Tour Report: Watch: Finchem on Tiger, Rory, more (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
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Danica returns to NASCAR, still weighing options
June 30, 2011
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—Danica Patrick remains unaffected by the swirl of speculation that trails her everywhere, saying she has no timetable for making a choice about her racing future.
Patrick reiterated Thursday at Daytona International Speedway that she’s in no hurry to chose between IndyCar and NASCAR.
“These issues, as I’ve said from the beginning of the year, are complex and they take time,” Patrick stated before the Nationwide Series practice. “Whether I’m coming here or not has yet to be signed, sealed and delivered. I might not be. Only time will tell. That timeline on my side of things, I’m truly not sure. All I know is that I’m told I have a job to do in the vehicle and you do your job and we’ll do our job and they fill me in from time to time. But it’s only July.”
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – JUNE 30: &hellip Getty Images – Jun 30, 7:16 pm EDT NASCAR Gallery
Patrick’s pending decision has been a significant subject of conversation all season, a lot of it coming as she jumped from NASCAR to the IndyCar Series and back once again.
Discovering success in both series could make her choice even tougher. She was fourth in a Nationwide race at Las Vegas in March, the finest finish for a female driver in NASCAR history, and has posted four top-10s in her last five IndyCar events. She also led 10 laps in the Indianapolis 500, a brief stint out front that left her hungry for an additional shot at open-wheel’s showcase event.
So what will sway her?
“It comes down to my gut and my desire and where I feel like I’ll be the happiest and where I really feel like I’ll be in a position to have the most success,” she stated. “And then from those thoughts my team explores the selections. But it generally begins with where I want to be.”
Patrick expressed little concern about reports her main sponsor, GoDaddy.com, is being sold and said it would have no impact on her future.
The domain-name registration business identified for its racy Super Bowl ads is reportedly close to becoming bought by two private investment firms for up to $2.5 billion. Patrick stated GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons hasn’t said something about a pending deal.
“It hasn’t affected my day,” Patrick stated. “Still working with all the identical folks. I don’t know if it’s accurate. … Unless I hear from Bob and he tells me it’s been sold, it’s all speculation till that point. For me, it’s all status quo.”
Parsons nixed rumors about a possible sale earlier in the year, Patrick stated, but has been mum in recent weeks.
“I don’t forget this came up in the early component of the year,” Patrick said. “He called and told me that it wasn’t true, and that was it. I haven’t heard from him about it. I don’t know if that indicates it’s becoming accomplished or if it’s not going to be carried out. Perhaps they don’t know that answer either.
“So I guess that why it’s still in speculation mode as opposed to reported accurate or reported false. Will that affect my relationship with them? I don’t know. It may possibly not alter anything. It may alter every little thing. I’m not really positive. But like I said, right now for me it’s still status quo. We’re just attempting to do a very good job for them and represent them well.”
Patrick finished 10th in her last Nationwide race in Chicago in early June, and will return to IndyCar next week in Toronto.
This weekend, though, she will attempt to hone her abilities at Daytona. She was 14th at NASCAR’s most well-known track in the Nationwide season opener in spite of struggling with some aspects of the new tandem racing. She turned two laps in practice Thursday before scrapping the wall and returning to the garage.
“I need to have some practice,” she stated. “I want to be efficient at it, very good at it, ahead of the race begins.”
Amundson opts to remain with Warriors
June 30, 2011
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—Golden State Warriors forward Lou Amundson has toldthe team that he is exercising the player selection on his contract for nextseason.
The Warriors also announced Thursday that they waived forward Jeff Adrien(notes).Both moves came before the begin of the NBA lockout on Friday.
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Amundson appeared in 46 games for the Warriors last season, averaging 4.3points and 4. rebounds. Overall throughout his five-year NBA career, he hasaveraged 4.1 points and three.7 rebounds in 228 typical-season games with Utah,Philadelphia, Phoenix and Golden State.
Adrien appeared in 23 games over two stints with the Warriors last season,averaging two.five points and two.five rebounds per game.
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Tour Report: Compton struggles to 76 (PGATOUR.com)
June 30, 2011
Martin/Getty ImagesErik Compton is playing for the fifth week in a row.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — It’s understandable that Erik Compton would have a letdown after winning the Mexico Open on the Nationwide Tour last week and that’s exactly what happened Thursday a Aronimink, where he shot a 6-over 76.
BETHESDA, MD – JUNE 16: Mark … Getty Images – Jun 16, 4:53 pm EDT Golf Gallery
“I didn’t get much preparation for the tournament,” said Compton, whose week has been a whirlwind since he all but secure his PGA TOUR card for next season with last week’s victory. “I kind of knew that. Unfortunately I just didn’t have much focus today.
