|
- Posts:
- 359
- Group:
- Members
- Member
- #158
- Joined:
- Nov 20, 2012
|
KIAWAH ISLAND, S. Terrell Suggs Jersey .C. -- The breakthrough moment Thursday wasnt just the sun shining over Kiawah Island. It was Carl Pettersson breaking 70 for the first time in 21 tries at the PGA Championship to take the lead, Rory McIlroy flashing that boyish smile and bashing tee shots. And yes, even John Daly showing there might be another cycle left in that up-and-down career. Pettersson, a winner earlier this year in South Carolina down the coast at Hilton Head, got the best of the weather on a steamy day on the Ocean Course and didnt waste the opportunity. He made three birdies in four holes, never dropped a shot and wound up with a 6-under 66. "There really wasnt much wind on the front nine, so I knew I had to keep going low because I figured the wind would get up," Pettersson said. "The wind started blowing a little bit on the back nine, and I carried on solid play. So it was a great day for me." It was a good day for Tiger Woods, nothing more. Despite having to get up-and-down for bogey on three holes, he made enough birdie putts for a 69, a reasonable start as he tries to end the longest drought of his career in the majors. This is his 14th major since he won his last one in 2008, and the last one of an otherwise good season. "Anything in the 60s is going to be a good start in a major championship," Woods said. "And Im right there." He had plenty of company, some players who had not been heard from in a while, others that were all too familiar. Gary Woodland, who started the season with a new coach (Butch Harmon) and injured himself working too hard on the changes, is feeling better and hitting it longer than ever. He opened with a 67, as did McIlroy and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. "I drove the ball the best Ive driven it all year," Woodland said, one of the most powerful players in the game. "And when I drive it like that, Im playing a game that most guys cant play out here." Daly made an eagle on the par-5 11th hole and was in the group at 68 that included former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and defending PGA champion Keegan Bradley, who had a birdie-eagle start before he settled into his round. Adam Scott, in his first major since throwing away the British Open with four bogeys on his last four holes, quickly got back into the mix with a 68, one of the better scores from the late starters. The flags started to ripple in the afternoon, though not enough to make Kiawah as frightening as it can be. With so much rain over the last week, including storms that limited practice time before the championship began, the greens were soft and fairways slow. Those were the kind of conditions McIlroy had when he shattered the scoring record at the U.S. Open last summer at Congressional. More than soft conditions, though, was that bounce in his step while walking down the fairway after blistering his tee shots. He hit 10 drivers, most of them were he was aiming. McIlroy was bogey-free, and while he failed to make birdie on a couple of the par 5s, he picked up a shot on the field at the 249-yard 14th hole, which features severe slopes off every corner of the green. Leave it to the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland to hit a towering 3-iron that settled 12 feet from the flag, one of only six birdies on the par 3 in the first round. McIlroy has been a disappointment in the majors this year -- much of his season has gone the wrong direction since he briefly rose to No. 1 in the world after winning the Honda Classic in March -- but got a pep talk from putting coach Dave Stockton and has spent more time playing instead of practicing technique. Perhaps some luck is starting to come his way, too. Last month at the British Open, he drilled a young kid in the head and the ball bounced out-of-bounds. On Thursday, he badly pulled his tee shot on the scary par-3 17th. The ball could have gone anywhere except that it hit a woman on the hip and bounced toward the green into a bunker. That led to a simple up-and-down for par, one of the few nervous moments McIlroy had all day. "Its becoming a habit hitting people in the majors, so try not to do that again," McIlroy said. Sure, he missed some birdie opportunities, though he was more interested in some of the birdies he made and was satisfied with his start. "It was a fair reflection of how I played," he said. There was no doubting that Thursday might have been the best chance to post a score. More storms are in the forecast for later in the week, and just enough wind could make it more difficult to find birdies. "Im expecting this to be the best day of the week," McIlroy said. "I think everyone is. So we know that theres going to b e a bit of wind coming in and maybe a bit of bad weather. Its just something that youre going to have to deal with, and Im just happy that I got off to a great start." Equally thrilled was Daly, who showed up 21 years ago as the ninth alternate in the PGA Championship and introduced his "grip-it-and-rip-it" style to win by three shots at Crooked Stick. Daly hasnt had his full PGA Tour card in more than six years, though he is starting to show some form. He tied for fifth last week in the Reno-Tahoe Open, his highest finish on the PGA Tour since 2005. "To just free wheel it is the only way I can get my confidence back instead of worrying about bad breaks and worrying about this and worrying about what somebody else is doing," Daly said. "I only need to worry about what Im doing and go out and attack and play golf and enjoy it." There was plenty to like in the opening round. Stifling heat, sure, but this is the South in August. Sweat was pouring off the faces of players as early as 8 a.m. Splendid views of the Atlantic over the dunes made it tolerable, as did the number of birdies available. Three of the last four major champions used belly putters, and Pettersson kept that topic alive with a long putter that he anchors to the chest. He has been using a broom putter since he was a sophomore in college, and he is opposed to the idea of banning any putter that anchors to the body. If it were that easy, he reasons, everyone would be using them. Thats not to say he wouldnt adapt if the putters were ever banned, a possibility as early as 2016. "Well, Id have to," said Pettersson, a Swede who moved to North Carolina as a teenager and became an American citizen last year. "Ive got a high school diploma. What else am I going to do?" Joe Flacco Elite Jersey . Thornhill, Ont.s, Milos Raonic and Laval, Que.s, Aleksandra Wozniak won their respective singles matches earlier in the day. The Canadian duo held off the Romanians in a lengthy second set, eventually sealing the game in a tiebreaker on the fourth match point. Marshal Yanda Jersey . Covello shot a 66 to erase a four-shot deficit behind Killmer, who shot a 70 as both players moved to 13 under after three rounds. http://www.shoptheravensjersey.com/ray-lewis-jerseys .Y. -- Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will dress for the first time in nearly three weeks when the Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. Haloti Ngata Pink Jersey . Phillip Gannon was seen on live television making a racially offensive monkey gesture during the FA Cup fourth-round match between the sides. The normally heated atmosphere was even more volatile because it was the first match between the clubs since Liverpool forward Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Evra. Torrey Smith Youth Jersey . According to RDS, its a two-way deal that will pay him $803,250 in the NHL. Geoffrion, the great-grandson of Howie Morenz and grandson of Bernie Geoffrion, was acquired in a trade package from the Nashville Predators for defenceman Hal Gill last season.DENVER -- Denver Nuggets reserve centre Chris "Birdman" Andersen was excused indefinitely from all team-related activities after sheriffs deputies searched his home Thursday as part of an investigation by the departments Internet Crimes Against Children unit. The team announced its decision shortly before the Nuggets faced the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of their playoff series. The team said Anderson was excused "as he deals with the reported investigation" and declined further comment. The 10th-year pro hasnt played in the post-season after averaging 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds during the regular season. Douglas County Sheriffs spokesman Ron Hanavan confirmed that the search took place. Andersen has not been arrested and Hanavan said no arrest warrant has been issued. The department began investigating Andersen in February after receiving information from a law enforcement agency in California. Hanavan declined to release details, including the nature of any pending charges, citing an ongoing investigation. He said theyre asking that the case, including the search warrant, be sealed. Andersen answered the door at his Larkspur, Colo., home, about 40 miles south of Denver, and let deputies in, said Deborah Sherman, another sheriffs spokesperson. "He did co-operate. He spoke with deputies," Sherman said. The unit investigating Andersen investigates child porn, Internet luring, child predators and child pornography. The sheriffs office said it recovered property from Andersens home that investigators believe is connected with the case. Sherman said items typically seized by the unit include computers, hard drives, and thumb drives, though she said she could not provide details on what items were seized from Andersens home, citing the ongoing investigation. An arrest is not imminent, Sherman said, saying that it typically takes several weeks to a month for investigators to collect evidence from the seized items. Mark Bryant, who serves as Andersens agent and attorney, said: "At this time, I respect the process and I have no further comment to protect the integrity of everyone involved. Well proceed from there." A message left at Andersens home wasnt immediately returned. "For me right now, I think Im at a stage where I dont know enough information," Nuggets coach George Karl said before Thursday nights game. "I think we all were advised probably not to talk about it until we know the information. The only thing I will say is I trust Chris. In my years with him, hes been fantastic. I think hes really grown as a person. Were going to support him and stand by him.&" Andersen is in his seventh season in Denver, although his playing time dropped dramatically this season as young players gobbled up more minutes. Courtney Upshaw Jersey. "Hes been dealt a bad hand by me," Karl said. "For a guy thats played great basketball for me and the Nuggets over the years, (hes) kind of been phased out because of the youth movement, and in the middle of the season is not always fair. I personally think Bird is a very good basketball player, can play for many NBA teams. He could play for us someday, if the situation would open itself up again." Karl said he had a chance to speak with Andersen after the morning practice. "He was emotional. I was in a state where I didnt think, I didnt want to spend a lot of time on that," Karl said. As for how the news might affect his team on the court, Karl wasnt quite sure. "I think enough guys individually have been told whats going on. I dont think we have the full information, the full story to analyze or scrutinize," Karl said. "Like I said before, I trust Bird. I think Bird will figure this out." Andersen has a history of helping out charities during his time in Denver and New Orleans, where he played from 2004-08. According to the Nuggets media guide, Andersen raised money for Mount Saint Vincent, a home for troubled and abused children, and was honoured at the homes 2009 Silver Bell Ball. Hes also involved with Alliance for Choice in Education, which provides scholarships for low-income families to use in private schools. His middle name is Claus, and he dressed up as Santa to raise money for ACE in 2009, according to his media guide bio. He also helped with hunger initiatives while with the Hornets. With his colorful tattoos and high-flying, shot-blocking act, Andersen has long been a favourite with the fans in the Mile High City. Andersen began his career in Denver in 2001, before bolting to New Orleans three seasons later. He had a breakout season with the Hornets in 2004-05, only to have his career derailed by drugs. He was kicked out of the NBA on Jan. 27, 2006, for violating the leagues drug policy. Following a ban that lasted more than two years, Andersen returned to New Orleans late in 2008, playing in five games and blocking four shots. Andersen then rejoined Denver for the 2008-09 season, providing a spark off the bench and swatting 175 shots in the regular season. His play around the rim helped the Nuggets make a run to the Western Conference finals, where they fell to the Lakers in six games. Andersen parlayed that big season into a five-year deal he signed with Denver in July 2009. ' ' '
|