Rickie gets first PGA Tour win

CHARLOTTE -- With the late-afternoon North Carolina sun beaming yesterday, the Wells Fargo Championship had just gone to a three-man playoff. The players still standing were Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and D.A. Points.

To put this moment into blunt perspective, Points, who spent most of the day atop the leaderboard boxing out all comers like a basketball power forward in the paint, was an annoying pebble in the tournament’s shoe.

No disrespect to Points, a 35-year-old journeyman, but the masses around the packed grounds at Quail Hollow and watching on TV wanted to see the tournament end one of two ways: Either with McIlroy reaffirming his standing as the best player in the world with a second win in three years at this event or with Fowler capturing his long-awaited first PGA Tour victory.

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ORANGE YOU GLAD? Rickie Fowler celebrates after making a birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte.I

When it was over after one playoff hole, the 18th, and Fowler had emerged as the victor after a perfect tee shot followed by an even better approach shot to four feet followed by the winning birdie putt, even Points found himself caught up in the magnitude of the moment.

“It’s wonderful for the game of golf,’’ Points said. “I’m so happy for Rickie. I’m so happy for golf and the PGA Tour because he is honest-to-goodness a good kid and I really like being around him. He’s got tremendous talent. He deserves all the pub and he certainly deserves this win.’’

An hour before the tournament ended, McIlroy’s father, Gerry, stood outside ropes along the 16th fairway and basked in the drama that was unfolding between his 23-year-old son and the 23-year-old Fowler and said, “It’s good for you guys [reporters] to write about.’’

For Fowler, the win came in his 67th career PGA start and ended any talk of him being one of those overhyped style-over-substance athletes.

“It’s been a long wait, but well worth it,” said Fowler, resplendent in his Cheetos orange outfit from hat to shoes. “I definitely knew I was good enough, and it was just getting everything to come together and stay patient. Obviously there’s a lot of people that have doubted or said ‘you’ll never win,’ so it’s nice to kind of shut them up a little bit.’’

McIlroy, who with the runner-up finish regained his No. 1 world ranking from Luke Donald, who didn’t play this week, was quick to give his Jupiter, Fla., neighbor credit.

“The way he played that playoff hole, he played to win,’’ McIlroy said. “He deserved it after that birdie. I think it was just a matter of time before he won. I played in the Korean Open last year which he won, it was his first win as a pro. And then it seems like this tournament produces firsttime winners, Anthony Kim, myself, now Rickie.’’

Indeed, these grounds have launched careers in recent years.

In 2008, at age 22, Kim got his first PGA Tour here. In 2010, it was McIlroy winning for the first time.

In the playoff, all three players hit the fairway. But it was Fowler’s 133-yard 52-degree wedge that dropped like a butterfly on the slick 18th green that was the difference maker.

Both Points and McIlroy sent their approach shots long above the hole and had difficult two-putts for par. That left the stage to Fowler, who calmly rolled his four-foot winner.

“I hit a perfect shot at the right time and I was going for it,’’ Fowler said of the approach shot. “I definitely didn’t want to play safe.’’

Fowler said as he walked up the fairway to the green he was “just trying to stay as serious as possible and know that I still had a lot of work to do.’’

“You know . . . the four-foot range . . . it seemed longer, but it’s not a gimme,’’ he said. “I tried not to get ahead of myself, focused on the putt and when I got the time to hit it, just focus on hitting a good putt.’’

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

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Beat Heat today or long offseason begins early

Carmelo Anthony was the last player to leave the Knicks’ practice court yesterday, after taking shots from all angles with assistant general manager Allan Houston feeding him passes.

Anthony dripped with sweat at what could have been the season’s last practice. Today is his last stand. He knows it’s going to be a long summer if the Knicks go down with a whimper in Game 4 at the Garden against Miami’s Dream Team in a second straight four-game, first-round sweep.

Injuries, illnesses and fire-extinguisher mishaps notwithstanding, it has been a lousy series for Anthony. Miami, outscoring the Knicks by 60 points in three games, leads 3-0.

Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

SWEEP RELIEF?Carmelo Anthony (right) and the Knicks will try to avoid the embarrassment of a four-game sweep in the opening round of the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs when they face LeBron James and the Heat today at the Garden.

“[Today] is a new day, new attitude,’’ Anthony said. “We want to win. [Today] is a must-win for us or we go home. If we’re ready to go home, then we might as well call it a game. I don’t think guys are ready to go home. Guy are still confident about [today].”

