‘Stripper’ steals spotlight

Swedish golfer Henrik Stenson turned the CA Championships in Doral, Fla., into a skins game.

It had nothing to do with altering the scoring format for the tournament.

It was his Thursday striptease on the course that was the only action that could have detracted from the play of Tiger Woods.

Stenson had to wade into knee-deep mud along a water hazard on the 12th hole of the Blue Monster course at Doral to hack out his ball after an errant tee shot.

Instead of removing only shoes and socks before rolling up his pants legs, he stripped down to his rather tight, white boxers.

He even removed his hat.

"Because of the mud, I couldn't really afford to play in any of my clothes, as they would have been a real mess down the last six or so holes, so I had no option," Stenson said.

The 32-year-old bogeyed the hole and finished with a 69.

"You never know, after this I might have a new endorsement with Playgirl (magazine) or something like that," he said.

The crowd watched the near-naked golfer in awe.

Many were thankful it was a strategy never used by John Daly or Phil Mickelson.

• NEWSPAPER BAILOUT -- The beleaguered newspaper industry hopes Pat Burrell has started a trend.

Burrell left the Philadelphia Phillies after the team won last year's World Series to sign in January with the Tampa Bay Rays.

To show his affection for Philly, Burrell bought large advertisements in Friday's editions of the city's biggest newspapers to thank fans for supporting him for the past nine seasons.

Ads in The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News thanked the fans for sharing a championship parade with him and suggested they meet again in October's World Series.

• SON OF RUBBER -- The latest LeBron James sneaker from Nike -- the Zoom LeBron VI -- honors his hometown of Akron, Ohio, by featuring the city's downtown skyline in its stitching. That apparently won't take much thread.

It also shows a sign for Hickory Street, where the Cleveland Cavaliers star grew up, and a milk crate representing the "basket" he used when he first played.

It's undetermined if the $140 pair of shoes includes any rubber, once a mainstay of the Akron economy.

• RACE WITH FLAIR -- "Gentlemen -- WoooOOOooo! -- start your engines."

Expect that command May 16 by professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Ric Flair to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Flair, 60, was named Friday to be the Honorary Race Director for the nonpoints spectacle at the speedway, located near his longtime residence of Charlotte, N.C.

The 16-time heavyweight champion, in his 36th year of pro wrestling, will be stylin' and profilin' to help promote the race.

It has not been determined if Flair will don the stage wearing one of his flowing, sequined robes. Or if a robe would be adorned with various sponsor logos.

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL