Doral

MIAMI -- Ray Floyd shot a 5-under-par 67 yesterday to take a one-shot lead at 10-under 134 through 36 holes of the Doral Ryder Open.Fred Couples, who won the Nissan Los Angeles Open last week, and Keith Clearwater are tied at 135.Ben Crenshaw and Hale Irwin were another stroke back at 136. Crenshaw shot a 69 and Irwin, 46, a three-time U.S. Open winner, moved up with a 66.They were followed by Australian Steve Elkington, Howard Twitty, Jeff Sluman and...

Miami -- As usual, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson managed to avoid being in the same place for most of the PGA Tour's West Coast swing. Except for the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, which Woods won and in which Mickelson finished tied for eighth, the PGA Tour's biggest draws haven't been together in 2006. That will change today when Woods and Mickelson are part of a field that includes nine of the world's top 10-ranked players in the Ford Championship at Doral. What happened here between the two in the final round last year still reverberates, with hopes of it being reprised come Sunday.

MIAMI -- Fred Couples converted the momentum of a victory in Los Angeles into a share of a four-way tie for the lead yesterday in the first round of the Doral Ryder Open."

MIAMI - Tiger Woods tweaked the index finger of his right hand during a fit of pique on the back nine yesterday at the Ford Championship at Doral. After he hit a poor putt on the 14th hole, Woods sliced the finger when he angrily slapped his hand against his leg, cutting it with the forked divot-repair tool he was carrying. "No biggie," he said later. We'll be the judge of that. After all, an hour or so later, he had to figuratively wave it aloft again. Finally. Woods not only held off red-hot Phil Mickelson by a stroke after rolling in a 28-footer for birdie on the 17th hole, but he also regained the No. 1 spot in the world rankings, set a tournament scoring record and survived one of the most memorable duels in years on the PGA Tour.

THOSE OF YOU out there of a certain vintage - say, the ones who understand that our daily Page 2 feature The Flip Side is a reference to turning over a record to play the less familiar song - may recall the days when various folks bore the title of The Fifth Beatle. Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best, one-time actual members of the band, have worn the moniker, as have producer George Martin, manager Brian Epstein and even New York disc jockey Murray the K. To get to sports, this weekend the PGA Tour begins its Southern Swing through Florida, and NBC, in partnership with USA Network, carries five consecutive tournaments.

Miami -- As usual, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson managed to avoid being in the same place for most of the PGA Tour's West Coast swing. Except for the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, which Woods won and in which Mickelson finished tied for eighth, the PGA Tour's biggest draws haven't been together in 2006. That will change today when Woods and Mickelson are part of a field that includes nine of the world's top 10-ranked players in the Ford Championship at Doral. What happened here between the two in the final round last year still reverberates, with hopes of it being reprised come Sunday.

MIAMI - Tiger Woods tweaked the index finger of his right hand during a fit of pique on the back nine yesterday at the Ford Championship at Doral. After he hit a poor putt on the 14th hole, Woods sliced the finger when he angrily slapped his hand against his leg, cutting it with the forked divot-repair tool he was carrying. "No biggie," he said later. We'll be the judge of that. After all, an hour or so later, he had to figuratively wave it aloft again. Finally. Woods not only held off red-hot Phil Mickelson by a stroke after rolling in a 28-footer for birdie on the 17th hole, but he also regained the No. 1 spot in the world rankings, set a tournament scoring record and survived one of the most memorable duels in years on the PGA Tour.

PoliceWestminster: A resident of Doral Court told police on Thursday that someone took a tennis bracelet from her home. Loss is estimated at $150.

FireWestminster: Firefighters responded at 7 a.m. Tuesday to a fire alarm sounding in the 500 block of Geneva Drive. Units were out two minutes.PoliceWestminster: A resident of Doral Court told police Monday that two mountain bikes were stolen from the rear of his home. The loss was estimated at $840.Pub Date: 9/24/98

On May 28, 2004, LORRAINE I. CRONIN (nee Olson); beloved wife of the late John Wagner; devoted mother of Sandra House and her husband Donald, Janette Grace and her husband David, Paula Sharp and her husband Doral, John Cronin and his wife Francine, and the late infant son John Tracy; dear sister of Regina Figgs and Audrey Wells. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and two great-great-granddaughters. She is predeceased by two brothers and four sisters. Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Kaczorowski Funeral Home, P.A., 1201 Dundalk Avenue on Tuesday from 10 A.M. until 1 P.M., at which time services will be held.

THOSE OF YOU out there of a certain vintage - say, the ones who understand that our daily Page 2 feature The Flip Side is a reference to turning over a record to play the less familiar song - may recall the days when various folks bore the title of The Fifth Beatle. Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best, one-time actual members of the band, have worn the moniker, as have producer George Martin, manager Brian Epstein and even New York disc jockey Murray the K. To get to sports, this weekend the PGA Tour begins its Southern Swing through Florida, and NBC, in partnership with USA Network, carries five consecutive tournaments.

On May 28, 2004, LORRAINE I. CRONIN (nee Olson); beloved wife of the late John Wagner; devoted mother of Sandra House and her husband Donald, Janette Grace and her husband David, Paula Sharp and her husband Doral, John Cronin and his wife Francine, and the late infant son John Tracy; dear sister of Regina Figgs and Audrey Wells. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and two great-great-granddaughters. She is predeceased by two brothers and four sisters. Relatives and friends are invited to call at the Kaczorowski Funeral Home, P.A., 1201 Dundalk Avenue on Tuesday from 10 A.M. until 1 P.M., at which time services will be held.

PoliceWestminster: A resident of Doral Court told police on Thursday that someone took a tennis bracelet from her home. Loss is estimated at $150.

MIAMI -- There is a reason the closing hole of the Blue Monster is so highly regarded. It chews up players and spits them out. The 18th hole -- rated the most difficult on the PGA Tour last year -- engulfs its conquerors with drama and demoralizes those who go down in defeat.Just ask Steve Elkington.He kicked a dent in the scorers' trailer yesterday after storming off the 18th green with a bogey that severely jeopardized his lead at the Doral-Ryder Open. Two hours later, after Ernie Els and Greg Kraft were added to the list of victims of the menacing finishing hole, Elkington was back, this time after notching his 10th career victory and earning a winner's check of $540,000.

FiresWestminster: Firefighters responded at 4: 28 p.m. Tuesday to a fire alarm in the 500 block of Spruce Ave. Units were out five minutes.Westminster: Firefighters responded at 4: 04 p.m. Tuesday to a fire alarm in the 1100 block of S. Business Parkway. Units were out 10 minutes.Westminster: Firefighters from Westminster and Reese responded at 1: 03 p.m. Tuesday to a struck gas line at Route 140 and Malcolm Drive. Units were out 30 minutes.PoliceWestminster: A resident of Doral Court told police Sunday that someone took property from her vehicle.

True remark overheard yesterday morning from a 3-year-old, struggling to stay vertical on a South Baltimore street, to his mother: "Get me out of here!"And if he had a credit card he'd probably do what Baltimoreans are doing in droves: calling their travel agents and booking a trip south -- anywhere south, the farther the better.Or maybe a nice cruise."Cruises are up, because they're starting to be affordable now, they're competitive," said Jeannie Urban, a part-time agent and director of the cruise desk at Roeder Travel on York Road.