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With the Nationwide Tour's top five money winners taking the week off, handicapping the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open becomes more of a crapshoot.

History suggests Jeff Klauk, the 2003 champion and a three-time top-10 finisher at Crestview Country Club, will do well. For a darkhorse, there's tour veteran Keoke Cotner, who has placed in the top 15 three times at Crestview and landed in the top 25 five times in nine career starts in Wichita.

But if a victory-starved golfer whose game seems to translate well to any course sets off bells and whistles, Casey Wittenberg could be smiling on Sunday.

Wittenberg, No. 6 in season earnings, leads the 153-player field -- literally -- into today's 19th Wichita Open on Crestview's par-71 North course. The 23-year-old Wittenberg, who played one season at Oklahoma State, will tee off with 2004 Wichita Open champion Bradley Hughes and 2001 runner-up David Gossett in the first group off No. 1 at 7:15 a.m.

Golfers will compete for the largest purse in the tournament's history -- $525,000 -- with the winner staking claim to $94,500.

Conejo (Calif.) 4, Derby 3

Crestwood (Ill.) 4, San Diego Stars 3

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS

Casa Grande (Ariz.) 9, South Tulsa 4, S. Tulsa eliminated

Maxim (Calif.) 11, Rock City (N.C.) 0, Rock City eliminated

Eliminated -- Wichita 18-under Sluggers (0-2), Park City Cowboys (0-2), San Antonio Phantoms (0-2), Houston Apollos (0-2), Austin Gold Sox (0-2), South Tulsa Diamond Jaxx (0-2), Rock City (N.C.) Red Sox (0-2), El Dorado Broncos (1-2), Community Bank Cowboys (1-2).

Jordan Cyphers put on a show in third quarter of the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game Wednesday night at Lee Arena. Unfortunately for his South squad, he couldn't close it out as the North defeated the South 116-111.

With 10 seconds to play Cyphers, a Wichita Southeast graduate and Utah signee, missed a three-pointer that would have tied the game.

Cyphers finished with a team-high 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting.

"It felt good, but it just didn't go," Cyphers said.

After a six-point first half, Cyphers matched that with his first two attempts in the third quarter. Cyphers dropped two three-pointers seemingly from Wichita and followed that up with two perfectly timed alley-oops from former Southeast teammate Adonis Gantt to get the crowd going and cut into a 12-point halftime margin.

The next step in deciding the future of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame comes Friday.

Members of the board of directors and trustees will meet in person and via conference call to discuss options after the city gave the museum a 30-day eviction notice.

"It will be about... the city has taken their action, so what is our plan knowing that action is in place?" hall director Ted Hayes said. "The underlying factor in whichever direction we go is one of funding. Without proper funding, our options are obviously limited. Even so, there are always options."

City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate the hall's lease. The city was forced to make the hall's six-month rent payment of $97,000.

Bob Hanson, a hall board member and president of the Greater Wichita Sports Commission, sees two options. The hall needs to find more money, or it will close. The city's deadline means the hall must move quickly.

The Havasu (Ariz.) Heat won 49 of their 50 games this summer entering the National Baseball Congress World Series but probably didn't face a pitcher like Liberal's Thomas Keeling.

Pitching on Wednesday against the defending champion in front a big crowd to see the most anticipated game of the first round, Keeling showed no signs of intimidation. He held the Heat to one run in eight innings, and the BeeJays' bullpen survived a rocky ninth inning to win 6-3 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Keeling had a simple explanation for how he fared so well under potentially difficult circumstances.

"I just go out there and pitch," Keeling said. "I'm more worried about getting outs than I am about the stands or anybody in them."

Keeling had a strong fall season at Oklahoma State but failed to emerge as a reliable option as a sophomore for the Cowboys in the spring, struggling with control issues.

Trevor Johanson, Eric Mode and Hunter Leichner each shot 3-under-par 68s Wednesday to share the first-round lead in the Wichita Golf Association's city boys junior tournament at Sim Golf Course.

Johanson topped the 18-year-old division, Mode led the 17s and Leichner led the 14s. The final round is scheduled for today.

