Is Carson Palmer ready? Which rookies could make an impact with the Bengals in 2004? Coach Marvin Lewis will join Cincinnati.Com for an online discussion.

Log on with your questions today beginning at noon.

USA qualifies for '06 Olympics

The United States secured an automatic berth into the 2006 Olympics without playing Monday at the world championships in the Czech Republic. Finland ousted Russia 4-0 to give the Americans a boost into the tournament quarterfinals and guarantee that they will be ranked among the world's top eight countries when the championships are over.

Singh beats Lefty for HP Classic win

Vijay Singh made a 25-foot birdie on the 18th hole Monday to win the rain-delayed HP Classic in New Orleans, denying Masters champion Phil Mickelson his second straight victory and Joe Ogilvie his first title. Singh overcame a six-shot deficit in the last eight holes, using an eagle on No. 15 to shoot 29 on the back nine for a round of 63. Ogilvie almost forced a playoff after Singh's putt, but his blast from a bunker missed by an inch.

Singh finished at 266 and became the first three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, taking $918,000 of the $5.1 million purse. He also won last Monday at the rain-interrupted Houston Open. Mickelson and Ogilvie were a stroke back at 267.

Flesch one of 64 golfers exempt for U.S. Open

The United States Golf Association has accepted a record 8,726 entries - with ages ranging from 13 to 81 - for the U.S. Open June 17-20 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

The number is 258 entries higher than the previous record for the 2002 Open at Bethpage (N.Y.) State Park.

Northern Kentuckian Steve Flesch is among 64 golfers, including six past champions, fully exempt from having to qualify. Flesch is exempt for finishing in the top 30 on the 2003 PGA Tour money list.

Jim Furyk, who won last year at Olympia Fields outside Chicago, won't be able to defend because he's recovering from wrist surgery.

Maketewah County Club hosts one of the U.S. Open local qualifiers on May 24.

Hockey

AROUND THE NHL: Avalanche winger Paul Kariya returned to practice for the first time in a month and could be ready for Game 6 tonight against San Jose, which leads the series 3-2. Kariya has missed all 10 of Colorado's playoff games after spraining his right ankle in the season finale April 4.

• Leafs defenseman Ken Klee will miss Game 6 against Philadelphia tonight because of a knee injury. The Flyers lead the series 3-2.

• Brian Burke is out as president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Calgary.

• Blues forward Mike Danton returned to the St. Louis area from California to face charges in an alleged murder-for-hire plot.

Horse racing

BONUS INSURED: Oaklawn Park president Charles Cella and his family locked up insurance coverage for the $5 million Centennial Bonus two days before Smarty Jones won the prize with his Kentucky Derby victory. The $5 million was offered to any horse that won the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn and the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Smarty Jones completed the trifecta Saturday when he caught the pacesetting Lion Heart at the top of the stretch and pulled away to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

PREAKNESS: Limehouse, the fourth-place finisher in the Derby, will not run in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown on May 15 at Pimlico.

Colleges

NKU SOFTBALL: Sophomore pitcher Krystal Lewallen was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year by the coaches. Lewallen is 28-3 entering the NCAA Division II Tournament and has led the Norse to a 51-5 record.

She leads the GLVC in strikeouts (272), innings pitched (221.2), wins (28) and earned-run average (0.28 ERA). Lewallen also has a GLVC-leading 16 shutouts this season and has limited opposing hitters to a .130 batting average in 2004.

Junior center fielder Stephanie Leimbach and sophomore second baseman Ricki Rothbauer joined Lewallen as first-team selections. Junior first baseman Angie Lindeman and junior pitcher Emily Breitholle were named to the second team. NKU's Kathy Bown was named GLVC Coach of the Year.

High schools

COLLEGE SIGNINGS: Zach Welter of La Salle has signed to play basketball with Christian Brothers University, a Division II school in Memphis. The 6-foot-4 Welter is a swingman who averaged 9.2 points last season.

• Greg Frey of Princeton, a three-year starter on the Vikings' offensive line, has committed to play football at Thomas More College.

BASEBALL: Matt Heber pitched a perfect game in Batavia's 8-0 win over Clinton-Massie. The senior struck out 14 batters in a row, including every batter he faced in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Heber (4-1) finished with 17 strikeouts.