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May 19, 2008

For The Record

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Won
By Sergio Garc�a (above), his first Players Championship. The best player never to have won a major won golf's so-called fifth major by beating Paul Goydos in sudden death. On Sunday, Goydos bogeyed 18 to drop into a tie with Garc�a, then put his tee shot on the first playoff hole—the par-3 17th, with its famed island green—into the water. Garc�a made par to break a 53-event winless streak. "It's been a lot of work," Garc�a, 28, said. "It feels like the last three years I've been playing well. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to come around and win."

Accused
By a former associate, of receiving improper benefits while at USC, O.J. Mayo. Louis Johnson told ESPN that over the course of several years Rodney Guillory, an event promoter, gave Mayo cash and other gifts totaling approximately $30,000. Johnson claimed that Guillory received $200,000 from the sports agency Bill Duffy Associates. ( Bill Duffy said that he "didn't give Rodney any money" and called Johnson's accusation "ludicrous.") After a freshman season in which he averaged 20.7 points, Mayo declared himself eligible for next month's draft and signed with BDA. In a statement to ESPN, Mayo said, "I have not engaged in any wrongdoing."

Won
Single-handedly, by Bonnie Richardson (below), the team title in the Texas Class 1A track championship. Richardson was the only Rochelle High athlete to qualify for the competition. She won the high jump and the 200 meters, was second in the long jump and the 100 and was third in the discus. Meet officials said they thought Richardson's feat was unprecedented for a girl. "This totally blows me away," said Richardson, a junior. "This is amazing. I had no idea it was even possible."

Sued
By Joe Montana, his first wife, after she allegedly sold love letters and other items from Montana's days at Notre Dame. Kim Moses, who was married to Montana from 1974 until '77, auctioned off memorabilia, including handwritten notes, Montana's freshman I.D. and a Ziggy greeting card he sent her. Montana claims the sale violated his privacy rights; the suit, which also names the auction house, seeks damages in excess of $75,000.

Rolled
A 300 game, by Dale Davis, a 78-year-old who is legally blind. Davis, who lives in Alta, Iowa, has no vision in his left eye and very blurry vision out of the corner of his right eye, which is just enough to allow him to line up his shot on the lane. His perfect performance came on May 3 in a league playoff game. "People on other teams were yelling and cheering," Davis told The Storm Lake Times of Iowa. "A few guys were hugging me and almost broke my skinny bones."

Offered
By Akron- and Cleveland-area Papa John's restaurants, 23-cent pizzas in honor of LeBron James. The price break was a form of apology. During the Cavs' first-round playoff series with the Wizards, a Washington Papa John's franchise handed out shirts calling James a crybaby. Irked Cavs fans threatened to boycott the pizza chain, but the offer, which was good last Thursday, seemed to placate them. Police were on hand at some stores to control the crowds; people waited as long as 90 minutes for a pie.

Refused
To apologize after his players put two inflatable female dolls on display in the clubhouse in Toronto, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. They were apparently employed in an effort to reverse a team-wide batting slump. One wore a sign that read you've got to push, a slogan popularized by a coach in spring training; the other was using a bat in an obscene and potentially painful manner. Said Guillen, "I'm not going to say I'm sorry ... because as soon as I say that, that means I'm guilty of something. I'm not guilty." Sox G.M. Kenny Williams said, "I will assure Major League Baseball that the doll was not violated in any way, shape or form."

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