Earlier, He Got Up on Wrong Side of the Bed

Golf reporters from around the world have been filing stories about the excitement of the British Open, generated largely by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Ron Green Jr. of the Charlotte Observer, however, may still be trying to find his way to the course.

“Nothing gets the heart started like sliding behind the wheel of a car and driving on the wrong side of the road for the first time,” he wrote Wednesday. “Just getting in the car takes getting used to. You want to get in on the left side and hope no one is watching when you open the door and realize the steering wheel is on the other side.

“Then there’s the issue of roundabouts.... Little wonder a car rental agent said 20% of rentals in Scotland are returned damaged.”

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Trivia time: On this date in 1951, Citation became the first horse to surpass $1 million in a career by winning the Hollywood Gold Cup by four lengths. How many times did Citation, who started 45 races, finish out of the money?

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Good grief: David Beckham has more friends than he can count but, apparently, wife Victoria is not letting him count rapper Snoop Dogg among them.

The two met during a “Live 8” concert in London and discussed spending a night out on the town.

That’s when Victoria put her foot down, according to the soccer website UEFA.com, which quotes her as saying, “Look, Mr. Snoopy, you’re not taking my husband out. I’ve heard about your reputation.”

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Feeling blue: Joe West considers himself fortunate to have been involved in Tuesday’s All-Star game. He was among 22 umpires who lost jobs in September 1999, when a mass resignation backfired, but was rehired in 2002.

“I’ve been lucky enough to witness things like Willie McCovey’s 500th home run,” he told Associated Press. “I was at first base for Nolan Ryan’s fifth no-hitter. I was behind the plate when Pete Rose broke the record for most consecutive games in the National League with a hit. You’re witnessing a piece of history every day that you’re out there.”

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Just watch, baby: Team Baby Entertainment has produced a line of DVDs aimed at what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution refers to as “the playpen demographic.”

With titles such as “Baby Irish” (Notre Dame), “Bama Baby” (Alabama), “Baby Razorback” (Arkansas), the 30-minute productions target children as young as 5 months and feature actual footage of sporting events and that of infants and children dressed as players, coaches and fans.

Presumably this is considered more inspirational for tykes than footage of actual players, coaches and fans sometimes acting like children.

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Trivia answer: Once. Citation finished fifth in the 1951 Hollywood Premiere Handicap, now known as the Shoemaker Mile.

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And finally: Comedian Argus Hamilton, in reference to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s placing Jack Nicklaus’ face on 5-pound bank notes: “It honors an athlete who has inspired their country. In the same spirit, Colombia just decided to put Ricky Williams’ picture on the 5-pound bale.”