Athletes to watch

Chris Kirk

The 2007 Ben Hogan Award winner while at Georgia as college golf’s top player will be defending the title he won last year at Hogan’s Alley, Fort Worth’s Colonial, in this week’s Dean & DeLuca PGA tournament. Don’t you long for the days when it was known merely as The Colonial?

Crystal Dunn

One of the most prolific scorers in women’s soccer has been shut out in six games this season for the Washington Spirit after leading the NWSL in goals last season with 15. Dunn will try to end the drought Friday night at BBVA Compass Stadium against the Dash. She scored a hat trick against them in a game last August.

Albert Pujols

The Astros will get a close look at him in a three-game series against the Angels that begins Friday night at Anaheim. They hope to see him mainly as a designated hitter as opposed to a first baseman. Going into this week, Pujols, 36, was hitting .313 when playing in the field, .195 when serving as the designated hitter.

James Hinchcliffe

One year ago, he watched the Indianapolis 500 from his hospital bed. Following a crash at the Speedway six days earlier, he almost died from his injuries and missed the last 11 races of the season. On Sunday, he will be in the pole position for the 100th running of the race.

Kyle Larson

He’d like to have as good a week, culminating in Sunday’s night’s NASCAR Charlotte 600, as he did last week, when he was second in a close finish at Dover, won Saturday morning’s Sprint Showdown at Charlotte and returned to the track later to finish second in the Sprint All-Star race.