O.b.

Following the first round of the Senior tour's SBC Championship last week in San Antonio, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem dropped a couple of bombshells at a closed-door meeting with the players. The Commish said he wants to change the name of the over-50 circuit to the Champions tour, as well as ban carts during competition. Both initiatives would take effect next year if they are approved by the Tour policy board. Rebranding the Senior tour is not expected to generate much resistance. "We all understand a lot of sponsors see a negative connotation in the word senior," says Lanny Wadkins, who was there for Finchem's presentation. Idling the carts will be more controversial and could pit the tour's able-bodied against the over-the-hill. "Personally, I prefer to walk," says Wadkins. "I've noticed Tom Kite and Tom Watson do too. But a lot of guys out here, because of age or injury, probably couldn't play without a cart."

? Charles Howell has finally found the right wheels to complement his flashy wardrobe. The second-year pro roared into the Disney Classic in a bright-yellow Hummer H2.

?In other news from the parking lot, 18-year-old Ty Tryon has ditched his Lexus sedan and is now rolling a Cadillac Escalade with $35,000 in custom work, including oversized chrome rims and an eardrum-shattering sound system.

? University of Florida superfan Chris DiMarco toted a Miami Hurricanes headcover throughout the Disney, having lost a bet on the Florida- Miami football game with Briny Baird, a Hurricanes enthusiast.

? Ben Crenshaw, a Friend of George who has enjoyed a number of slumber parties in the White House's Lincoln bedroom, sported an unusual logo on his hat at last week's SBC Championship—the eagle emblem of the Central Intelligence Agency. Upon being interrogated, Crenshaw was typically cryptic, saying that he was showing support for the President and the CIA and "thankfully they're on the same side." Said Crenshaw's caddie, Linn Strickler, "You won't believe the number of people who asked what country club that was."

?Wonder why Robert Allenby accepted an invitation to the 12-man Nedbank Challenge in Sun City, South Africa instead of trying to become the first player in 97 years to win three straight Australian PGA Championships? Last-place money in Sun City is $151,484, or $52,331 more than the first-place dough for the Australian PGA.