Anthony is shooting 34.5 percent in the series, but hasn’t seemed to accept responsibility for the hole in which the Knicks find themselves. If the Knicks extend their NBA-record playoff losing streak to 14 games today, the bravado will grow tired. Two straight first-round sweeps and eight first-round exits in nine seasons for Anthony is a trend. His brilliant April finish will be a footnote if he stinks it up against LeBron James again today.

“I try not to put pressure on myself and play like that,’’ Anthony said. “Do I want to win? Hell, yeah. It’s tough out there. No excuses. Despite injuries. I never made an excuse about that. [Today] is a big day.’’

It is also a big day for center Tyson Chandler, who almost missed Game 1 with the flu. He beat the Heat in The Finals last June with the Mavericks and wants one more trip to Miami for Game 5 to save face.

“We had real expectations for the team this year,’’ Chandler said. “And the toughest thing is to just make it to the playoffs and then get swept. We have to make sure we stand up and have pride especially on our home floor.’’

Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong in the series, with Iman Shumpert blowing out his knee in Game 1 and Amar’e Stoudemire blowing out the glass of a fire-extinguisher case after Game 2. One victory today, though, and the Knicks can supply one playoff memory that isn’t catastrophic.

“[A sweep] won’t sit well,’’ Chandler said. “Whenever you get swept, it’s embarrassing. You come in and can’t get a game from a team? I definitely don’t want to go out like that.’’

It will be painful for Anthony, who has been outclassed by James in this 1-on-1 showdown. On Friday, interim coach Mike Woodson said he wants Anthony back in better shape next season.

Anthony said he and James, a good friend, haven’t talked once during the series.

“It’s all business,” Anthony said.

James has averaged 27.7 points on 50.9 percent shooting, with 6.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists. Anthony has averaged an inefficient 21 points, 4.0 turnovers, 2.0 assists and 9.0 rebounds.

“I don’t think they’re forced shots,’’ said Anthony, who has also has been covered by Shane Battier. “I have to take the shots they give me. Me, I’m just missing.

“Not winning, it hurts,” Anthony said. “I feel that. I go home at night and think about it.’’

Asked if he regrets the trade that brought him to the Knicks, Anthony said: “It’s been up and down. But for the most part, I don’t regret my decision to come here. It’s been a year-and-a-half. Things haven’t gone the way we wanted it to go, but we still have time. I’m not worried. I love my decision. I stick with my decision. I’m in New York. I’m a New York Knick. I’m going to be here.’’

Whether Woodson blows his chance of a return by getting swept is unlikely, but not certain because of owner James Dolan’s unpredictability. Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald likely will recommend Woodson’s return, since a case could be made the playoff catastrophe was not Woodson’s fault. If the Phil Jackson as coach scenario is investigated, both parties had better be sure they can work together or risk a Larry Brown fiasco.

Woodson, who was former coach Mike D’Antoni’s defensive coach, was 18-6 since gaining control, but said the Knicks’ situation could have been so much different had they not started the season 18-24.

“If we handled our business early in the year, we wouldn’t be in this predicament,’’ Woodson said. “We probably would be hosting the first round. That’s where we have got to get this team. If I’m back, that’s going to be my ultimate goal, to be top four, try to win the division. Hosting the first round at home, that’s important.’’

Woodson said he has to get Anthony, Chandler and Stoudemire to mesh better. This is the Knicks’ locked-in Big 3, with no blockbuster deal on the horizon. The last look may come today and it had better not be an eyesore.

marc.berman@nypost.com

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks, Knicks, Knicks, LeBron James, Mike Woodson ebook download, Miami’s Dream Team, Miami, Miami, Tyson Chandler

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Calder Analysis

Post Time: 12:55 p.m.

FIRST-4 1/2 fur; $19,500; clm($40,000); 2YO

DONTCALLMECHARLEY drops in class after tiring in career debut. STACEYS COMPRISE and entry mate JOANIES IMAGE are firsters that race with Lasix and shows steady works foe career debut. POMPOUS MISS drew the rail for career debut.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

3 Pompous Miss ,118

CLndrs

x-x-x

5-1

4 La Clave ,118

JDelgd

x-x-x

6-1

5 DontcallmchrlyL118

OBcchc

5-x-x

4-1

1 aStacysCmprsM118

JBerris

x-x-x

4-1

2 b-RoyalJoann(M118

ENunez

x-x-x

3-1

1 aJoaniesImagM111

JGonzls

x-x-x

4-1

2 b-OxfordLass(M118

ENunez

x-x-x

3-1

6 StrictlyAmzngM118

LJurad

x-x-x

5-2

SECOND-1m(T); $20,000; alw; 3up(f)

