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Week Ahead
THURSDAY 8/17
PGAChampionship
The only thing tougher than playing against Tiger Woods in a major? Playingagainst a red-hot Tiger Woods in a major. In his last tournament, the BuickOpen, Woods racked up a career-best 28 birdies en route to a three-strokevictory. He'll try to win his 12th career major at Medinah No. 3 outsideChicago--which, at 7,561 yards, is the longest course in major history.
Thursday and Friday TNT 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday TNT 11 a.m., CBS 2 p.m.
SI PICK OF THEWEEK
FRIDAY 8/18
Little BigMen
The best tickets in Williamsport are the ones you don't even have to pay for.The 60th Little League World Series kicks off with the first of 32 games.Lamade Stadium holds 10,000 fans, but as many as 30,000 more can lounge on theadjoining hillsides for free. Not one of the 16 teams in the field is hotterthan Columbus Northern, the first team from Georgia to advance to the LLWS in23 years. Columbus went 5--0 in the southeast regional tournament behind12-year-old ace Kyle Carter (above), who struck out 14 batters in the clincher.(Through Aug. 27.)
ESPN and ABC Check listings
FRIDAY 8/18
WNBA Playoffs,Connecticut Sun at Washington Mystics
Will the third time be a charm for the Sun? After losing back-to-back Finals,Connecticut is hoping to win its first WNBA title. The Sun certainly has theroster for it: All five starters made the Eastern Conference All-Star team, andone, guard Katie Douglas, was the game's MVP.
NBA TV 7 p.m.
Jeremy Bates vs.Evander Holyfield
The once-bitten four-time ex-champ (38-8-2) is a lock to be inducted into theBoxing Hall of Fame. Assuming, of course, he ever retires. At 43, Holyfield(left) is 2-5-2 in his last nine fights. Tonight he meets the 32-year-old Bates(21-11-1), who briefly retired last year to work as an insurancesalesman.
Fox Sports Net 10:30 p.m.
SATURDAY 8/19
U.S. gymnasticsnational championships
The last time Chellsie Memmel and Nastia Liukin went head-to-head was lastNovember in Melbourne, when Memmel (left) won the world all-aroundchampionship--by one thousandth of a point. It's safe to assume Liukin hasn'tforgotten about that. Her shot at revenge comes in St. Paul.
NBC 8 p.m.
SUNDAY 8/20
Basketball WorldChampionships, China vs. United States
Two weeks ago the U.S. pasted China by 46 in an exhibition game. Expect adifferent (and bigger) China team this time around; both 7'5" Yao Ming(below, left) and 7'1" Wang Zhizhi (right), who sat out the warmup gamewith injuries, are expected to be in the lineup.
ESPN2 6:30 a.m.
MONDAY 8/21
Happy BirthdayWilt Chamberlain
NBA TV celebrates what would have been the late, great Big Dipper's 70thbirthday with four hours of Stilt-related programming. Included aredocumentaries, interviews and Game 4 of the 1967 Eastern Conference finals, inwhich Chamberlain outdueled Bill Russell of the Celtics in a 140--114 win. NBATV noon
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PHILIP WARTENA/COLUMBUS LEDGER-ENQUIRER (CARTER)
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WEN ROBERTS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (CHAMBERLAIN)
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IMAGINECHINA (YAO AND WANG)
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DAVID CALLOW/REUTERS (MEMMEL)
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DAVE SAFFRAN/WIREIMAGE.COM (HOLYFIELD)
