out, do the same thing and get another game on these guys. So, I'm definitely disappointed."

Hellickson was pulled when Cano hit a one-out double. Gomes preceded to walk his first two batters before Posada connected to right field, sending the crowd into a sustained ovation that stopped when Posada was pushed out for a curtain call.

"I'm extremely happy for him. Jorge has a lot of pride," Jeter said. "You're talking about someone who is used to playing every day for a long time. He's been working extremely hard and he had a huge day. That's not easy to do when you haven't played for a while."

Jennings hit a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to open the sixth and Johnny Damon hit a liner that went under the glove of a diving Brett Gardner and ended up with a triple. Damon scored on Ben Zobrist's groundout.

NOTES: New York signed former Yankees RHP Scott Proctor to a minor league contract. ... Posada last had six RBIs in Sept. 2006. His career high is seven. ... Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (knee surgery) went 0 for 3 with a walk as the DH in his second rehab start for Class-A Tampa. ... Jeter donated the batting gloves and helmet he used on July 9, the day he got his 3,00th hit, to the Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony honoring the milestone. ... On Sunday the Rays will take the train to Boston and wear 50s-era hats.

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SPORTS - Clemson president: Has been no contact with SEC (AP)

SPORTS - Clemson president: Has been no contact with SEC (AP)

• Play Video Olympics Video:Bite of Oregon under way in Portland KGW NewsChannel 8 Portland, Ore.
• Play Video Olympics Video:U.S. Skier Tossed Off Team for Peeing Incident ABC News
• Play Video Olympics Video:Chinese media doubts Olympics safety Reuters

By STUART CONDIE, AP Sports Writer Stuart Condie, Ap Sports Writer – Fri Aug 12, 12:55 pm ET

LONDON – The London 2012 Olympic Village has become Qatar's latest acquisition in sports.

The property company of the Arab state's royal family and British developer Delancey have signed a $906 million joint agreement to buy and manage the athletes' village as private housing after the 2012 Olympics.

London's Olympic Delivery Authority said Friday that Qatari Diar and Delancey will take over 1,439 of the 2,818 new homes on the site and acquire land to build as many as 2,000 more.

The deal includes a profit-share agreement, recouping the British government some of the $15 billion of public money that has gone toward hosting the Olympics.

"This is a fantastic deal that will give taxpayers a great return and shows how we are securing a legacy from London's Games," government sports minister Jeremy Hunt said. "The village will be the centerpiece of a new vibrant east London community."

The companies will rent out the homes, making the project next to the Olympic Park and its main stadium the largest of its kind in Britain.

Oil-rich Qatar won the right last year to host the 2022 World Cup. It already has investments in high-profile London developments, including Harrods. The department store was sold to Qatar Holdings for a reported $2.3 billion last year.

"This is a great deal for London and shows the confidence big private investors have in the future of the city," London Mayor Boris Johnson said.

A company called Triathlon Homes has already been appointed to manage the other 1,379 units in the village as affordable housing for workers, including teachers and health professionals.

The ODA said the new neighborhood will include education and health care facilities, parklands, public squares and open space.

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SPORTS - Donald, Westwood hanging on at PGA (AP)

SPORTS - Donald, Westwood hanging on at PGA (AP)

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SPORTS - Thunder F Perkins arrested in Texas at night club (AP)

SPORTS - Thunder F Perkins arrested in Texas at night club (AP)

AP – Pippa Mann, right, gets some instructions during the first practice session of the day for the MoveThatBlock.com …

– Sat Aug 13, 6:22 pm ET

LOUDON, N.H. – IndyCar rookie Pippa Mann will miss Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after crashing during a practice run Saturday.

She is scheduled to undergo an MRI on her back on Monday in Indianapolis and will not be cleared to race before the results of the test are known, a spokesman for the series said.

Mann, whose only other IndyCar race this year was the Indianapolis 500, was set for her first race as part of the Rahal Letterman team before her car hit a wall during a morning practice run. She was helped out of the car and supported under her arms as she walked slowly to a stretcher.

She was awake and alert when she was taken to Concord Medical Center for evaluation.

Her car also spun on two practice runs Thursday and made contact with the tire wall in Turn 2 on the second run.

