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GURNEE, Ill. -- Womens golf gets off to a running start this week on its return to the Olympics with the UL International Crown, a 32-player, eight-team event that could provide a preview to which nation rules the upcoming Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.Spain won the inaugural title two years ago, but wont be back to defend its title when play begins Thursday at The Merit Club some 40 miles northwest of Chicago. Neither will 2014 runner-up Sweden, which also fell out of the top eight in the rankings, determined by their top four players individual world ranking.A quick glance at the week ahead:THE FAVORITESouth Korea claimed the top seed with all four of its players in the top 12. Sei Young Kim is the top-ranked player in the field at No. 5, joined by Amy Yang, In Gee Chun and So Yeon Ryu.The United States comes in at No. 2, with more LPGA Tour titles (36 to South Koreas 11) and three of its four players -- Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis and Cristie Kerr -- having played in the 2014 event. Gerina Piller, whos still seeking her first LPGA win despite 30 top 10-finishes, will be the only first-timer.No. 3 Japan has the second-youngest squad and No. 4 Australia the most LPGA titles with 43 -- all but two of them belonging to Karrie Webb. The rest of the seeds, in order, are Taiwan, Thailand, England and China.THE FORMATIts a mix of best-ball and singles matches that will look familiar to Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup fans. But instead of two teams going head-to-head, the International Crown begins with two pools.South Korea, Australia, Taiwan and China comprise Pool A. The United States, Japan, Thailand and England make up Pool B.All four team members play two best-ball matches against a different team in their pool the first three days. A win counts for two points; a halved match for one. The two countries atop each pool automatically advances. Third-place countries in each pool meet in a two-player, best-ball playoff immediately after Saturdays matches to advance as the fifth and final country to Sundays singles.Each country will play one singles match against every other country with the same point value in place. The team with the most points earned over four days is crowned the winner. In case of a tie, each team making the playoff picks one player for a hole-by-hole, sudden-death singles match.WHATS AT STAKE?A total of $1.6 million, distributed on a sliding scale. Each player on the first-place team receives $100,000; each player on the eighth-place team gets $30,000.AN OLYMPIC BOUNCE?Most people know golf was included in the Olympics as a team and individual competition in both the 1900 and 1904 games. But women played only in the 1900 event and only as individuals when the gold, silver and bronze medals were swept by U.S. golfers Margaret Abbott, Pauline Whittier and Daria Pratt, respectively.Womens golf has been hit with far fewer Olympic defections than the men so far, and as many as 16 of the 32 players in the International Crown likely will be at the Olympics. NBC and partner Golf Channel will be devoting significant air time to both the International Crown and the Womens British Open the following week as the network hopes to build momentum for the sport heading to Rio.SOUTH KOREA BOUNDThe LPGA Tour announced Wednesday that the 2018 event will be played at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea. The course was the site of the Presidents Cup last year.---TV TIMES (all times Eastern)Thursday-Friday: Noon-4 p.m., Golf ChannelSaturday: 3-7 p.m., Golf ChannelSunday: Noon-2 p.m. (NBC); 2-6 p.m., Golf Channel Steve Grogan Jersey . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Sony Michel Womens Jersey . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/ . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. Rob Gronkowski Womens Jersey . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Tedy Bruschi Patriots Jersey . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. BALTIMORE -- The Houston Astros still have their sights set on a postseason berth and can take another step toward that goal if they take the series against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday at Camden Yards.After dropping the first game Thursday, Houston bounced back with a pair of convincing victories. While the Astros trail the first-place Texas Rangers by 9 1/2 games, they are within striking distance of a wild card berth 4 1/2 games behind Baltimore.The offense has been the key for both teams throughout the series with balls flying out of Camden Yards. The Orioles have hit 13 homers in the three games, while Houston has gone deep nine times.The only silver lining with their power is we kept it to solo homers by most part, or a couple of two-run homers, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said about the Orioles. Theres do doubt that these guys live and die by the home run, more so than any team in baseball. Keeping them in the ballpark is key.Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (7-12, 4.76 ERA) starts for the Astros on Sunday. Keuchel is having an uneven season and has lost three of his past four starts. In his previous outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, he allowed six runs on six hits in five innings in the 8-5 loss.Baltimore counters with Yovani Gallardo (4-4, 5.18). He has struggled to go deep into games this season, competing seven innings only once in 16 starts. On Tuesday, Gallardo gave up three runs on four hits and five walkks in five innings against the Boston Red Sox.dddddddddddd He didnt get a decision in the 5-3 loss.Gallardo was hit in the right elbow on a liner by Dustin Pedroia and there were some initial concerns over whether he would be able to make the next start. But Gallardo said he suffered just a bruise and shrugged off the injury.Its all right, he said. He got me pretty good, but Ill be all right.The Orioles will likely be without four-time All-Star catcher Matt Wieters, who was placed on paternity leave Saturday. He has the option of being away for a maximum of three days.In a corresponding move, catcher Francisco Pena was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. In nine games with Baltimore earlier this season, Pena went 7-for-33.Baltimore manager Buck Showalter is hopeful his team can put the past two losses behind them and salvage a split in the four-game series.Nobody clicks on all phases every night, Showalter said. One day you hoping your offense is enough to cover some deficiency starting, then its something to cover deficiencies in the bullpen maybe you dont catch the ball well that night. ... I can come up with three or four things they didnt do well. but they did something to overcome them. its pretty tough to cover that many runs the last two nights. Its pretty obvious we need to pitch better. ' ' '