SUSIES GAL cuts back in distance and drew the rail after finishing second last out. ANNIE ROE returns to turf for seasonal debut and seeks third consecutive victory. STARSHIP JODI was an impressive winner going longer in an off the turf race.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 Susies Gal(L),120

L Saez

2-3-7

5-2

2 Lovely Lexus(L),113

SCmch

2-3-10

8-1

3 Budidinha ,115

AGnzlz

2-2-3

12-1

4 Annie Roe(L),120

J Leyva

1-1-3

6-1

5 MykndfldyfrndL113

HSnchz

3-6-1

6-1

6 CatchThatKittnL120

JDelgd

4-1-6

4-1

7 WthMmsBlsngL120

LJurad

7-3-2

4-1

8 Starship Jodi(L),123

F Jara

1-4-1

3-1

9 LoganSquare(L)120

JSantn

1-6-5

3-1

10 SweetRepntncL120

JSantn

2-1-2

15-1

THIRD-5 fur; $10,500; clm($12,50); 3,4&5YO

HOT STEPPING LASS races with Lasix and shows steady works while prepping for career debut. COPIA DE ORO goes turf to dirt and cuts back in distance after running evenly last out. EMMANUELA cuts back in distance after tiring in most recent.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 PrincessPersiaL123

PMntrJ

10-x-x

15-1

2 NiteAttheMovsL111

SMrgh

11-8-6

8-1

3 Copla de Oro(L),113

JRdrgz

7-9-11

3-1

4 WildcatSierra(L116

SCmch

8-7-4

5-1

5 HotStppngLssM111

JGonzls

x-x-x

2-1

6 Body Heat(L),116

DBrnrd

7-9-7

12-1

7 Emmanuela(L),118

CLndrs

7-6-6

6-1

8 WarrantorsBllM113

Y Ortiz

x-x-x

6-1

FOURTH-1 1/16mT; $19,500; cl($40,0); 3YO

AMERICAN DOE drew the rail after finishing second at this level while going shorter. JAMIES BOY drops in class for turf debut after finishing fourth in the slop. COSMO THE COMET closed to finish second at Tampa Bay while going shorter.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Odds

1 AmericanDoe(L)122

L Saez

2-3-6

3-1

2 Black Ace(L),122

LJurad

4-x-x

10-1

3 CosmotheCmtL122

CLndrs

2-6-10

6-1

4 SkiffsBrwmstrL122

J Leyva

5-3-5

6-1

5 PiratesinpardsL122

F Jara

3-6-10

8-1

6 It's a Sin(L),122

OBcchc

7-6-5

10-1

7 ImperadorSarvL122

J Rios

6-x-x

8-1

8 PraetorianGrdM122

JSantn

x-x-x

15-1

9 Jamie's Boy(L),122

M Cruz

4-3-3

4-1

10 Mr. Topia(L),122

CPenlb

2-9-9

15-1

11 Blue King(L),122

EDmng

3-6-5

20-1

12 ZenImperialism,117

JRdrgz

6-7-9

20-1

13 SuperZumba(L),122

JSantn

4-2-4

20-1

Next >

1

2

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Disney, ‘Avengers’ $hoot for boffo box-office take

“The Avengers,” from Disney’s Marvel Studios, looks set to blow the doors of the traditional start of the summer movie season.

The superhero extravaganza has the buzz and advance sale to ring up the biggest opening weekend in North American movie history, with a box office of $170 million, according to a Boxoffice.com projection

Other estimates have its weekend take at $150 million.

THE POST'S 'AVENGERS' REVIEW

'AVENGERS' ADVANCE TICKET SALES SOARING

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2” released last year, currently holds the record at $169.2 million.

AP

That’s Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) blasting the competition to kingdom come. Early reports suggest that Disney’s “The Avengers” will celebrate the best money-making weekend in US history.

Directed by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon, “The Avengers,” with a budget of about $200 million, opened on some screens at midnight last night.

“This is going to make Disney’s Marvel purchase look so smart and make people quickly forget about ‘John Carter,’ ” said RBC Capital media analyst David Bank, referring to Disney’s big flop under now departed Disney studio boss, Rich Ross.

Ross resigned under pressure last month.

