Second Thoughts

Airline loses bag, which is bad for golfer

Graeme McDowell pulled out of a 36-hole qualifying tournament for the British Open because an airline lost his golf clubs. McDowell did not want to take any chances playing with rental clubs with three spots in the British Open at stake.
Graeme McDowell pulled out of a 36-hole qualifying tournament for the British Open because an airline lost his golf clubs. McDowell did not want to take any chances playing with rental clubs with three spots in the British Open at stake.

Former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell may miss out on the British Open later this month -- though not due to any fault of his own.

McDowell flew from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport to Manchester on Sunday night ahead of Tuesday's qualifier for The Open at St. Annes, something he needed to do well in to secure his place in the tournament. However, there was just one problem -- his clubs didn't show up.

"Need assistance from @airfance," McDowell tweeted early Monday morning. "Flew into Manchester last night from CDG and my golf clubs are untraceable. I have a 36 qualifier tomorrow for @TheOpen and really need my bag. Thanks in advance. #help."

His call for help, though, seemingly went unanswered.

McDowell was asked why he simply didn't rent clubs ahead of Tuesday's qualifier, which is a totally fair question. However, as McDowell explained, only three spots are up for grabs out of the 72-man field, which would make playing well enough to qualify for The Open with totally new equipment extremely difficult.

So, after a day of frustration, McDowell cut his losses and withdrew from the qualifier.

While McDowell missed this opportunity to qualify, he's not totally out of time to qualify for the British Open. McDowell is set to compete in the Irish Open later this week and the Scottish Open next week -- both of which offer qualification spots for the leading non-exempt players who finish in the top 10.

O No Canada!

A minor league baseball team in Massachusetts is apologizing for a botched rendition of the Canadian national anthem at a recent game.

The Lowell Spinners in a social media statement Monday blamed Sunday's substandard performance of "O Canada" on an audio delay between the microphone and the speakers, and the inexperience of a team employee singing in front of a large crowd.

The Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox was celebrating Canada Day and Canadian culture on Sunday.

The team employee volunteered to sing after the person who was supposed to perform the anthem canceled at the last minute.

Spinners' General Manager Shawn Smith tells The Sun of Lowell that the employee "felt just terrible" and "didn't mean any disrespect in any way, shape or form."

Fake rings

Federal authorities say they have intercepted a shipment of 108 phony replica Super Bowl rings representing many past championship teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say the rings were found in an express consignment parcel that arrived June 18 from Hong Kong marked as alloy rings.

Trade enforcement officers noted "poor craftsmanship" and detained the rings to verify their authenticity with the National Football League, the trademark holder.

Customs officials say the NFL confirmed that the rings were phony. Officials say an authorized replica of a Super Bowl ring can cost $10,000 but counterfeit ones are offered on the internet for $25.

Sports quiz

In what year did Graeme McDowell win the U.S. Open?

Sports answer

2010

Sports on 07/04/2018

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