Before Michael Jordan teed it up in the Golf Digest US Open Challenge at Bethpage Black 10 days ago, Tiger Woods bet his friend and occasional playing partner that he couldn't break 92 in the celebrity charity event. A golf nut, renowned for playing 36 holes at a time for, ahem, rather tidy side bets, Jordan (below) triple-bogeyed the first. Then he double-bogeyed the next three. After that rather traumatic start, he settled down and, perhaps helped by the presence of wily old Fred Couples on his bag, was just seven-over for the next 14 holes. Very respectable stuff for an amateur, that left him with an 86 and a debt to collect.

"I don't take cheques," said Jordan. However, the notoriously competitive Chicago Bull offered no opinion on the fact he finished just two shots ahead of Justin Timberlake. Bringing sexy back. Indeed.

The prize for most surprising choice of headgear this week goes to Vijay Singh. The Fijian was wearing a sun visor bearing the logo of Stanford Financial Group. That would be the company headed up by R Allen Stanford of cricket-sponsoring infamy who was arrested by US authorities on fraud charges last Thursday and is facing years in jail. Of course, before the authorities caught up with him, everybody knew Stanford's business was a house of cards. Why then is Singh so loyal? Nobody knows but it may have something to do with the fact the company has defaulted on the $8m contract they gave the golfer to advertise their wares and a legal action of some sort is expected to ensue.

Nothing in Irish sports broadcasting can compare to the tortuous antics of ESPN's Chris Berman. Usually an NFL and baseball commentator, he gets drafted in to cover, or some would say, besmirch the US Open every year. This leads to golf fans who have long ago tired of his schtick having to witness it destroy one of their main events. What does he do? Let's just say he's a fan of awful catchphrases, desperate puns and childish nicknames. David Tom Toms anyone? Oh, and did we mention he's a little excitable? "Game on, the plot is beginning to thicken," announced Berman with great fanfare on Friday morning, seconds after Phil Mickelson had birdied his second hole to go one-under with just 70 more to play.

One of the feelgood stories of the week is the presence of South Africa's James Kamte in the field. A 26-year-old qualifier from Soweto, his path towards the major has been paved with the good intentions of many of the sport's biggest names. He honed his skills at the Ernie Els Foundation back home, was invited to tee up at Memorial the other week by Jack Nicklaus, and last Monday, Kamte play nine practice holes alongside Tiger Woods. Better yet, Woods, the tournament host, has also given him a sponsor's exemption into the AT&T National at Congressional later this month.

"We need a Tiger Woods of South Africa," said Player. "Everybody is dying to see a black champion from South Africa. All of our champions in the past have been white. I told James, if you become a champion, you will have all the white and black businessmen pouring money into your pockets."

dhannigan@tribune.ie