“It was just kind of mixed emotions when you come off a win. I can’t beat myself up too bad. I feel like I struck the ball okay, just the grind is out of me. It’s hard to grind.”
It was an up and down day for sure for Compton, who had three bogeys, three double bogeys, one birdie and one eagle.
It’s been a busy week for Compton off the course, too, with interview requests and television appearances every day leading into the tournament. This also marks Compton’s fifth week in a row playing.
”I’m not so much tired, just mentally being on the road for five weeks,” Compton said. “I almost feel like today was my practice round, so maybe tomorrow I’ll come out and shoot 4 or 5 under. “
Wrapping up Round 1
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Adam Scott and Hunter Haas share the lead at 4 under after the first round of the AT&T National. Here’s a look at some key numbers from each of their rounds:
Adam Scott
Scott’s 66 equals his low round on the PGA TOUR in 2011, which he previously shot in the opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Scott holds the lead/co-lead after the first round for the seventh time in his TOUR career and for the first time since the 2008 Shell Houston Open (WD due to illness after second round). He has converted just one of his previous six first-round leads/co-leads in to victory, winning by one at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2004.
Entering this week, Scott has made 6-of-10 cuts on TOUR in 2011 with his best result a tie for second at the Masters. His only other top-10 on the season was a tie for sixth at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. Scott is in search of his eighth-career TOUR victory and first since the 2010 Valero Texas Open.
In his only previous appearance at the AT&T National Scott missed the cut in 2007.
Hunter Haas
It represents the second time in his TOUR career he has held the lead/co-lead after 18 holes. Haas led the 2005 Children’s Miracle Network Classic after the first round en route to a tie for 58th.
Haas’ round was highlighted by a string of four consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-16, his front nine, as he went out in 31. His only blemish on the day was a bogey at the par-4 seventh.
In 19 starts on TOUR this year, Haas has made 12 cuts and posted one top-10, a tie for third at the Puerto Rico Open. His 66 represents his lowest opening-round score on TOUR in 2011, bettering a pair of 67s carded at the Bob Hope Classic and Puerto Rico Open.
In his third full season on the PGA TOUR (2001, 2005 and 2011), Haas had made 85 starts entering this week with his best result the tie for third earlier this year in Puerto Rico.
Williams, Scott a good match
Cannon/Getty ImagesSteve Williams has been on Adam scott’s bag since the U.S. Open.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — This is just the second tournament Steve Williams has worked for Adam Scott since Tiger Woods has been recovering from injury.
In their first tournament together, Scott missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Thursday at Aronimink, Scott shot a 4-under 66 to share the lead.
“I’ve learned some things off Steve, and he obviously knows how to manage his way around the golf course with all the people that he’s caddied for over the years,” Scott said. “He’s got a wealth of knowledge, and I’m trying to tap as much of that as I can while he’s on the bag certainly.”
Most of those years, at least the recent ones, Williams has been on Woods’ bag. He’s caddied for him in 13 of the 14 major championships Woods has won. With Woods still recovering from knee and Achilles injuries, however, Scott asked Williams if he wouldn’t mind carrying his bag until Woods was healthy again.
“You know, he’s getting there,” Scott joked. “He’s kind of getting the hang of it, yeah, now three rounds in, he might have a future one day, this guy (smiling).”
If Woods misses the British Open, it’s likely Williams would remain on the bag for Scott.
”He’s very confident in himself, but I felt like at the U.S. Open he certainly guided me around that first round very nicely and put me in all the right places and kept it very simple,” Scott continued. “It seems like he manages himself around the course like a really good golfer would, and that’s obviously nice because he understands how to get it around.”
Haas still on top for now
NETOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Aronimink continues to prove difficult — only 30 players are under par at the moment.
One of those is Hunter Haas, who is 5 under and atop the leaderboard. Haas is bogey free and at one point made four straight birdies on Nos. 13 through 16 (he started on the back nine).
Haas has missed three of his last four cuts, but he has his game working here. Haas is fourth in putting and seventh in the field in greens in regulation.
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Adam Scott is 3 under as he finishes up his round, while Vijay Singh has fallen back to 2 under. Also at 2 under is Rickie Fowler, who just finished off his 68
Leonard working with putting coach
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Justin Leonard’s season hasn’t exactly gone very well. He has just three top-25s and he’s missed the cut in seven of his last 10 starts.
That prompted Leonard, who works with Randy Smith, to also turn to Marius Filmalter for help with his putting. The two have worked together the last few weeks and again this week at Aronimink.