Sources speculate that Disney didn’t want Ross sharing the positive halo of “The Avengers.”

“This is what a Disney franchise should be. It’s got great consumer products and ancillary revenue potential,” said Bank.

The movie features a host of Marvel characters including “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” “The Hulk” and “Black Widow.”

Hollywood Stock Exchange is predicting the movie will bring in $400 million domestically.

Boxoffice.com’s Phil Contrino told The Post, “Disney has been very aggressive in its marketing on Facebook and Twitter and in TV spots.”

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Marvel Studios, Scarlett Johansson, The Avengers, Disney studio, North American movie, Joss Whedon

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Knicks lose to Heat; trail series 3-0

The Knicks played without Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert and Jeremy Lin. As it turned out, they also played without Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony said before the game he had to be “great’’ and instead he became a great no-show.

Before a fired-up Garden crowd, the Knicks fought for three quarters but fell apart in the fourth as Anthony disintegrated and failed to lead a depleted roster to a big upset.

With Anthony’s wire-to-wire dud performance highlighting a sickly offense that shot 31.9 percent, the Knicks set the NBA record with their 13th straight playoff loss. Last time the Knicks won a playoff game — April 29, 2001 — LeBron James was a high school sophomore in Akron.

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THIS IS THE END: Baron Davis can only watch in the fourth quarter as the Heat pulled away, putting the Knicks one loss from the end of their season.

With Amar’e Stoudemire sitting on the bench in a beige suit, his arm in a sling, the Knicks got shattered during a 29-14 fourth-quarter when a foul-plagued James became his superstar self and extended this five-day, first-round nightmare.

James banged in eight straight points to start the fourth quarter, finished with 17 in the period, 32 overall and the Miami Dream Team romped to an 87-70 victory and 3-0 series lead.

The Knicks’ season should mercifully end in Game 4 Sunday at the Garden to close the landslide. At least the Garden’s fire extinguishers remained intact after this blowout.

Anthony finished with 22 empty points on a dreadful 7-for-23 shooting and five turnovers, dogged by Shane Battier.

“We’re not moping around, we’re not hanging our heads,’’ said Anthony, who is shooting 34.5 percent in the series and 36.2 percent in the playoffs as a Knick. “I am not allowing us to do that.”

He is one loss away from being bounced out of the first round for the eighth time in his nine seasons.

“I wouldn’t say they shut me down,’’ Anthony said. “I am missing shots that I normally make.’’

Melo heard groans late in the fourth after missing another jumper. Highlighting the hopelessness was several Knicks bolting the locker room before reporters arrived — even ever-optimistic guys like Steve Novak and Landry Fields.

“Offensively, we just didn’t have it,’’ said interim coach Mike Woodson, who has lost six straight playoff games by double-digits, dating to his days with the Hawks. “We were so stagnant. I have to take the blame for it.’’

The blame can largely rest on Anthony, again outclassed by James. Anthony blamed the Heat attentive D, not himself.

“I think they just try to make it hard on me,’’ Anthony said. “They make my catches hard out there. They beat me up as much as they can. They throw everything at you.’’

King James was sloppy early and committed eight turnovers. The Garden relished in his early foibles with profane chants, but James made 12-of-13 free throws and finished a respectable 9-of-21.

“Melo’s a great player, man. He’s played great basketball his whole life,’’ James said. “Shane was player of the game. He did an unbelievable job on Melo.’’

With Stoudemire out with a surgically repaired hand, Woodson turned to Novak, making his first-ever playoff start and fifth of his career. He had nothing. Novak went scoreless in 22 minutes, missing both shots.

“They did a great job not leaving him,’’ Woodson said.

Novak is no longer getting the open looks he had a month ago. Meanwhile, J.R. Smith kept firing away and shot 5-of-18, overshadowing his two crazy dunks.

“They’re too athletic and they swarm and we played right into their hands,’’ said Tyson Chandler, who had 15 rebounds and 10 points. “We have to move the ball more.’’

Dwyane Wade finished with 20 points. He took over the third quarter, scoring eight straight points, including two straight 3-pointers. Anthony, meanwhile, never got unleashed, even as James sat on the bench after picking up his fourth foul in the third quarter. The Heat moved ahead 58-53 late in the third when Anthony made a blunder in the final minute, getting stripped by Wade, who went in for a fastbreak dunk.

Melo was 1-of-4 from 3-point land and 1-of-9 on treys in the series.

“They are doubling him and forcing him into tough shots,’’ Woodson said.

