Leading Off

Quiet Suffering
A hush fell over the crowd around the 18th green at Carnoustie on Sunday, after Sergio Garc�a (center, bent over) missed a 10-foot putt and a chance to set off a celebration over winning the British Open. Instead, following a four-hole playoff, Padraig Harrington (inset) drew the cheers and later posed in a bunker with the coveted claret jug (page 40; LIFE OF REILLY, page 70).

Olympian Effort
Kobe Bryant created an angle from which he could pump a shot past Tayshaun Prince during an intrasquad game among candidates for the USA Basketball national team on Sunday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas . The Blue beat the White 105--104 to wrap up a three-day training camp-- Bryant went to the ice packs on opening day (inset)--in preparation for an Olympic qualifying tournament that begins on Aug. 22 in Las Vegas .

Wish upon a Star
Though he didn't enter the game until the 78th minute, David Beckham gave a sellout crowd of 27,000--and Major League Soccer --an expected jolt of excitement when he made his debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy on a tender left ankle last Saturday night at The Home Depot Center in Carson , Calif. Galaxy teammates basked in the pregame media blitz around the new American soccer idol (inset) before the exhibition with English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea FC , which won the match 1--0.

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