In the midst of the horse racing triple crown, we have a couple of close races of our own in high school baseball:

Two of the four divisions in the Southern Connecticut Conference have been determined. Congratulations to both Guilford and Amity for winning the Hammonasset and Housatonic Divisions, respectively.

North Haven and Branford share a one-game lead in the Oronoque over a surging Career squad. If both North Haven and Branford win today, then their showdown on Thursday at Branford (3:45 start) will determine the champion and representative in the SCC Tournament beginning in two weeks.

Xavier can win the SCC Quinnipiac on Friday by beating Hamden at home. But if the Green Dragons pull the upset, the winner of Friday's West Haven-Notre Dame game could earn a share. That is, of course, both of those teams win today against Hamden and Fairfield Prep, respectively.

In other action, Naugatuck shutting out Woodland on Monday has tightened the top of the Naugatuck Valley League. Friday's Woodland-Seymour showdown at French Park at 3:30 could go a long way in determining that regular-season champion.

It's hard to believe that 13 months ago, we were headed towards a Champions Tour event. Now, there's a new 23-acre driving range, along with an enlarged chipping area, being built across the street from the ninth hole at the Tournament Players Club at River Highlands.

Travelers tournament director Nathan Grube has been trying to get his message across to the players about the new range while trying to recruit them for this year's tournament. Some of them have answered the call:

Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, Trevor Immelman, JJ Henry, David Toms, just to name a few. This will be the best field this tournament has had since 2002 - the last time the tournament followed the US Open.

Now in the age of the Fed Ex Cup, it is an opportunity for players to come East from the US Open and try to further themselves up the Fed Ex standings. So expect more recognizable names to be coming as well.

No, Tiger Woods won't be coming to Cromwell in the near future, but the next biggest draw in golf is Mickelson. Get here early because the crowds will be much bigger than the ones in the last three years.