• Co-medalist Amanda Blumenherst rebounded from a slow start Wednesday to beat Lizette Salas 2 and 1 in the first round of match play in the 108th U.S. Women's Amateur in Eugene, Ore.

Blumenherst, the Duke star from Scottsdale, Ariz., secured a spot today in the round of 32 with a birdie on the par-4 17th hole at Eugene Country Club.

BASEBALL

Lincoln rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Wichita, 5-4, on Wednesday night in Lincoln.

Shawn McGill connected off relief pitcher Byron Embry for a two-run triple with two outs to win the game for Lincoln.

Dustin Yount also had two RBIs for the Saltdogs, and Jim Paduch picked up the win, pitching 3 1/3 innings. Embry was the losing pitcher.

Stephen Pearson had two RBIs for Wichita.

Recyclable materials often meet their end in a large metal bin behind the grocery store, but some have ended up in the works of local artists.

Through Aug. 28, CityArts will offer two exhibitions with recycling as their theme. "Unplugged and Recycled" features works by artist Marc Bosworth, and "Dumpster Diving" showcases the work of numerous artists from the Wichita area.

CityArts' main gallery is the venue for "Dumpster Diving," artwork featuring items ranging in size from eight-track tapes to shower curtains. Tabitha Bean, gallery coordinator, said some of the artists are kids who participated in a class at CityArts the week the exhibit opened.

"It is great to see this new crop of budding artists exhibiting alongside of Wichita artists who have been showing for years," she said.

Many of the artists are new to her, too, Bean said.

In the March issue of Maxim magazine, writer David Peisner wrote a review of the Black Crowes latest release "Warpaint." He had this to say:

"The Black Crowes already sounded like grizzled classic rockers on their 1990 debut. While it was certainly a neat trick for a bunch of wasted twenty-somethings to pull off, it hasn't left Chris Robinson and the gang much room for growth."

In addition, Peisner said, the Crowes were "in slavish debt to the Stones, the Allmans and the Faces."

You may recall from subsequent press coverage that Peisner was called out for giving the album an average review without actually having listened to it. The magazine responded by saying that Peisner took an "educated guess" about the Crowes' latest work.

Here's another educated guess, coming from an admitted fan: I'll bet the Black Crowes make no apologies about who they may, or may not, sound like. I'm also guessing there's going to be a fair number of fans filling the Cotillion Ballroom next Wednesday for just that reason.

The main reason for the twice-a-year used book sale by the Friends of the Library, of course, is to raise money for various library programs -- from special children's events like the nationally recognized "Big Read" in October to the Good Samaritan project that replaces books lost in dire circumstances like home fires or floods.

"But I'm pleased we also end up recycling so many books to new readers," said Gail Fisher, co-chair of this sale with Alvena Hansen. "That's like the icing on the cake."

Fisher and Hansen are among the 700 volunteer members of the Friends of the Library who have conducted book sales once or twice a year for nearly 20 years. Each sale raises about $3,000 the hard way: 50 cents per book or three for $1. There will also be magazines, from decorating to health to sports to Architectural Digest, at 10 cents each.

"We may end up with three sales this year because we have so many donations," Fisher said. "We'll have in excess of 10,000 books this time and magazines covering almost every subject.

"You should see the library basement where sorters have been working. We have 70 big boxes of children's books and more than 200 boxes of adult fiction."

College Hill's newest neighborhood hangout is Caffe Posto, a tiny but cozy coffee and gelato shop that also recently began serving lunch.

Owned by Kay and Cory Conklin and local wine expert Jamie Stratton, the coffee shop opened in March.

ON THE MENU: A rotating selection of panini sandwiches, quiches, soups and salads as well as coffee drinks, pastries and a gelato case that always features at least 12 flavors of gelato and sorbetto.

DON'T-MISS DISHES: The lunch menu at Caffe Posto is so fluid -- changing every few days -- that it's not printed but rather handwritten on a board by the cash register.

But diners can always count on three sandwich variations, a couple of soups and an array of inventive salads.

