Also favored to medal is Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailan

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen has become Formula Ones most popular driver worldwide.Verstappens popularity was clear to see at the Belgian Grand Prix, with swathes of Dutch fans making the trip across the border to see him race. The Dutchman has courted controversy since that race, getting into a spat with Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen over his driving at Spa and his subsequent refusal to accept blame.Marko thinks the fans like the traits Verstappen has demonstrated in his short career so far.Probably we are lacking strong personalities lately, Marko told F1.com. On top, there are drivers doing their last season, so they are complaining about Max, about safety, about anything.With Max, here is someone who is really young with a strong idea of what he wants - and he is not shy of trying to get it, of trying to be successful. And the reaction of the fans plays to his advantage. I would say he is probably now the most popular driver on the grid - worldwide.The negative comments about Verstappen come in a season which has already seen Verstappen become F1s youngest race winner in Spain. He has also turned in memorable drives in Canada and Great Britain, where he pulled off an early candidate for overtake of the season on Nico Rosberg.?Marko thinks the recent criticism levelled at the driver he once compared to Ayrton Senna has been unjustified.Nothing is justified. Max is a different calibre. He has the traits of a future world champion and he is just doing what is necessary to get there.It obviously surprises some that this also involves overtaking and defending. If there had been something gravely wrong, the stewards would have penalised him. Air Force 1 Red Sale .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Cheap Sf Af1 . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. http://www.airforce1storesale.com/fake-air-force-1-red-outlet.html . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Air Force 1 Black Cheap . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Air Force 1 Clearance . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Inbee Park, the most decorated major champion in the Olympics, finished her final practice round Tuesday when LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan walked by with a smile and a question.Four more years? he said to her.For now, the only certainly for the seven-time major champion is four more rounds.Park secured her place in LPGA history two months ago when the 28-year-old became the youngest player to qualify for the Hall of Fame. That was her last event on the LPGA Tour as she battles ligament injuries in her left thumb.She hasnt broken par on the LPGA Tour since April. She is ready to start a family. Retirement is approaching. She had every reason to sit out the Olympics, and there was no shortage of South Koreans ready to step in.But this is one event Park wasnt about to miss.I didnt want to push myself to play in a bad body condition because youre representing your country and you want to be in the best form as much as you can, Park said. I really left it until the last minute to see if I can really play or not. ... When its something that nobody wants to miss, its a very special opportunity.Three days after Justin Rose won the first Olympic gold medal in golf in 112 years, the women take over at Olympic Golf Course.Unlike the men, there was never any question about playing.Nine of the top 10 in the womens world ranking are competing, compared with a mens Olympic field that included only four of the top 10. Missing from the womens event is Ha Na Jang at No. 10, but only because South Korea had already filled its allotment of four players. The Americans have three qualifiers, while no other country had more than two.Lydia Ko, the No. 1 player in the world, is the lone representative of New Zealand.Most of them were on the course Sunday afternoon, either watching the men finish or hearing the cheers as they practiced.Golf in the Olympics got a lot of bad press, American Stacy Lewis said. It was good to see the guys, how much they appreciated being here and being part of it. If things didnt go as well as they did, Id be worried. But seeing how excited they were before the medals were awarded ... exceeded everybodys expectations.Lewis said she had this date circled in red when she qualified, calling it the most important week of the year besides my wedding. Ten days agoo she got married to Houston womens golf coach Gerrod Caldwell.dddddddddddd.Lexi Thompson and Gerina Piller round out the American trio. Ko and Brooke Henderson of Canada are Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, both with majors this year. Also favored to medal is Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who picked up her fourth LPGA victory of the year at the Womens British Open.The South Koreans, however, have been a force in womens golf.They have an icon as their team leader, Se Ri Pak, perhaps the most prominent pioneer in golf of any other country. Park was 10 when she was awoken in the middle of the night by her parents cheering at the TV as Pak won the 1998 U.S. Womens Open. The next day, Park had a golf club in her hand for the first time.Ten years later, she won the U.S. Womens Open and eventually reached the top of her sport, capped off by a 2013 season in which she won the first three majors. She has been going at it hard for nearly two decades, and she hedged when asked if the Olympics might be her finale.Still to come for the LPGA Tour is one last major, the Evian Masters next month in France. She said she would have to wait to see how she feels.As for retirement?I really dont know yet, Park said. Id like to have a family soon, and thats probably my priority maybe the next couple years. But I really dont know whats going to happen if I have a baby or after I have a family, whether Im going to come back. Im just in between how to plan the rest of my career.For now, its all about the Olympics.She got her week off to a great start by making a hole-in-one on the sixth hole during practice on Monday. She played a Korean LPGA event a few weeks ago to test her game. Golf was voted back into the Olympics a year after she won her first major, and Park has been preparing for this moment ever since.I think everybody feels pretty lucky that we are here representing South Korea, she said. Competing against all the best in the world, in the Olympic Games, what weve never done before, its such a special feeling. I dont know when is going to be our next time to be able to do it.---This story has been corrected to show that no other country has more than two players in the field. ' ' '