IN BRIEF

*GOLF: Zach Johnson made a 12-foot birdie on the first playoff hole to beat James Driscoll and repeat as the Valero Texas Open champion Sunday in San Antonio. Johnson's even-par 70 was good enough for a 15-under 265 and forced the sudden-death playoff with Driscoll, who surged from eight strokes back. ... Ji Young Oh shot 2-under 70 to capture the $2 million Sybase Classic in Clifton, N.J. by four shots. ... Irish amateur Shane Lowry capped off his remarkable debut by winning the Irish Open title on the third hole of a playoff against Robert Rock of England.

*HORSE RACING: Rachel Alexandra's victory in the Preakness Stakes has earned the race its highest overnight television ratings since 2004 and its second highest rating since 1990. NBC said on Sunday that the race portion of Saturday's broadcast drew a 7.9 rating and an 18 share as fans tuned in to watch Rachel Alexandra hold off Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. That's up 27 percent over last year, when the much-hyped Big Brown won to take the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Rachel Alexandra returned to Louisville Sunday. She'll stay at Churchill Downs while her owners decide whether to run her in the Belmont. The filly is set to return to the track on Wednesday and is scheduled to breeze on Memorial Day.

*TRACK AND FIELD: Usain Bolt ran the world's fastest 150 meters in a soggy street sprint on Sunday that marked his return to competition after foot surgery following a car crash. The triple Olympic champion ran down Manchester's main thoroughfare in windy conditions, finishing in 14.35 seconds to break Donovan Bailey's 12-year-old world best of 14.99.

*CYCLING: Mark Cavendish won the ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia in a sprint on Sunday, but the times did not count in the overall standings because riders -- prodded by Lance Armstrong -- staged a protest over safety midway through race.

*ALSO: Michael Phelps was beaten again at the Charlotte UltraSwim on Sunday night, losing to Frederick Bousquet of France in the 100-meter freestyle. The loss to Bousquet, world-record holder in the 50 free, came 24 hours after Phelps lost his first final in nearly a year. ... Forward Juan Pattillo has been kicked off Oklahoma's basketball team for an undisclosed violation of team policy.

MASTERS WINNER JOHNSON AT HOME IN JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

Zach Johnson was walking off the 18th green over the weekend at the TPC at Deere Run when two men from Chile asked if he would be playing in the pro-am on Wednesday. Recounting the story, Johnson said he said yes.

"Oh, are you a professional?" the men asked.

Johnson said, "Yeah, I'm a professional."

The men asked Johnson if he had won a tournament this year.

"Yeah," Johnson said, "I won a tournament in Augusta."

"The Masters?" the men asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Johnson said.

"All right," the men said.

Johnson still might not be well known in Chile, but he clearly will be the big man in the field when the John Deere Classic begins with first-round play Thursday in the Quad Cities. It will be the return of the native son, who grew up down the road in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Johnson was the fans' favorite at Deere Run even before he won the Masters in April. But now that he owns a green jacket, Deere Run galleries are treating him like he is Tiger Woods. There was such a demand for his autograph during a practice round Tuesday, he had to let a group play through. "It was pretty overwhelming," Johnson said.

Johnson insists he is the same humble Iowan. However, his life has been anything but humble since he outlasted Woods at Augusta. More than three months later, things haven't slowed down when it comes to endorsement offers and demands on his time.

"Maybe at times there have been some breaks, but there really hasn't been much of a calming effect," Johnson said. "That's just the way it's going to be for a while. I don't know if that's going to quit. I think I have the easy job. My agent, my instructors and probably some of my family members have the bulk of it."

If there is anything Johnson has learned, it is the art of saying no.

"The hardest thing, the most frustrating thing, the downside of it is saying no," Johnson said. "And I have to. I don't have the time or the means."

Johnson can't say no to playing in the John Deere. He calls the tournament "a borderline major" for him.

Johnson said he loves the course, and calls the tournament staff the best in the game. Of course, they did the right thing by putting Johnson on the tournament's board of directors.

Johnson would like nothing more than to win this week. He never has finished higher than 20th in the John Deere.

Perhaps he feels a bit of the hometown pressure.

"I don't get first-tee nerves or jitters very often," Johnson said. "I have in the majors, a couple of times in particular. For whatever reason, I might have a little of bit of nerves here, but I get into it pretty quickly."

Johnson knows one thing: Whether he shoots a 65 or a 75, the fans will be behind him. He calls it an Iowa thing.

"If you are from Iowa, I think you understand," Johnson said. "They grab hold of their own and they go with them. If I wasn't Zach Johnson the golfer and I hadn't done what I've done, I'd be the one outside the ropes following the one who did, just as much as they are ... It's just the way the state is, and that's never going to change. It's ingrained in our skin."

MERRITT MAKES AUSPICIOUS DEBUT

Troy Merritt had strong credentials as a PGA Tour rookie, just not the hype.

Even though he set an NCAA record by winning five straight tournaments at Boise State, and last month went wire-to-wire at Q-school to earn his PGA Tour card, he was overlooked Thursday in Hawaii's Sony Open while playing next to 21-year-old Rickie Fowler.

If that wasn't enough, the standard-bearer had the wrong name on the sign -- Merrick -- which wasn't fixed for an hour.

By the end of the round, he was starting to make a name for himself.

One of four rookies who had never teed it up on the PGA Tour, the 24-year-old played with poise at Waialae for a 5-under 65 that gave him a share of the lead with Davis Love III, defending champion Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, Robert Allenby and John Merrick.

Ten other players, including Steve Stricker, were tied at 4-under.

*The Four Seasons Resort that hosts the annual Byron Nelson Championship is facing foreclosure. The club's general manager said the posting will not affect the property's daily operations. ... Neil Schietekat shot a 9-under 62 for the Joburg Open lead.

source : http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-01-15/sports/1001150066_1_steve-stricker-robert-allenby-pga-tour

JOHNSON PUTTS TO LEAD

Zach Johnson birdied five holes and eagled another for a 15-point third round and the 54-hole lead at the International in Castle Rock, Colo., golf's most novel event, one which features two cuts and uses the modified Stableford scoring system.

Johnson's 27 points heading into Sunday are one more than Steve Flesch and two more than Stewart Cink and Ian Leggatt.

Big changes are the norm at the International, the only stop on the PGA Tour that uses the special scoring system that awards five points for eagles, two for birdies, nothing for pars and deducts one for bogeys and three for double-bogeys or worse.

Angela Stanford moved a step closer to an elusive second LPGA Tour victory, shooting a 3-under 69 to take a four-stroke lead after the third round of the Canadian Women's Open in London, Ontario. Stanford, 28, had a 13-under 203 total. Defending champion Meena Lee was second after a 66.