BY BOB STRAUSS

I'm a responsible, middle-age man. I'd guess the statute of limitations on any of my youthful indiscretions ran out a long time ago.

Just in case, though, I'm not copping to anything. I will say, however, that "Pineapple Express" captures the buzzy stupidity of chronic marijuana use better than any other comedy I've seen. And it gets the unlikely friendships that grow out of the buying and selling of pot remarkably right.

Don't ask me how I know. As you're laughing your head off at this increasingly loony stoner comedy, just know it's all grounded in some pretty well-observed behavior. And that's even when it's flat-out satirizing drug buddy movie conventions, and taking more exaggerated swipes at violent action films and the, um, straighter examples of the emerging genre called "bromance" comedies.

Dreamed up by producer Judd Apatow and written by "Superbad's" Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, "Pineapple" stars Rogen as constantly toking but still quite clever process server Dale Denton. He doesn't particularly like his fully baked new dealer Saul Silver (James Franco, an old compadre of Rogen's from Apatow's well-regarded sitcom "Freaks and Geeks"). Saul, on the other hand, acts like Dale is his greatest pal ever. Saul doesn't get out of his cramped little dope den much.

Colton Delaney isn't much taller than golfer Tommy Tolles' 47-inch belly putter. But the 12-year-old caddie came up huge for his temporary employer during Thursday's first round of the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open at Crestview Country Club.

With a carefree attitude inspired by the Florida seventh-grader, Tolles shook off a weather delay of almost three hours and fired a 9-under-par 62 on Crestview's North course for a one-shot lead over Bob May and Aaron Watkins in the $525,000 Nationwide Tour event.

Play was suspended by darkness at 8:25 p.m. with 24 of the 151 golfers on the course. That group included Watkins, a former Kansas State player who posted his total in 14 holes.

Tolles, a former PGA Tour member, was long gone from Crestview by that point. He had taken his caddie, the son of longtime tour official Matt Delaney, to a movie and dinner.

"Colton's a 12-year-old," Tolles affectionately stated. "So when you hit a bad shot, he's pretty happy that you got it in the air.

Athletic director Bob Krause said last month that Kansas State and Ron Prince had been working on the football coach's contract extension for a year.

Turns out the extension is a new, five-year deal that worth a year more than what was on Prince's old contract.

K-State announced the new agreement Thursday. The deal is worth $1.1 million to Prince this season.

Salary figures for future seasons were not released by the university, and a request for a copy of the contract was not immediately addressed.

Prince, 12-13 in two seasons, earned $760,000 in 2007 and was to enter this season as the lowest-paid coach in the Big 12 Conference.

The Wichita Wingnuts dropped both games of a doubleheader at Sioux City by identical 3-0 scores on Thursday.

Former Wichita State player Nick McCoola notched a 2-out RBI double in the fist game. Brett Reid picked up saves for the Explorers in both games, to give him 20 for the season, a Sioux City record.

Wichita's Brenan Herrera struck out with the bases loaded in the first inning of the second game.

The wins moved the Explorers back into sole possession of first place..

The two teams meet again tonight in Sioux City, with Brad Davis getting the pitching start for Wichita.

Sammy Villegas was the Mid-American Conference freshman of the year. The following season he helped Toledo reach the National Invitation Tournament.

Villegas seemed ready to become a star, but everything fell apart in his final two seasons. He couldn't score. His playing time dropped off. His coaches were mystified.

Now, federal prosecutors say Villegas was shaving points in some games during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.

Villegas also paid another player who took part in point-shaving, prosecutors said. The other player was not charged or named in documents filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

Villegas has a sentencing date scheduled for Nov. 18, although there is nothing filed that indicates he has entered a plea. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit would not say whether Villegas was helping with the investigation.

The PGA Championship looked a lot like the U.S. Open, with only seven players under par when darkness finally covered Oakland Hills on Thursday and put "The Monster" to sleep.

It sounded like a U.S. Open, too.

"There's only one guy who's going to like this place by the end of the week," Ben Curtis said.

