http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3496953&sportCat=golf SOUTHPORT, England -- Greg Norman poked a key into locker No. 103, swung open the wooden door and began clearing out his belongings. Golf shoes. Golf balls. Golf gloves. Norman stuffed them into a half-dozen different zippered carry bags. Just then a friend stopped by the Royal Birkdale locker room to say hello. "Hey, buddy, how are you?" the friend said. "Um, I'm like a whipped dog, man," Norman said. He said it with a smile, but he's right -- there was a hint of exhaustion in Norman's voice. You'd be tired, too, if you'd arm-wrestled golf history for four long days. Norman had come to Birkdale and the 137th British Open as an afterthought, a 53-year-old museum piece. He was supposed to stay long enough to shoot a couple of 80-somethings, miss the cut and turn in his courtesy Lexus by Saturday. Then it would be on to Scotland and next week's Senior British Open with the rest of the golf fogies. Except that Norman shot an even-par 70 on Thursday, a 70 on Friday, and a 72 in Southport's wind machine to -- pause for gasps -- lead the real British Open after 54 holes. First, Tiger Woods wins last month's U.S. Open on one leg, then Norman injects some Botox into his golf game. But leading a major after three rounds is like hitting five of the first six lotto numbers. You still need one more. Norman tried, he really did, but he couldn't overcome too many drives that dive-bombed into the ponytail-thick heather, or the four missed putts that came this close to dropping in, or most of all, Padraig Harrington and his final round of 69. ESPN.com 7/20/08

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080720/SOUTHERNMISS/807200323/1050 Conference USA's Football Media Day is today at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn. Fans can tune in to CBS College Sports, if they can pick up that network, at 3 p.m. to watch highlights, notes and interviews with coaches and players. Southern Miss first-year football coach Larry Fedora will be there along with two Golden Eagle star players, running back Damion Fletcher and linebacker Gerald McRath. Earlier this week, Fletcher was picked by the C-USA coaches as the preseason offensive player of the year while McRath was selected as the preseason defensive player of the year. Still waiting Southern Miss football signee DeAndre Brown is still waiting for clearance from the NCAA Eligibility Center, but the necessary documents have been received and are under consideration to determine his eligibility for this upcoming football season. Southern Miss senior associate athletic director Jason Gray said Friday that Brown is still in line and waiting his turn. Gray seemed optimistic that Brown's clearance would be granted once the process has ended. "Now it's just a matter of waiting for them to run the numbers, which we believe should not be a problem with the scores and transcripts we have seen," Gray said. Brown, a 6-foot-6 receiver from Ocean Springs, is considered the top recruit in Fedora's first signing class at Southern Miss. hattiesburg American 7/20/08

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080718/SOUTHERNMISS/807180313/1050 Southern Miss assistant football coach Barney Farrar has been diagnosed with throat cancer, making him the second USM assistant to battle the disease in as many years. Former USM defensive coordinator Jay Hopson was treated for testicular cancer last year. Farrar will soon begin radiation and chemotherapy treatment and has been told his type of cancer has a 65-70 percent cure rate. "It was a huge surprise," Farrar said Thursday. "It caught me way off guard. I had no idea." Farrar noticed a growth in his throat when he previously worked in the Iowa State athletic department, but doctors treated it with antibiotics. After a visit with USM team physician Dr. Stephen Beam, he was advised to see an oncologist at Wesley Medical Center. A biopsy and thorough examination confirmed that the growth was cancerous. "(The doctor) said it's just a thing that happens from time to time," Farrar said. "You didn't ask for it, but you've got it. We are going to find a way to cure it and get well." Farrar said the growth caused no pain, but he noticed an obvious change in his stamina. "I was at Iowa State in the fall and I just felt tired a lot, and more than normal," the 48-year-old said. "I just couldn't get enough rest, but I just thought I was just getting older. I didn't think about the lump that came up in my throat, but it just started growing larger and larger." hattiesburg American 7/18/08