One of the most amazing things about the recent Canadian women's amateur golf championship in Lethbridge - besides the incredible 14-under-par score over four rounds posted by the champ, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand - was the utter dominance by teenagers.
This was the Canadian women's amateur, not the junior women's.
Of the top five, the elder stateswoman was a South Dakota player, Kimberley Kaufman, the only one of legal age to enjoy a cool post-round beer. She's 20. Just call her "Granny."
Jutanugarn is a 16-year-old phenom, well known in the world of women's golf, where she's the world's No. 1-ranked amateur. She's a year or two away from the LPGA Tour, where she will take on the world's best alongside her sister, Moriya, who is 17. Moriya finished second at Lethbridge, with a nine-under-par score.
Angel Yin of California finished fourth, and she's 13. We'll repeat, this is the women's amateur.
Just in case you thought the world of young teenaged phenoms was limited to Thailand and the United States, think again. The top Canadian finisher was Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. She finished fifth and she's only 14-years-old.
Imagine that! Canada's best women's amateur golfer is 14! With Canada's footprint on the LPGA tour about as weak these days as it has ever been - Lori Kane and Alena Sharp stand 76th and 89th respectively in tour earnings - golf fans in this country might have to wait another six or seven years for Henderson to lend some legitimate Maple Leaf presence to the LPGA.
"Even at five years of age you could see that she (Brooke) was special," her pro, Paulin Vaillancourt, told Globe and Mail columnist Roy McGregor. "Even on cold, rainy days when no one else would be out here, she'd be here hitting balls. She has just an incredible work ethic."
Henderson's youthful talent is not an anomaly among the top Canadians. Second-, third- and fourth-highest finishing Canadians at the national championship were girls aged 17, 21 and 19. All it means is that Canadian girls are catching up to the rest of the world, where American Lexi Thompson, 17, is the next big thing, and 12-year-olds in South Korea are black sheep of their families if they're not regularly shooting under par.
While the Jutanugarns are slam-dunk stars-to-be in women's golf, here's hoping Henderson can keep pace. Goodness knows she has youth on her side.
Blogger Bill Littlejohn, on why the World Toe Wrestling Championships weren't broadcast: "They weren't wired for digital TV."
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle: "They should've had Keith Richards light the Olympic flame by flicking a cigarette butt."
Ostler, second of three in a row: "Second-guessing: To declare the Olympics open, why didn't they let Mick and Keith play Start Me Up?"
Ostler's hat trick: "The Chinese wore great outfits. I heard they were made in Connecticut."
From TC in B.C.: "In an attempt to generate more revenue, NBA jerseys will feature small ad patches next season. This will open the doors to The Chicago Red Bulls, Orlando Magic Kingdom, Denver McNuggets, LA Frosted Flakers and Sacramento Burger Kings. Personally. I'd like to see The Houston Rocket Scientists."
R.J. Currie of sportsdeke.com: "A Scottish brewery has released Never Mind the Anabolics, a beer with eight illegal, performance-enhancing ingredients and high alcohol content. Or as a Detroit Lion calls it, a real time-saver."
Currie again: "Tour de France cyclist Frank Schleck has tested positive for a banned diuretic. That sort of thing usually gets you in the end."
Currie's hat-trick crack: "In case you missed it, Ultimate Fighting has come to Calgary. And no, we don't mean Rider fans in the McMahon Stadium beer lines."
David Whitley, FanHouse: "Too much is always made of the headaches Olympic visitors must endure. As long as the bus delivering the Dream Team doesn't get lost, Americans' biggest worry is Bob Costas will develop laryngitis and NBC will sub-lease Chris Berman."
British golfer Lee Westwood, to the Vancouver (B.C.) Sun, on why he's moving his family to Florida: "The English winters and the English summers."
A quick one from Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "Kobe Bryant said his U.S. basketball teammates should have their citizenship revoked if they don't bring home the Olympic gold medal. 'Hey, come up with your own material,' said the Iraqi sports minister."
Budd Bailey of the Buffalo News, on the anonymity of Olympic athletes before and after the Games: "If the Americans do well, they make some money right after the Games on a tour at an arena near you, and then we spectators get ready for the next NFL game."
Norman Chad of the Washington Post on the Knicks not signing one-month wonder Jeremy Lin to a long-term contract after he became a free agent and signed with Houston: "Geez, that would be like Happy Days getting rid of Fonzie after a half-season.
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