Jeev Milkha Singh and Robert Karlsson found it agreeable enough after each shot 2-under 68 in the pleasant morning conditions, before thunderstorms stopped play for 90 minutes in the afternoon. Andres Romero of Argentina was 2 under through 16 holes, the only late starter under par and among 18 players who did not finish the first round.

Kenny Perry finished the round, but he won't finish the tournament. Playing in a major for the first time this year, Perry withdrew after a 79 because of an eye injury.

Even for the guys trying to blaze a path to the PGA Tour, there are more important things than golf.

Take the birth of a baby, for instance. And imagine that your first child is born nearly 1,000 miles away while you're on the 14th fairway at Crestview County Club, playing in the Wichita Open.

That's what happened to Nationwide Tour rookie Tyler Aldridge on Thursday afternoon. He discovered his wife, Kyla, was in labor during a nearly three-hour rain delay in the morning. Then, a couple of hours later, a tour official gave him the news that the child, a boy, had been born.

The news changed the atmosphere for Aldridge's group, which included B.J. Staten and Mike Heinen. As they came off the 18th green following their round, Staten looked at Heinen and something like: "I've never experienced anything like that before."

No kidding.

Wichita Open

At Crestview Country Club (North)

Note: Play suspended due to darkness with 24 players not finishing. Round will be completed this morning.

Aaron Watkins

At Crestview C.C. North

No. 1 tee

7:15 a.m.-- D.J. Brigman, Albuquerque; John Kimbell, Lafayette, Ga.; Danny Ellis, Orlando

7:25--Chris Anderson, Windermere, Fla.; Doug Barron, Memphis, Tenn.; Darren Angel, Northridge, Calif.

7:35--Spencer Levin, Elk Grove, Calif.; Geoffrey Sisk, Marshfield, Mass.

Derby's Woody Austin needs to finish at least no worse than alone in 19th place in this week's PGA to have a chance -- a chance -- for one of the eight automatic U.S. Ryder Cup spots. Captain Paul Azinger also has four at-large picks. How Austin fared Thursday:

Round: 40-39--79

To par: +9

Place: Tied for 136th

Today: Tees off at 7:35 a.m.

A road course race couldn't come at a better time for Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon.

The masters of Watkins Glen International -- Stewart and Gordon have combined to win eight of the past 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races on the twisting, 11-turn layout -- are mired in season-long winless streaks heading into Sunday's Centurion Boats at The Glen.

A fifth win by either driver would put him in a league of his own. No driver in the track's storied 60-year history has ever won five races, and that includes Formula One, Indy cars, and sports cars.

"I feel that we're the guys that every time we go there that everybody has to pay attention to us in order to win," Stewart said. "Now, there are times we don't win, obviously, but we're still in the hunt every time and got a shot."

Being winless in early August isn't uncharted territory for Gordon, although the four-time Cup champion hasn't gone this deep into a season without a victory since 2002. It is for Stewart, though, who has had at least two wins every year since 1999, his rookie season, and customarily shines in the heat of summer.

The Thunder released its 2008-09 schedule Thursday, which includes home games to start the season against Mississippi (Oct. 17) and Oklahoma City (Oct. 18).

All but five Thunder home games will be played on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or a holiday.

The Thunder will play in a new division this season, along with the Colorado Eagles, Rocky Mountain Rage and the expansion Rapid City (S.D.) Rush. Full schedule, 8C.

FOOTBALL

NFL Hall of Famer Mike McCormack will be added to the Kansas football Ring of Honor at the Sept. 6 home game against Louisiana Tech.

Calendar

Space precludes us from running all listings. To see all listings, go to Kansas.com/sports and click on "Other Sports."

Baseball

• Saturday: Wichita Bucs 14-U Westurban/tournament team tryouts at Wichita Trinity. Go to wichitabucs.com or call 316-771-8636.

• Saturday, Aug. 12, 16: Wichita Bucs 13-under Westurban/tournament team tryouts at Wichita Trinity. Go to wichitabucs.com or call 316-640-8413.