Mann finished 20th in the Indianapolis 500 for Conquest racing.

Rahal Letterman co-owner Bobby Rahal won the first IndyCar race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1992.

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SPORTS - A chance to make a name at the PGA Championship (AP)

SPORTS - A chance to make a name at the PGA Championship (AP)

AP – Brendan Steele hits a shot on the 11th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament …

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, Ap Golf Writer – Sat Aug 13, 9:34 pm ET

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Brendan Steele and Jason Dufner at least can make a name for themselves in the PGA Championship. Until that big trophy is handed out Sunday, however, this major remains very much a mystery.

How will they handle the pressure of the final round?

Can they safely navigate through the four-hole finish, considered among the most brutal of any course?

And just who are these guys, anyway?

Rarely has a major championship contained so much inexperience at the top going into the final round. Steele is believed to be the first rookie since John Daly in the 1991 PGA to play in the final group of a major.

Steele, already a winner this year on the PGA Tour and No. 121 in the world, showed remarkable poise Saturday by overcoming a double bogey on the seventh hole. He ran off four birdies over his next seven holes, and not even a safe bogey on the 18th could take away from a 4-under 66 to give him a share of the lead.

He is tied with Jason Dufner, who, at 34, is still looking for his first PGA Tour win. Dufner, stoic as ever with a chunk of tobacco jutting out from his bottom lip, atoned for a pair of three-putt bogeys on the back nine with back-to-back birdies. He only missed one green in the third round and shot 68.

They were at 7-under 203, one shot clear of Keegan Bradley, a 25-year-old rookie who also won earlier this year. Bradley, playing in the final group, opened with a double bogey, which might have been expected given his inexperience. He also bounced back with remarkable resiliency, playing bogey-free on the back nine and rallying for a 69.

Now comes the hard part.

Never mind that only one of the top 10 players in the world is within four shots — Steve Stricker, who shot 69 and was three behind. Or that Tiger Woods, defending champion Martin Kaymer and British Open champion Darren Clarke all missed the cut. Or that U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy blew up in a round of 74 and was out of contention.

Atlanta Athletic Club is the kind of course that can take shots away without notice. Jim Furyk discovered that by putting three balls into the water on the last four holes for a pair of double bogeys.

"Wishy-washy play is not going to get it done," Steele said.

Right behind them is plenty of experience.

Scott Verplank, who at 47 can become the second-oldest major champion, rattled in a 50-foot putt across the 17th green for a most unlikely birdie, then laid up on the par-4 18th and escaped with par by making an 18-foot putt for a 69. He was only two shots behind.

Stricker, at No. 5 the highest-ranked American in the world ranking, took only 10 putts on the front nine when his round could have gone south quickly. He steadied himself with a solid up-and-down for par on the final hole.

"Everybody is going to be dealing with their nerves and the pressure of trying to win," Stricker said. "I think it's who can keep it together the best and be patient and play some good golf."

That might be to the newcomers' advantage. Plus, the golf course is proving to be difficult enough to get their attention.

"It could be a good thing. Might maybe make me a little more relaxed knowing that everybody is kind of in the same boat struggling with those emotions and thoughts and the mentality of trying to win a major," Dufner said. "I just feel like if you're playing good, you should be confident. And obviously, I've been playing really well for these three rounds."

Dufner is playing his best at the end. Through three rounds, he has played the last four holes in 3 under — with no bogeys. Compared with the field average, that's the equivalent of picking up seven shots on the field.

Besides, there's not much major championship experience behind them.

Only two players among the top 12 on the leaderboard have won majors — Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and David Toms, who won the PGA Championship on this course 10 years ago. They were at 2-under 208, five shots behind.

Also in that group was Adam Scott, coming off a win at Firestone last week. He struggled to a 70, but has not lost hope.

"You can make up six shots in the last four holes," said Scott, who was six behind when he finished. "So yeah, I think you can make up six shots in the last round."

The final round is so much up in the air that even Lee Westwood, desperate to finally add a major to an otherwise stellar career, remains in the mix despite one bad hole that spoiled his afternoon. A tee shot that just climbed into a bunker in the 14th fairway led to a three-putt double bogey on the 14th. He still managed a 70 and was six shots behind.

Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world who also is without a major, got to within one shot of the lead only to find the water on the 18th hole and close with a double bogey, leaving him seven shots behind.

"It does offer some birdie opportunities, and you can get it under par," Donald said. "But there are some tough holes out there that you've got to weather, and the champion at the end of the week is probably going to have played those tough ones the best."

The last player to win a major in his first try was Ben Curtis in the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George's. The last American to make a major his first PGA Tour win was Shaun Micheel at the PGA Championship in 2003 at Oak Hill.

"It's a great week for me just to be in the field," said Steele, won the Texas Open a week after the Masters. "To have a chance to actually win in my first major is really something special."

Bradley, the nephew of LPGA Tour great Pat Bradley, won the Byron Nelson Championship in May and contended last week in Firestone. When he started with a double bogey, he didn't panic.

"It really did not faze me that much," Bradley said. "My goal was to under-react to everything that happened out there today, good or bad. And you know, I took it pretty well. I knew that it was a very important time for me to stay calm and stay patient, or else it could have got away from me. And I did, which was good."

Saturday was the kind of day when it could have gotten away from a lot of players. Despite more muggy temperatures, the rookies managed to keep their composure.

Anders Hansen of Denmark, who has never seriously contended in a major, also kept it together with a 70 and was at 3-under 207, along with Pebble Beach winner D.A. Points, who went nine holes without making a par but still shot 71.

The toughest part about Sunday might be killing time until the late afternoon tee time. That shouldn't be a problem for Steele, who spent the first three months getting the last tee time on tour because of his rookie status.

Then again, that was another reminder of how far he has come already.

Bradley thought back to the Nationwide Tour last year when he and Steele were in contention at a tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn.

"There was nobody around. We were just out there playing," Bradley said. "If we would have said we'd be in a couple of the final groups on Sunday at the PGA, I think we both would have kind of laughed at each other."

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SPORTS - Africans quick off the mark in Europe (AFP)

SPORTS - Africans quick off the mark in Europe (AFP)

AP – Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano (38) throws in the second inning of the Atlanta Braves …

By CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer Charles Odum, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Aug 13, 8:03 pm ET

ATLANTA – The Chicago Cubs placed Carlos Zambrano on the disqualified list Saturday and said the right-hander would receive no pay and have no part in team activities for 30 days.

Zambrano cleaned out his locker and left the team after giving up five homers and being ejected from Friday night's 10-4 loss to the Braves. He did not return to the team Saturday.

General manager Jim Hendry said Saturday that Zambrano's actions, including a brush-back pitch to Chipper Jones that led to the ejection, were "intolerable."

"This was the most stringent penalty we could enforce without a release," Hendry said.

Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster had similarly strong words.

"He's made his bed. Let him sleep in it," Dempster said.

"It's not like it's something new."

Hendry said Major League Baseball and the players' association would discuss Zambrano's statements about his baseball future.

Cubs manager Mike Quade said Friday night that Zambrano told team personnel he might retire.

"There's not much worse than running out on your teammates in the middle of a ballgame," Hendry said on a conference call.

Hendry said he apologized to Braves general manager Frank Wren for the actions by Zambrano on the same night Atlanta honored former manager Bobby Cox.

Zambrano was ejected by plate umpire Tim Timmons in the fifth inning after throwing two inside pitches to Jones, the second going all the way to the backstop. The brush-back pitches followed homers by Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla.

"It was uncalled for, the pitch to Chipper Jones," Hendry said.

"I feel that anything at all to detract from Bobby Cox's night other than usual competition is totally intolerable."

Asked if he knew where Zambrano was on Saturday, Hendry said: "I have no idea."

Jones said Hendry's comments were "a class move. I appreciated it."

Added Jones: "I like Carlos. I've always liked Carlos. He's an intense competitor. Unfortunately, sometimes that hurts him."

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez said Zambrano would be welcomed back by his teammates, but only if he made changes.

"If he changes his attitude, he's more than welcome," Ramirez said.

"He's got to think a little bit more. He's one man. It's not just one time. A lot of people have tried to help him. He won't let them."

