SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- The Olympics has thrown another wrinkle into the golf schedule, this one affecting the American team for the Ryder Cup.The PGA Championship typically is the final event to earn one of the eight automatic qualifying spots, and then Davis Love III would have four captains picks leading up to the Ryder Cup matches that start Sept. 30 at Hazeltine.Because the PGA has been moved to the end of July ahead of the Olympics, qualifying for the Americans wont end until Aug. 28 after The Barclays.Love is looking beyond standings because of the Olympics.For example, Rickie Fowler has slipped to No. 10 in the standings. He is going to Rio de Janeiro, taking him out of at least two tournaments (Travelers Championship and John Deere Classic) that others behind him in the standings might not play.Bubba Watson (No. 7 in the standings) is playing next week at the Travelers Championship as the defending champion. However, Matt Kuchar (No. 8) and Patrick Reed (No. 11) will be in Rio for the Olympics.I think the assistant captains and I are going to be challenged, because we have so many factors like the Olympics that we havent really dealt with before, Love said. Rickie just told me hes going to be down there for 11 days. You have to factor in that theres two weeks he could have played here.Its more than just the Olympics.Brooks Koepka was at No. 3 until an ankle injury knocked him out of a lucrative World Golf Championship and the British Open, where money counts double toward the Ryder Cup standings. Koepka now is at No. 9, and his ankle is not at full strength.Daniel Berger, who won in Memphis a week before the U.S. Open, withdrew from the WGC event at Firestone and The Open with a shoulder injury. He is at No. 16.Love said he is keeping an unofficial points list in his head among those who are playing well, but either dont have enough tournaments because of injury (Jim Furyk, for example) or might be missing events because of the Olympics.We know who is playing well and who is not playing well, Love said. And we know who our team wants as their teammates or their partners. We have a longer list maybe than you would think.Love could get a little more clarity this week, anyway. The PGA Championship also is worth double points.---NO SMOKING: A week into making good on a bet, the caddie of Henrik Stenson was starting to struggle.Gareth Lord had a friend in Florida who told him he should quit smoking, and the conversation led to a bet: If Stenson wins a major, Lord stops smoking.And then Stenson won the British Open, closing with a 63 for a three-shot victory at Royal Troon.Stenson could tell his caddie was struggling when Lord jokingly told him on more than one occasion, I wish Phil had shot 59.Tuesday morning on the range as the story was going around, someone did some quick math and realized Lord should be on his ninth day of no smoking, not seventh day.I had so much to drink, the first two days didnt count, Lord replied.---LONG DRIVE: Rory McIlroy thought he had his first victory of the week before the PGA Championship even started.For the third straight year, the PGA of America staged its Long Drive Championship, this time on the first hole at Baltusrol. Jordan Spieth was the early leader at 314 yards, but that was before McIlroy hammered one 345 yards.I hit one out there pretty good this morning, McIlroy said Tuesday. Not going to lie to you, Ive been checking the board since to see if anyones got up close to me. I saw Gary Woodland on the putting green just as he was going out, and I said, `Thats one of the guys Im worried about. I thought he could maybe get it out there by me. But thankfully, he missed the fairway.I dont know if Im still on top, but I hope so by the end of the day.By the end of his news conference, he received the bad news -- Byeong Hun An ripped one 347 yards, and that was the winner.An received a gold money clip, while McIlroy had to settle for the silver and Nicolas Colsaerts (341 yards) received a bronze clip.---RUN OF THE LINKS: The Irish Open is moving to July next year, making it three straight weeks of links golf through the British Open.The European Tour said Tuesday that the Irish Open will be played at Portstewart Golf Club on July 6-9. Thats the week before the Scottish Open at Dundonald Links on the Ayrshire coast, followed by The Open at Royal Birkdale.It will be the first time Portstewart, which dates to 1894, hosts a European Tour event.To get that date right before the Scottish is huge, said Rory McIlroy, the tournament host. To play a round of links golf leading into the Open, hopefully we can attract some marquee names to come over and play. With it being at the start of July, hopefully -- fingers crossed -- we can get some decent weather.---DINNER PRANK: The late Sam Snead was famous for being tight with his money, as former PGA champion Bobby Nichols once discovered.The PGA Championship has been hosting a champions dinner since 1965, and Nichols was the first host as the defending champion. Nichols wanted to know who was picking up the tab, and he was told it would be taken care of by the PGA of America.And that allows Nichols to play a prank.At the end of the meal, I said that we needed to collect from each champion beginning in 1942 to help pay the tab, Nichols told the PGAs website. Before I could say the year, Sam Snead ... was headed for the door. We had to all call Sam back, letting him know that we were just teasing.Snead won the first of his three PGAs in 1942.---DIVOTS: Bubba Watson was home long enough between majors to open a candy store in Pensacola, Florida. Its called Bubbas Sweet Spot, offering up fudge, ice cream and a variety of candy. Who doesnt like candy and fudge and ice cream? Watson said. So Im spending the most money in there. ... Bill Calfee, president of the Web.com Tour the past 10 years, has decided to retire after this year. Calfee played on the PGA Tour from 1976-85 and has worked at the tour in various roles since 1991. ... Jhonattan Vegas at the RBC Canadian Open became the second player this year to make birdie on the final three holes and win. The other was Jordan Spieth at Colonial. ... The PGA Championship said it has sold out of all tickets for competition rounds at Baltusrol. ... Karen Stupples played her first professional tournament at Woburn Golf Club, making the cut as an amateur in the Womens British Open. She returns 20 years later as a Golf Channel analyst.---STAT OF THE WEEK: Seventeen of the past 20 winners at the PGA Championship played in the final group, the most of any major during that span.---FINAL WORD: Any time you enter a tournament with the results in mind, you never play your best. -- Phil Mickelson.---(This version corrects the Stat of the Week to show 17 out of 20 winners at the PGA have come from the final group) Cheap Eagles Jerseys . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Cheap Custom Eagles Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. http://www.customeaglesjersey.com/ . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Custom Eagles T-shirts . Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Lamb scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, lifting the Thunder to a 94-88 win over San Antonio and snapping the Spurs 11-game winning streak. Custom Andre Dillard Jersey . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona has signed Portugal midfielder Andre Gomes after securing his transfer from rival Spanish club Valencia.The Liga champions say that Gomes will sign a five-year contract.A skilled playmaker, Gomes helped Portugal win the European Championship earlier this month.Barcelona did not reveal the financial details of the transfer.The 22-year-old Gomees played for Valencia for the past two seasons after a move from Benfica, where he won the Portuguese league and cup.ddddddddddddHe is the Barcelonas fourth summer signing, following the arrivals of Denis Suarez, Samuel Umtiti and Lucas Digne. ' ' '