Baseball

• The Goddard Bulldogs won the 13-14 boys division in the Goddard Junior League. Team members are Dalton Adams, Michael Burr, Ian Crossman, Reis Donnell, Zane Deffenbaugh, Tyler Kimple, Kip Landwehr, Kurt Landwehr, Levi Marcotte, Tyler Matthews, Trevor Mitchell, Austin Resser, Drew Taylor and Jake VanBurkleo. Coaches are Mike Mitchell and Kevin Landwehr.

• The Goddard Jammers won the 9-10 girls division of the Goddard Junior League. Team members are Sara Adams, Brynn Alloway, Ashlyn Dettwiler, Sarah Duncan, Kami Landwehr, Carmen Macias, Julianne Martin, Lily McLeod, Kara Meyer, Hannah Mooneyham, Michaela Pfaff, Miranda Stubbs and Laura VanBurkleo. Coaches are Rick Macias, Ervin Meyer and Rose Duncan.

Basketball

• MAYB national tournaments were held last weekend in Wichita (boys) and Stillwater, Okla. (girls). These Wichita-area teams finished in the top three in their divisions:

Most public swimming pools in Wichita have closed for the season, but these spots remain open for a refreshing dip this weekend and beyond:

1) College Hill Park, 304 S. Circle Drive, open through Aug. 17. Hours 1:30-7:30 p.m. through Sunday. Beginning Monday, the pool will open at 3:30 p.m.

2) Harvest Park, 9500 Provincial Lane, open through Aug. 17. Hours 1:30-7:30 p.m. through Sunday. Beginning Monday, the pool will open at 3:30 p.m.

3) All YMCA water parks will be open through Sept. 1. Hours are 1 to 6 p.m. daily. Admission: Free for YMCA members. For nonmembers, $10 family and $6 individual with a member; $18 family and $10 individual without a member. For updated information on any YMCA water park, call 316-838-9622.

4) The Wellington Family Aquatic Center, 1101 W. Harvey in Wellington, will be open through Aug. 17. Hours are 1 to 7 p.m. daily. Admission: Adults, $3; 17 and under, $2.50; children under 2 get in free.

Palace West

Kellogg & Ridge Road

$2.50 all shows

Baby Mama (PG-13) (Wingdings 171) (1 hr 50 min) A successful businesswoman (Tina Fey) hires an unlikely woman (Amy Poehler) to be her surrogate. Daily at 2:20, 4:50 & 7:15; Sun-Thu at 9:45.

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (PG) (Wingdings 171)(2 hrs 24 min) The Pevensie siblings from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the magical land's throne. Daily at 1:30, 4:30 & 7:30; Fri-Sat at 10:30.

Music Theatre of Wichita brings its summer season to a close this weekend with "Les Miserables," based on the 1843 novel by Victor Hugo.

Here's what you need to know:

1) This is the first time Music Theatre has presented the show in its 37-year history. The masterwork by Boublil and Schoenberg has the grandeur and import of opera but the approachability of Broadway.

2) Music Theatre's version is one of only 12 authorized regional theater productions this year. A 23-piece orchestra provides three hours of almost nonstop music.

3) Heading the cast as Jean Valjean is Nicholas F. Saverine, a Wichita State alum who has sung the part on Broadway, in Vienna and on national tour. Matthew Shepard, a Broadway artist making his Music Theatre debut, plays Inspector Javert, who pursues Valjean throughout his life for breaking parole.

1. The details: The annual battle of the blues bands, put on by the Wichita Blues Society, is in its eighth year and will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Sam's Place, 5521 W. Kellogg. Admission is $5, or $3 for Blues Society members.

2. The contest: Five local bands will play for 25 minutes each, vying for a $1,000 prize and the right to compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in February. Three blues experts from around the region, including a couple of festival organizers, will determine the winner.

3. The bands: Among the bands competing: The Terry Quiett Band, a trio that plays all over the Midwest; Made From Scratch, whose lead singer has competed at the international festival before; Mead St. Ramblers, regular weekend performers at the Farm and Art Market; Jimmy Lewin and the Kingtones, a Salina power trio; and To Go Box, featuring several local blues veterans and phenom Justin Murray.