Zambrano was placed on the restricted list for six weeks and sent to anger management last season after a verbal altercation with then-teammate Derrek Lee.

In 2009, he was suspended following a tirade against an umpire in which he threw a baseball into the outfield and slammed his glove against the dugout fence.

Outfielder Marlon Byrd said he talked with Zambrano.

'He said that he's doing better today," Byrd said. "That's it."

Asked about Zambrano being placed on the disqualified list, Byrd said: "That's business. They have to do what they have to do."

In 2007, Zambrano signed a deal adding $91.5 million over five seasons through 2012. He was to earn $17.85 million this season and $18 million in 2012.

He is 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA.

Zambrano's name was mentioned in trade rumors before the July 31 deadline. He said on July 28 he wanted to remain with the Cubs.

"I do want to stay here but at the same point I want this team to make some changes," Zambrano said. "If we want to win here, we need to make some changes. If I have to go, I have to go but I still have the Cubs in my heart."

A message was left Saturday seeking comment from Barry Praver, Zambrano's agent. Hendry said Praver indicated Zambrano is not retiring.

The Cubs did not immediately announce a corresponding roster move for Zambrano. The team will need a starting pitcher for Zambrano's next scheduled turn in the rotation Wednesday at Houston.

___

AP freelance writer Amy Jinkner-Lloyd in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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SPORTS - Mares wins bantamweight belt from Agbeko (AP)

SPORTS - Mares wins bantamweight belt from Agbeko (AP)

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SPORTS - Qatar buys stake in 2012 London Olympic Village (AP)

SPORTS - Qatar buys stake in 2012 London Olympic Village (AP)

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SPORTS - IndyCar rookie Pippa Mann hospitalized after crash (AP)

SPORTS - IndyCar rookie Pippa Mann hospitalized after crash (AP)

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SPORTS - Monfils hopes to turn magic into more success (AFP)

SPORTS - Monfils hopes to turn magic into more success (AFP)

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SPORTS - Konerko, Flowers homer as ChiSox beat Royals 5-4 (AP)

SPORTS - Konerko, Flowers homer as ChiSox beat Royals 5-4 (AP)

AP – Luke Donald, of England, takes a drop on the 18th hole after hitting into the water during the third …

By PETE IACOBELLI, AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli, Ap Sports Writer – Sat Aug 13, 10:03 pm ET

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – They're one and two in the world yet just hanging on at the PGA Championship.

No. 1 Luke Donald and No. 2 Lee Westwood are both tied at 1-under par, tied for 13th place and six strokes behind co-leaders Brendan Steele and Jason Dufner after three rounds at Atlanta Athletic Club. The Ryder Cup partners each had their chances to make up ground in the year's final major, but couldn't.

Donald had a bogey on the 16th hole, then a disastrous double bogey on No. 18 after putting his approach in the water to turn an extra special third round into a so-so 68.

Westwood got himself to 3-under on the 10th hole, but had a double bogey on the 14th and couldn't come any closer to end at 70 over.

The English duo hoped to cap stellar seasons at the top with their first major title. But they'll likely need their own record-setting performances plus the collapse of about a dozen players ahead of them to pull it off.

Still, Westwood was hopeful of a Sunday surprise.

"A major championship will be a lot more pressure, but I think 1-under is by no means out of it," he said.

Both Donald and Westwood known they could've been much closer.

Donald, No. 1 for the past 11 weeks, was moving up the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes that took him to 4-under. He thought "maybe I could even grab an extra birdie, get to five under, who knows, that could be leading at the end of the day," Donald said.

Instead, he made bogey on the 16th, then put his approach shot to No. 18 into the water in front of the green and made double bogey. "I am angry," Donald said in his mild-mannered style. "Had something really good going there, and kind of threw it away."

Westwood had similar regrets about his putting. He said he missed several opportunities to make a move. "Just hit it great all day and close and made nothing," he said.

There were mis-reads, mis-hits and good looking putts that didn't do what Westwood expected. All of it led to squandered opportunities at a major just begging for a big name to take control.

Westwood wasn't sure how to fix things. "Different religion, maybe?" he joked.