Holding the Heat without a field goal for a 10:09 span, the Knicks took a 40-36 at halftime before a supercharged playoff crowd. There was a 14-0 run and an 11-point second-quarter lead.

But the fun and noise didn’t last and the season looks over.

marc.berman@nypost.com

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Jets waive Pitoitua

The Jets cleared some space on a crowded defensive line yesterday by waiving Ropati Pitoitua.

The 6-foot-8 Pitoitua became expendable after the Jets drafted defensive end Quinton Coples with their first-round pick in last week’s NFL Draft.

Pitoitua played in 14 games last season for the Jets after recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in the 2010 preseason. He had 19 tackles and one sack.

The team also officially announced the signing of kicker Josh Brown and long snapper Derek Chard.

brian.costello@nypost.com

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Infamy one playoff loss away for Knicks

Mike Vaccaro
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On April 29, 2001, Roger Clemens allowed four hits over 7 1⁄3 innings at Yankee Stadium, earning his 263rd career victory as the Yankees beat the A’s, 3-1. On April 29, 2001, the football Giants threw five years and $20 million at defensive end Kenny Holmes, luring him from the Titans. Benny Agbayani made a couple of errors in the outfield for the Mets in St. Louis.

On April 29, 2001, Alec Baldwin found himself in hot water for having confronted a heckler … and First Daughter Jenna Bush was dealing with an underage drinking charge at the University of Texas … and Sen. Hillary Clinton weighed in on the Amadou Diallo shooting, saying, “I am very disappointed in the NYPD” …

Janet Jackson topped the pop charts with “All For You.” On TV, the finale of “Survivor: Australian Outback” eked out a win over “ER” for the top-rated show of the week. “Driven” outdueled “Bridget Jones’ Diary” at the movie box office. And on Broadway, 10 days after its premiere, “The Producers” was starting to look like it might be a keeper.

Oh, yes — the Knicks won a basketball game that night, too.

They beat the Raptors at AirCanada Centre, 97-89, to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. They did it without two starters — Marcus Camby was back in New York dealing with a family issue; Larry Johnson never left the bench. And they won anyway. It may be hard to believe, but it was a quintessential Knicks playoff win in those days: against the odds, against the grain.

“You always hear that that is the trademark of this team,” said Othella Harrington, whom the Knicks acquired from the Grizzlies midway through that season. “This team is known for when things go bad they rally together. This is a prime example.”

Well, it was then. But to be fair: That was 4,022 days ago. A lot of stuff can happen in 96,528 hours.

“Sure, it’s an incentive, but God, again, and I’m not one for excuses — this team hasn’t been together that long,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said yesterday, on the eve of the Knicks’ playoff debut at the Garden, the team already staring at a 2-0 hole and upping the degree of difficulty of their 2001 forebears, missing three starters.

“There are a lot things that are at stake here. Yeah, expectations are high. It’s been that way all year. And it’s gonna always be that way if I’m the coach. ... We still control our own destiny here. I’m thinking about Game 3, trying to get a game under our belts and see if we can force the action.”

It’s swell that Woodson doesn’t want to hang the darkness of a desperate decade and change on his team, but that’s the way these things work. There wasn’t one man on the Red Sox these past few years who was even alive in 1946, many weren’t in 1967, few could remember 1975 or 1986. But history is an inheritance in sports. Ask the Jets: Joe Namath isn’t just a voice on the radio every week during the regular season. He occupies a roster spot: chief ghost.

So it is with these Knicks. It is amusing checking out the stories of those Knicks of 2001, the first season post-Patrick, the players he left behind still lauded, nightly, as gallant warriors. They would lose Games 3 and 4 to those Raptors, then tumble into a choking sinkhole, emerging only for four playoff losses to the Nets in 2004, four more to the Celtics last year, and the first two of this quarterfinal series with the Heat.

“Nobody ever said it was going to be easy,” Carmelo Anthony said.

No, probably not. But nobody ever said it was going to be impossible, either. Nobody would ever have believed you that Sunday afternoon 4,022 days ago if you had told them that, by week’s end, the Knicks would begin a streak of 12 straight playoff losses that, if it reaches 13 tonight, will set an NBA record for postseason futility.

Forget why the Knicks play tonight: out of pride, out of defiance, out of fear. This is a record nobody wants a part of. Doesn’t matter how long any of them have been here. If it happens it’s theirs to share. Forever.

michael.vaccaro@nypost.com

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