The result? An opening-round 2-under 68 to get Leonard near the lead.
”I’ve been working very hard and playing pretty well but just not getting the scores out of it,” Leonard said. “It was nice to get out there and make a couple birdies early and be comfortable out there shooting a good score.”
What Filmalter has been working with Leonard on is trying to shorten his putting stroke, which Leonard says had gotten long and loose.
”The main thing is gaining confidence and getting comfortable,” Leonard said. “I’m doing those two things.”
Cantlay shoots even par
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Patrick Cantlay is playing in his third PGA TOUR event this week after finishing as the low amateur at the U.S. Open and last week recording a course-record 60 during the Travelers Championship. Thursday’s round at the AT&T National came with much less fanfare with Cantlay shooting even-par 70.
Still, considering only 31 players are under par for the moment, Cantlay’s round stands up pretty well.
The 19-year-old amateur had three birdies and three bogeys and took 29 putts.
Compton proving he belongs
By Zak Kozuchowski, PGATOUR.COM
Erik Compton continues to prove he has the skills necessary to compete on the PGA TOUR. He got off to a quick start at Aronomink with a birdie on its 430-yard opening hole and is currently 1 over through his first six holes on the tough track (click here to follow him live with Shot Tracker).
Compton is battling the emotions of winning his first Nationwide Tour event last week, the Mexico Open presented by Banamex. He’s also been subject to a great deal of media attention because of his health issues Compton was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy at the age of nine, and has since undergone two heart transplants that have kept him alive. Because of his condition, Compton battles a lot of fatigue and has to pace himself.
He’s done that well this year. His win last week moved him to No. 2 on the Nationwide Tour money list, virtually assuring that he will earn his PGA TOUR card next year. This week, Compton is paired with Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan, who are also 1 over.
Vegas trying to meet difficult demands
Stan Badz/PGA TOURJhonattan Vegas opened the AT&T National with a 3-under 67 Thursday.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Jhonattan Vegas won in just his second career start on the PGA TOUR earlier this year. Since then, he’s tried to learn and manage all the expectations and demands that go with being a winner, much less one from Venezuela, a country where golf is almost non-existent.
Naturally, it hasn’t been easy.
“Being a foreign player, especially coming from a country that has no idea about golf, the demands internationally are really tough,” said Vegas, who opened with a 3-under 67 to share the lead at the AT&T National. “The thing that I realized after a few weeks of playing horrible is that mentally you really get worn out if you’re not careful, having to deal with so many things, the media back home, and trying to explain to everyone what really golf is and finishing top 20 in a TOUR event is not the end of the world because the people keep asking, ‘Why did you finish 19th, are you kidding, what a horrible week’ and I’m like, really?”
Those demands have certainly taken a toll on Vegas’ golf. In his last 11 starts, for example, Vegas has missed the cut six times and failed to finish in the top 25.
The demands, plus the results have tested Vegas’ patience at times, but he’s also learning to be patient.
“When I won so early and then almost won the following week, expectations were a little high and I wanted to win every week,” Vegas said. “Sometimes the game puts you in your place if you’re not careful.
“It’s been hard having to deal with all that stuff, but I’m taking it as it goes and being a little bit more patient and just trying to just focus on myself a little more.”
That certainly worked Thursday at Aronimink.
“It’s a course that you have to have absolutely everything in place to play great,” Vegas said. “That’s kind of what I did from tee to green today.”
Ogilvie starts strong despite injury
Carroll/Getty ImagesJoe Ogilvie shot a 3-under 67 Thursday at Aronimink.
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Despite a left wrist injury that will require an MRI, Joe Ogilvie finds himself in a familiar position at the AT& National.
A year after shooting a 66 in the first round at Aronimink, Ogilvie opened with a 67 Thursday to share the top spot. Coincidentally, he also led after the first round in 2007 when the event was played at Congressional.
”It sets up for my eye,” Ogilvie said of Aronimink. “And I’m smart enough to figure out this is a golf course where you can miss it in certain places in the fairway and kind of have angles, so if you do hit it in the rough, you can kind of scrape it on the green. And other than 10, I executed my game plan well in the sense of where I missed the shots because I know I’m going to miss a lot of shots. I just want to miss them in the right place.”
To Ogilvie’s point, despite hitting just 57 percent of his fairways, he still hit 72 percent of his greens in regulation. That helped open the door for four birdies and just one bogey.
“[The greens] are just tricky, a lot of hills and dales, and the pin placements today I thought were tough,” Ogilvie said. “The greens are very tricky, but they’re true.”