Then again, Westwood said he's struggled with his putting most of the season. He's put in the work to improve and hopes to see the results soon. "I'd like to think they are going to drop tomorrow, but they have dropped all year so why should they change?"

Donald and Westwood have had similar major championship seasons.

The two both in contention at the Masters, Donald finishing fourth and Westwood 11th. Two months later, Westwood tied for third at the U.S. Open behind winner Rory McIlroy. Donald was around on Sunday but well back in 45th.

Donald and Westwood had high hopes entering the British Open at Royal St. George's last month and both stunningly missed the cut. "I've got to figure out a way to contend a bit more" at majors, Donald said then.

Donald and Westwood counted on even more than contending at Atlanta Athletic Club, they expected to win. Instead, they're behind several players at the PGA ranked far below them like Dufner (No. 80), John Senden (No. 92), D.A. Points (No. 105), Keegan Bradley (No. 108) and Steele (No. 121.).

Donald was asked if he might want to punch someone after his late falter. He did. Himself. "I might punish myself in the gym," he said.

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SPORTS - Flames sign D Hannan to 1-year contract (AP)

SPORTS - Flames sign D Hannan to 1-year contract (AP)

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SPORTS - Aussies hail Evans as Tour champ rides into town (Reuters)

SPORTS - Aussies hail Evans as Tour champ rides into town (Reuters)

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SPORTS - Panthers beat Giants 20-10 in Newton's debut (AP)

SPORTS - Panthers beat Giants 20-10 in Newton's debut (AP)

AFP/Getty Images – Gael Monfils of France reacts to a lost point against Radel Stepanek of the Czech Republic during the …

by Jim Slater Jim Slater – Mon Aug 8, 12:12 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Flamboyant leaps and an athletic frame that allows him to scramble after balls for spectacular shots in rallies have made Gael Monfils one of the best entertainers in tennis.

Thus far that has not translated into Grand Slam success for the 24-year-old Frenchman, who came away a loser to Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-4 in Sunday's ATP Washington Classic final, falling to 3-11 in ATP title matches.

But seventh-ranked Monfils, whose longest Grand Slam run was the 2008 French Open whee he reached the semi-finals, says a greater belief in his style of play rather than deeper focus is what will propel him into his first Grand Slam final.

"Have confidence in myself. Have a stronger belief," Monfils said. "I'm a believer but to reach the top I have to believe more, endure more. When I do two hours of practice, I need to add 30 minutes more.

"I need to feel something inside to go further. I think I show too much respect to my opponent. Maybe I can be more selfish. If I do that, I believe I can reach the finals."

Monfils split with Australian coach Roger Rasheed last month following three years together, saying at Washington that he was unhappy and that he and Rasheed had different goals.

Patrick Chamagne, who had been Monfils' fitness coach, is now his main coach as he heads into ATP Masters Series events at Montreal and Cincinnati ahead of the start of the US Open later this month.

"I think he can handle it," Monfils said. "I can trust in him."

That coaching comfort zone comes as critics say Monfils needs to be less of a showman on court and adopt a more tactical and focused approach in order to maximize his potential.

But Monfils also says he loves the role of entertainer, drawing roars and applause from crowds with amazing efforts on particular points.

"I want to show my passion to the people," Monfils said. "I'm pretty natural on the court. Always I remember what my parents told me. 'It's a gift to be on the tennis court.' Since I was three years old I keep it like this.

"I love playing games with my friends and trying tricky stuff. I try two percent (of those tricks) on the court. I like to try crazy stuff so I do it in a match."

The trick is turning flair into victory more often. Monfils gives a nod to such needs, but says he only needs fine tuning despite having lost a Washington final to a rival who was 2-5 against him, one he beat two weeks before on clay.

"My game is not far to be ready for big challenges against the big players," Monfils said. "I need to get back to work, be more aggressive, be more comfortable about small details, make my serve percentage a little higher.

"Physically I'm happy with where I am. Now I need to work to be stable and hopefully I can make a final."

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SPORTS - Cubs place Zambrano on disqualified list (AP)

SPORTS - Cubs place Zambrano on disqualified list (AP)

AP – Chicago White Sox's Paul Konerko watches his two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the …

– 52 mins ago

CHICAGO – Finally, for the White Sox, it was good to be home.

