Talk about your impact players. All those years the French loathed Armstrong when they should have been loving him.

GREG NORMAN’S RUN AT THE OPEN: Hard to feel too sorry for Greg Norman after coming up short at The Open, golf’s annual showcase for winds strong enough to lift Sergio Garcia and deposit him in the middle of Switzerland.

Norman is a walking business empire whose golden touch applies to everything from fine wines to athletic field turf to quality dining. And he gets to go home to Chris Evert. That may be his most impressive feat yet.

Mike Beas is a sportswriter / columnist for The Herald Bulletin. He can be reached at mike.beas@heraldbulletin.com .