The "Q" gets a big "O"

Sean O'Hair claimed the champions blazer at the Quail Hollow Championship on Sunday. It's hard to put into words what this young man has done in his 26 years on earth, but suffice to say, the kid is a fighter. Turned pro at 17, married young, has two kids, a third on the way, and as recently as 5 years ago, was gutting it out on the mini-tours with about $2,000 to his (family's) name. Not to mention a falling out with his father, whom he no longer speaks to. He was playing week to week, and basically, check to check. Now, he's just 1 of 3 players under 30 years of age with 3 PGA Tour wins. The others: Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott. Solid.

A big thanks to the membership at the Quail Hollow Club for their hospitality during the week, as well as the shuttle drivers, the assistants in the Media Center, the folks that helped out behind the scenes that were instrumental in helping us bring you the best coverage possible.

Lee Patterson, Media Director, was, once again, the MVP of the tournament. Great job, Lee.

A big thanks to Mark Stevens and his staff with the PGA Tour. One of his staffers went so far as to ask me if I had implants in my calves, and later in the week, took a phone picture comparing mine to his. Funny stuff, the kind of things you'll remember for a long time.

Next up for us, 2 weeks of racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway--but that's in 2 weeks. The calm before the storm is where we sit today, and I have to tell you, it's quite comfy here.

I promised a Stanley Cup round 2 primer, but the 2nd round series began during golf week, so in a nutshell:

WEST:
Chicago v. Vancouver - Blackhawks have their hands full, but they got a split on the road. Advantage Chicago. Pick: Blackhawks in 6

Anaheim v. Detroit - Wings dropped game 2 in 3 overtimes on Sunday. Not to worry. Pick: Wings in 6

East:
Carolina v. Boston - Hurricanes blanked Boston in game 2 to even the series at 1-1. Bruins are the best in the East and it will take a huge effort to knock them off. Pick: Bruins in 6

Pittsburgh v. Washington - The Capitals won the opener, with game 2 tonight. Caps seem to have found lightning in a bottle with their new goaltender, and that might be enough. Then again....Pick: Pens in 7

Mike Solarte