Running Game Counts as Much as Putting Game

Is golf too slow?

Jay Larson felt it was. So in January he formed the International Speed Golf Assn., where running speed counts as much as strokes.

He won speed golf’s first event, shooting a 75 in 39 minutes, 9 seconds.

In ISGA events, competitors run the course while a caddie rides alongside in a cart handing out clubs and yelling yardage to the player. A scorekeeper rides a separate cart. In events without caddies, players carry a limited selection of clubs.

“There’s a lot of strategy involved with your caddie,” said John Bell, one of the sport’s founders. “Timing is the key. You can save a number of minutes if you practice with your caddie.”

Players are required to wear collared shirts. Shorts must be no higher than mid-thigh. Running shorts aren’t allowed.

Traditionalists are skeptical.

“Speed of play is all of our concern, but I don’t know that this is the answer,” said Cary Corbitt, director of golf at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C.

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Trivia time: What pitcher holds the career record for most wild pitches?

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Ticket scramble: If you’re thinking of buying an unsold ticket to the Chicago Cubs’ game of last Wednesday, when Kerry Wood struck out 20 Houston Astros, forget it.

Cub ticket manager Frank Maloney said he had 150 calls the following day from memorabilia types, wanting to buy unsold tickets.

“We could have sold several thousand, if we’d wanted,” he said.

There were 22,000 unsold tickets.

“But it’s a credibility thing,” he said.

“We’re trying to protect the integrity of tickets of people who went to the game.”

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No big deal: From a Bloomberg News Service story, about how little respect the Colorado Rockies’ home run-hitting Vinny Castilla had received in Denver, until this season:

“In Denver, 40-homer men bat sixth.”

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Expensive names: Michael Jordan made more 1997 endorsement money than any other athlete and it wasn’t close.

He earned $47 million, according to Forbes Magazine. Tiger Woods was next at $24 million.

Others: Arnold Palmer ($16 million), Jeff Gordon ($6.5 million), Grant Hill ($8 million), George Foreman ($4.5 million), Ken Griffey Jr. ($4.2 million).

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Expensive stuff: Leland’s Auctions of New York City will auction off nearly 1,000 sports items by phone, U.S. mail, fax and e-mail June 4-5.

On the list, with starting bids:

* Muhammad Ali’s 1960 replacement Olympic gold medal ($5,000).

* Babe Ruth model bat signed by Lou Gehrig ($22,000).

* Pete Rose’s 4,000th hit ball ($5,000).

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For what it’s worth: Wagering on the Kentucky Derby Day race card was $88,718,167, a record. The total at Churchill Downs and Churchill’s Sports Spectrum: $18,733,283.

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Trivia answer: Nolan Ryan, 277.

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And finally: Shaquille O’Neal, on Dennis Rodman’s acting ability:

“If he was on fire, he couldn’t act as if he were burning. He can’t out-act me on the big screen.”