Paul Konerko hit a two-run homer and Tyler Flowers added his first home run in the majors to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Konerko went deep in the third and Flowers added a solo shot in the fifth to help the White Sox snap a seven-game home losing streak. Flowers also had a single and a walk.

"I think it's just been bad luck at home, that's just how it's been going," said Flowers. "It's good to get it out of the way so you (media) quit asking us. But this was definitely a big win for us."

Juan Pierre had three singles and scored two runs for Chicago.

Jesse Crain (7-3) got the win in relief after pitching out of starter Jake Peavy's jam in the seventh and his own in the eighth. Chris Sale got the last three outs, earning his fourth save.

Peavy allowed four runs and nine hits over 6 2-3 innings.

"I thought (Peavy) was pretty good, just a couple balls squeeked through," Flowers said. "I really thought this was one of the better times I've seen him throw. It was real aggressive, located really well and just a couple breaks didn't go our way."

Luke Hochevar (8-9) took the loss, allowing eight hits and five runs in six innings. He had won four straight decisions and hadn't lost in eight starts dating to June 21.

"I felt like the leadoff guy every inning was on," Hochevar said. "It was a grind tonight and sometimes you run into those. You just have to keep battling and keep executing and keep attacking the strike zone."

Billy Butler stroked a two-run single for the Royals, and Johnny Giavotella added two hits and an RBI.

The White Sox have won seven of their last nine, but they had lost seven straight at U.S. Cellular Field by a combined score of 54-17.

"We (were) down 4-2, I think we never gave up," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "We got the best out of Peavy. For seven innings, he went out and battled and give his team a shot. I think the double, the two-out base hit was big."

The start of the game was delayed by 1 hour, 25 minutes due to thunderstorms that moved through the Chicago area late Saturday afternoon. There was another delay of 42 minutes prior to the start of the eighth.

The White Sox took the lead with a two-run seventh. Carlos Quentin drove in the tying run with an RBI double into the left-field corner. Alejandro De Aza forced in the go-ahead run with a bases loaded walk.

"With two outs, we take the walk to win the game, that's not White Sox baseball," Guillen said. "Taking a walk to win that's unusual, but it's something we needed.

"Especially in this ballpark we're not playing well. Had we lose and had the rain delays and all this stuff, I don't know how we would have handled it for tomorrow's game."

Both runs came with Royals reliever Aaron Crow on the mound but both were charged to Hochevar, who issued a single and a walk to start the inning before being pulled.

Hochevar pitched out of jams effectively for most of the game, allowing the leadoff man to reach in six of seven innings.

"I thought he threw the ball pretty good," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Got a ball up to Konerko that he hit out of the park. Kind of threw a cement mixer to Flowers, tried to throw him a slider that just spun up and in, he drove it out of the park. He wasn't as sharp as he has been the last couple times, but I thought he threw the ball quite well."

The Royals overcame an early 2-0 deficit with a four-run rally in the fifth. Butler's two-out, two-run single put the Royals up 4-2.

Butler got his chance when Guillen had Melky Cabrera intentionally walked in front of him to load the bases.

The White Sox cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth on Flowers' homer. For Flowers, who was playing in his 25th game over the last three seasons, it was also his first career RBI.

"I'm glad we were able to come back and win that game and I'm glad I was able to help," Flowers said. "Probably wouldn't mean as much if we didn't get a win out of it but it turned out to be great."

With two outs and one on in the third, Konerko hit a 1-2 fastball into the left field seats, putting the White Sox up 2-0. It was Konerko's 27th homer and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

After the Royals fell behind 5-4, they got the first two runners on in the eighth against Crain, but Salvador Perez bounced into an inning-ending double play.

"Winning in general is what we're looking for," outfielder Brent Lillibridge said. "Just coming back here and getting a win and playing good baseball the whole night. It's big. Hopefully we'll finish a winning series and hope to do that the rest of the season."

