1.   And once the tournament begins, the venue will not matter as much to the players as the result.

2.   As more bass tournaments began to be organized, the demands by tournament anglers soon called for larger, faster boats and better equipment.

3.   As the Big East tournament begins Saturday, Connecticut faces a huge two-pronged challenge.

4.   Before the tournament began, an overweight Maradona and the Argentine national soccer team were disparaged by the public, playing poorly and standing little chance of winning.

5.   Before the tournament began, Couples predicted that McCarron would do well at Augusta.

6.   Before the tournament began, DiCicco said he would take whatever minutes Akers could provide.

7.   Before the tournament began, he had proclaimed himself fit as a fiddle and ready be a threat at the French Open.

8.   Before the tournament began, Crenshaw was no more than an afterthought.

9.   But Detroit has lost the aura of invincibility and the air of inevitability that surrounded them when the tournament began a month ago.

10.   But for Woods, the tournament was only beginning.