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Player set for record 51st start

AUGUSTA, Georgia: Nine-times major champion Gary Player will add another chapter to his illustrious career when he tees off in a record 51st US Masters on Thursday.

Twelve months ago, the 72-year-old South African drew level with American Arnold Palmer after making his 50th start in the opening major of the season.

Always highly competitive, Player said last year he was determined to eclipse Palmer and he plans to keep on competing at Augusta National Golf Club for as long as he can.

"I am thrilled to be breaking my record, Arnold Palmer's record. We both had that record and I think that's really the motive in the back of my mind," the dapper South African told reporters in his build-up to the 72nd Masters.

"If I can walk around here like an athlete, which I can, and I can play reasonably well, then I'd like to keep playing."

"Last year I finished with a 77 when the course was definitely the toughest that it ever was in the history of the tournament. That was really exciting for me."

Bentley bares gambling problem

BLACKBURN, England: England midfielder David Bentley has admitted he had a gambling problem that threatened to wreck his career.

Blackburn star Bentley was hooked on gambling when he was a teenage youth player at Arsenal and would place up to 100 bets a day on horse racing, greyhound racing and play internet poker.

"I loved it. I was 14 when I first started going to a betting shop. I got carried away with it," Bentley told Setanta Sports' Football Matters program.

"As I started earning more money I really started getting heavily into it. You just get addicted. I was on everything, the horses, the dogs, online with poker, betting on bingo, all sorts. I was betting on everything.

"You could get a certain amount of money and then just blow it all. I'd wake up in the morning and the first thing I thought of was to have a bet instead of thinking about football.

Beckham given a penalty

LOS ANGELES: David Beckham has been given a penalty, but not the kicking kind.

The Los Angeles Galaxy star got a traffic ticket Tuesday afternoon when he was pulled over off Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Beckham spokesman Glenn Lehrman told The Associated Press.

Beckham, known for his eerily accurate long-range free kicks, was driving a Cadillac Escalade when a motorcycle-riding sheriff's deputy stopped him.

"There was a traffic incident that took place," Lehrman said. "It was a minor offense and David complied with the officer."

Lehrman declined to give details about why Beckham, 32, was pulled over. No one else was in his car at the time, Lehrman said.

Sheriff's Department spokesman Deputy Hugo Macias said his office had no information immediately available about the ticket.

If needed, Favre may return

GULFPORT, Mississippi: If the Green Bay Packers are ravaged by injuries this season, retired quarterback Brett Favre might consider returning should the NFL team reach out to him.

"It would be hard to pass up, I guess," he told the Biloxi Sun Herald. "But three months from now, say that presents itself, I may say, you know what, I'm so glad I made that decision (to retire). I feel very comfortable in what I'm doing and my decision."

But if Favre's replacement Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury?

"Aaron has fallen into a great situation," Favre said. "And if that opportunity presented itself and they did call, it would be tempting. And I very well could be enticed do it."

Favre understands the kind of challenge he would face should he opt to go back to the NFL after ending his record-setting 17-year career. And he made it clear he is not changing his mind at this time.

"But to think that if they called me in October and told me, 'Hey, we need you this week.' That would be hard," Favre said in a story that appeared on the paper's website on Tuesday.

(China Daily 04/11/2008 page22)