Leading Off

Quiet Suffering
A hush fell over the crowd around the 18th green at Carnoustie on Sunday, after Sergio García (center, bent over) missed a 10-foot putt and a chance to set off a celebration over winning the British Open. Instead, following a four-hole playoff, Padraig Harrington (inset) drew the cheers and later posed in a bunker with the coveted claret jug (page 40; LIFE OF REILLY, page 70).

Olympian Effort
Kobe Bryant created an angle from which he could pump a shot past Tayshaun Prince during an intrasquad game among candidates for the USA Basketball national team on Sunday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Blue beat the White 105--104 to wrap up a three-day training camp--Bryant went to the ice packs on opening day (inset)--in preparation for an Olympic qualifying tournament that begins on Aug. 22 in Las Vegas.

Wish upon a Star
Though he didn't enter the game until the 78th minute, David Beckham gave a sellout crowd of 27,000--and Major League Soccer--an expected jolt of excitement when he made his debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy on a tender left ankle last Saturday night at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Galaxy teammates basked in the pregame media blitz around the new American soccer idol (inset) before the exhibition with English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea FC, which won the match 1--0.

For more Leading Off pictures, go to SI.com/photo.

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Photograph by Bob Martin

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FRED VUICH

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Photograph by John W. McDonough

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STEVE MARCUS/REUTERS

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Photograph by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

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LIONEL HAHN/ABACAUSA.COM