NOTES: White Sox C A.J. Pierzynski (bruised left wrist) was out of the lineup Saturday and manager Ozzie Guillen said he doesn't expect him to play Sunday against Royals LHP Jeff Francis. ... Konerko (left knee) said he is close to being able to return to playing defense. Guillen said Wednesday is the earliest he would consider putting Konerko back at first base. Konerko hasn't played in the field since being hit by a pitch on July 31 against Boston. ... Adam Dunn (personal) was not with the team Saturday and Guillen said he won't play until Tuesday since the lefty Francis takes the hill Sunday and the team is off Monday. ... The Royals and White Sox will play the finale of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Francis will start for Kansas City against Chicago's John Danks. Francis has allowed just four earned runs in 12 2-3 innings in two starts against Chicago this season but has ended up with no-decisions in both outings. Danks started the season 0-8 but is 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA in his last eight starts. The ERA is the fourth-lowest in baseball over that span. ... Kansas City's Melky Cabrera went 2 for 3. He's hitting .400 (60 for 150) since July 2, the best average in the major leagues. ... Mike Moustakas went 0 for 4 and fell to 0 for 31 against the White Sox in his first big-league season.

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SPORTS - Posada hits slam, Hughes goes 6 as Yanks top Rays (AP)

SPORTS - Posada hits slam, Hughes goes 6 as Yanks top Rays (AP)

AP – Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton, bottom, is sacked by New York Giants' Alex Hall, top, in the second quarter …

By AARON BEARD, AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 21 mins ago

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cam Newton showed glimpses Saturday night of why the Carolina Panthers made him the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, from the strong arm that zipped the ball downfield to the mobility that bought extra moments in a collapsing pocket.

He also looked like a rookie quarterback struggling with his accuracy.

Newton led a pair of field-goal drives in his NFL debut, and Jimmy Clausen threw a touchdown pass to Greg Olsen to help the Panthers beat the New York Giants 20-10 in a preseason game.

Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn, twice failed to get the Panthers into the end zone on promising first-half drives. But he also brought some big-play potential to the league's worst offense last season and a franchise in desperate need of a fresh start.

In fact, the loudest cheer might've come when Newton took the field less than a minute into the second quarter.

"I was just trying to go out there and first off prove to myself that I could play on this level," Newton said. "After that first little completion, I started to get the juices flowing. It was like, 'Hey, I'm in the NFL,' and I started to get a little swagger about myself."

Newton completed 8 of 19 throws for 134 yards, including a pair of completions of at least 30 yards. Newton played until early in the fourth quarter before giving way to veteran reserve Derek Anderson.

"They had me guessing out there and I know this is just the beginning of what's more to come," Newton said.

Michael Boley, who returned an interception 56 yards for a score for the Giants' only touchdown, said Newton looked "pretty comfortable."

"You saw what happened when he came into the game — he got a standing ovation," Boley said. "He's got a pretty good cannon."

The game also marked the debut of Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who replaced John Fox as the franchise begins a significant overhaul after a two-win season.

Newton took snaps from the shotgun in Auburn's spread offense, throwing for 30 touchdowns and running for 20 more in an unbeaten season that ended with the national championship. But he looked comfortable enough under center and even tried to block for David Clowney on a reverse during his first series.

His first throw was a safe one, a rollout to the right on play action for a short pass to Olsen that the tight end turned into a 10-yard gain. A few plays later, Newton found Olsen again with an on-the-button throw to the left for a 30-yard gain that set up a first-and-goal.

But Newton twice failed to connect with Brandon LaFell in the end zone, forcing Carolina to settle for a field goal. Newton also led the Panthers on a 54-yard drive in the final minute of the half, but rushed a pass against pressure and overthrew an open Armanti Edwards at the goal line to set up another field goal for a 13-10 halftime lead.

Rivera said he thought Newton was too excited near the end zone.

"Sometimes you may want to settle him down, but at the same time him being that is what makes him so special," Olsen said. "You kind of have to play both sides of the fence there. You know both (Newton and Clausen) did a great job for their first time out. We've only been at this with the whole squad for about a week now."

While Newton avoided big mistakes, the same couldn't be said of Clausen. The second-year passer heard boos from the moment his second pass hit Boley in the hands barely 2 minutes in. When the next drive ended with Clausen taking a third-down sack, some fans stopped booing long enough only to begin chants of "Cam! Cam!"

Clausen salvaged his night by finding Olsen for an 18-yard touchdown on the next possession.