The upscale Mexican restaurant at 1413 N. Waterfront Parkway is offering a price break for early diners for a limited time. The following are available from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays:

1. You pick three: For $5.99, diners can choose three of the following -- beef, chicken or cheese enchilada, beef or chicken crispy taco, beef or chicken soft taco or tamale, served with Mexican rice and refried beans.

2. Blackened tilapia: A tilapiafilet is seasoned with a blend of fresh spices then blackened and served with lemon wine sauce for $7.99.

3. Chicken mojo de ajo: A half chicken breast is grilled and topped with fresh diced tomatoes and cilantro then sauteed in a Mexican style garlic butter sauce for $7.99.

4. Sirloin steak: A six-ounce grilled top sirloin is served atop grilled onions with charro beans and papas con chile for $9.99.

Recyclable materials often meet their end in a large metal bin behind the grocery store, but some have ended up in the works of local artists. Through Aug. 28, CityArts will offer two exhibitions with recycling as their theme. "Unplugged and Recycled" features works by artist Marc Bosworth, and "Dumpster Diving" showcases the work of numerous artists from the Wichita area.

CityArts' main gallery is the venue for "Dumpster Diving," artwork featuring items ranging in size from eight-track tapes to shower curtains. Tabitha Bean, gallery coordinator, said some of the artists are kids who participated in a class at CityArts the week the exhibit opened.

"It is great to see this new crop of budding artists exhibiting alongside of Wichita artists who have been showing for years," she said.

Many of the artists are new to her, too, Bean said.

"Some of the younger kids who work here... are great about bringing in new, young artists that have never shown anywhere before," she said.

Celebrated hipster filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who revived the career of John Travolta with "Pulp Fiction," is turning his eyes in Britney Spears' general direction.

London's Daily Telegraph reports that Tarantino is close to signing the pop singer to star in a remake of Russ Meyer's 1965 art house classic, "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"

Spears would play a lesbian stripper who kills a young man and takes his girlfriend hostage as her love slave.

"Quentin is convinced Britney will be brilliant. She's delighted," an anonymous source tells the Telegraph. "She thinks it could turn her career around."

Spears previously received two Razzie Awards -- for worst actress and worst original song -- for the 2002 film "Crossroads."

There are some laugh-out-loud funny moments in "Pineapple Express." But the laughs aren't always on target. And depending on how funny you think it is to watch two guys acting stoned -- and silly -- you'll either find it amusing or become bored.

The story and characters are simple enough. Dale Denton (Seth Rogen, who co-wrote the screenplay) is a lazy process server who prides himself on creatively getting his job done, donning disguises to serve subpoenas to his unsuspecting subjects.

But he's not exactly a straight-and-narrow career man. He regularly smokes weed while driving. He's also a 25-year-old dating a high schooler (Amber Heard), which he thinks is inappropriate and great at the same time.

On the way to another job, Dale drops in on his dealer, Saul Silver (a scraggy-haired James Franco), to purchase some pot. And since Dale is such a good customer, Saul proudly offers his best of the best -- a new, rare super-strain of marijuana called Pineapple Express.

Dale tries some, then buys some. And as he tokes up in his car outside his next job, he witnesses a cop (Rosie Perez) and her partner (Gary Cole) commit murder. He flees the scene, but not before ditching what's left of his joint -- and leaving a trail that the killers can follow back to Saul.

In the March issue of Maxim magazine, writer David Peisner wrote a review of the Black Crowes' latest release, "Warpaint." He had this to say:

"The Black Crowes already sounded like grizzled classic rockers on their 1990 debut. While it was certainly a neat trick for a bunch of wasted twenty-somethings to pull off, it hasn't left Chris Robinson and the gang much room for growth."

In addition, Peisner said, the Crowes were "in slavish debt to the Stones, the Allmans and the Faces."

You may recall from subsequent news coverage that Peisner was called out for giving the album an average review without actually having listened to it. The magazine responded by saying that Peisner took an "educated guess" about the Crowes' latest work.

Here's another educated guess, coming from an admitted fan: I'll bet the Black Crowes make no apologies about who they may, or may not, sound like. I'm also guessing that a fair number of fans will be filling the Cotillion next Wednesday for just that reason.