New York coach Tom Coughlin didn't see any such bounceback from his offense.

"When we had that interception for the score ... you can make something really good happen for your team by just scoring again," he said. "I was very disappointed it didn't happen."

Eli Manning didn't lead a scoring drive in his five series, completing 4 of 9 passes for just 36 yards. Lawrence Tynes also missed two field goals and had another kick blocked.

"We never got into a great rhythm," Manning said. "We missed some opportunities in the passing game, and never really got anything down the field."

Notes: Carolina added an insurance score when Anderson found Kealoha Pilares for a 35-yard touchdown in the fourth. ... Tynes said his right knee seemed OK after Sean Ware rolled into his leg on a blocked field goal. ... LaFell had a 31-yard catch from Clausen on the first offensive snap. ... Backup Sage Rosenfels threw for 129 yards for the Giants.

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SPORTS - Atlanta's Uggla extends hitting streak to 33 games (AP)

SPORTS - Atlanta's Uggla extends hitting streak to 33 games (AP)

AFP/File – Senegalese Papiss Cisse, pictured here in 2010, was among the scorers as African goal poachers wasted …

– Mon Aug 8, 1:16 pm ET

PARIS (AFP) – Senegalese Papiss Cisse was among the scorers as African goal poachers wasted no time making their mark when the French and German league seasons kicked off at the weekend.

Cisse, who struck 22 goals in 32 matches last season for Freiburg, was on target just after half-time and Congolese Cedrick Makiadi added a second before promoted Augsburg hit back at home to force a 2-2 draw.

FRANCE

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (St Etienne)

Bordeaux's French international goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso was reduced to the role of spectator when an apparently innocuous shot from the right by Gabon striker Aubameyang dropped under the crossbar and in as St Etienne came away 2-1 winners.

Younes Belhanda (Montpellier), Alain Traore (Auxerre)

Moroccan midfielder Belhanda opened the scoring for Montpellier after 36 minutes in a 3-1 win over Auxerre with his free kick slipping through the gloves of rookie Burgundy goalkeeper Donovan Leon. Burkina Faso playmaker Alain Traore equalised for Auxerre just before half-time with a stunning shot, only for the visitors to concede two late goals.

Abdoulrazak Boukari/Kader Mangane (Rennes)

Togolese midfielder Abdoulrazak Boukari scored the third goal in Rennes' 5-1 rout of newcomers Dijon which put the Brittany side top of the early table. Boukari, who netted after 50 minutes, also helped set up the opening goal when his cross allowed Colombian Victor Hugo Montano to score after 34 minutes. Franco-Senegalese defender Kader Mangane struck Rennes' fourth with a 75th-minute header.

GERMANY

Papiss Cisse and Cedrick Makiadi (Freiburg)

Senegal striker Cisse picked up where he left off last season with the opening goal as Freiburg drew 2-2 at Augsburg. The 26-year-old, who scored 22 goals in 32 games last season, opened the scoring on 48 minutes and Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder Makiadi added the second on 55 minutes with a header.

Sami Allagui (Mainz 05)

Tunisia striker Allagui scored the first goal in his side's 2-0 win over last season's runners-up Bayer Leverkusen by capitalising on a huge blunder in the Leverkusen defence on 32 minutes. Leverkusen defender Stefan Reinartz back-passed to goalkeeper Fabian Giefer, who completely mistimed his clearance, only succeeding in rolling the ball towards Allagui, who smashed home from a tight angle.

Isaac Vorsah and Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim)

Ghana centre-back Vorsah and Nigerian right-winger Obasi played the full 90 minutes as Hoffenheim lost their opening game 2-1 at Hanover 96. Obasi picked up a yellow card for a foul on Sergio Pinto as goals by ex-Germany striker Jan Schlaudraff and Norway's Mohammed Abdellaoue gave Hanover victory.

ITALY

Kevin-Prince Boateng (AC Milan)

Ghana midfielder Boateng scored the winner in faraway Beijing as AC Milan came from behind to defeat city rivals Inter 2-1 and win a record sixth Italian Super Cup. Alexandre Pato raced on to a through ball and when his shot struck a post, Boateng slid to score off the rebound.

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