DeLaet withdraws from tournament
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Graham DeLaet has withdrawn from the AT&T National, citing a back injury.
“WD this week from AT&T. Back not feeling 100% and don’t really want to push it,” the Canadian tweeted.
DeLaet withdrew before his round began.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Graham DeLaet has withdrawn from the AT&T National, citing a back injury. âWD this week from AT&T. Back not feeling 100% and donât really want to push it,â the Canadian tweeted. DeLaet withdrew before his round began.
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Marlins to open park April 4 vs. Cards
June 30, 2011
NEW YORK (AP)—The Marlins will open their new $515 million ballparkagainst the St. Louis Cardinals on April 4, a individual familiar with next season’sdraft schedule told The Related Press
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday simply because Major LeagueBaseball does not plan to announce the schedule, which is still preliminary,until September.
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“That’s cool. It’s the initial I heard of it,” Florida catcher John Buck(notes)stated after a five-four win at Oakland. “It’s enjoyable to have an opening day in your homestadium, period. Then to have the excitement of a new stadium is only going toheighten it. I’m seeking forward to it.”
Florida’s downtown ballpark, which has a retractable roof, will be the firstto open in the majors given that Minnesota’s Target Field in 2010. The franchise isto be renamed the Miami Marlins next year.
“It will be really a show,” Marlins manager Jack McKeon stated. “To open upa new stadium that Miami can call their own, a true baseball stadium, abeautiful facility. What else could you ask for? They’re going to have to behappy.”
Quite a few teams prefer to open on the road in the years they move into a newballpark, giving them additional time to get the stadium ready.
The game against St. Louis is a one-game homestand and is most likely to betelevised by ESPN. Before then, the Marlins are preparing an exhibition againstthe New York Yankees.
Given that the Marlins began play in 1993, their home games have been at what nowis called Sun Life Stadium, about 16 miles north.
The Marlins say they have had 191 rain delays during games in Miami, anaverage of additional than 10 per season—although none this year.
When the Marlins move out of Sun Life, where the Miami Dolphins and MiamiHurricanes play their household football games, Oakland’s Coliseum will be the laststadium shared by MLB and NFL teams. In the early 1990s, about two-thirds ofmajor league clubs shared ballparks with NFL teams.
With the opening of the new Miami stadium, Oakland and Tampa Bay will be thelast huge league teams hoping for new ballparks.
AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in Oakland, Calif., contributed to this report.
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Lambeau officials study new Wis. gun law
June 30, 2011
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)—Lambeau Field officials are attempting to figure out howthe state’s new concealed carry legislation will impact them.
The Wisconsin legislation allows the carrying of concealed weapons but notin buildings owned or leased by the state.
Green Bay Packers ' Donald&hellip AP – Jun 16, 11:41 pm EDT NFL Gallery
Gov. Scott Walker is expected to sign the bill after July 4th and the law isexpected to go into effect in October or November.
Pat Webb is the executive director of the Green Bay/Brown CountyProfessional Football Stadium District. Webb tells WLUK-Tv(http://bit.ly/iQftNF) he doesn’t know if the law officially considers Lambeau agovernment constructing.
Green Bay Police Captain Paul Ebel says they are dissecting the legislationand preparing to consult with the city’s attorneys and the Packers organization.
The NFL says guns are not allowed in any NFL stadium.
Information from: WLUK-Tv, http://www.fox11online.com
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Dust still settling from Sonoma scrapes
June 30, 2011
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—It was just a handshake between a pair of rivals on a day in which most of the drivers were mad at somebody.
But the gesture of goodwill from Kyle Busch toward Kevin Harvick certainly created news across the Sprint Cup Series garage. The two don’t like each and every other, tangled soon after a race in May well that earned them each and every a $25,000 fine, and had been warned by NASCAR last month to stop messing with each and every other on the race track.
So immediately after all the post-race sniping last Sunday at Sonoma between drivers who had been involved in on-track incidents, it was strange to see Busch and Harvick acting buddy-buddy.
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“I felt like we had a truly excellent race with each and every other, so, just wanted to let him know that,” Busch said Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. “We gave every other fantastic room and raced every other hard and clean. And that’s all there is to it.”
Perhaps so, but the unexpected handshake left Harvick a bit perplexed.
“I mean, we raced together for a lap and a half,” Harvick said. “I was as confused about all that as everyone else.”
Was it sufficient to patch points up between the two drivers?
“I wouldn’t call it very good to go on that,” Harvick stated.
It was at least superior on one day, although, and that day happened to be 1 in which the list of angry drivers might have been as long as the race track.
Kasey Kahne was mad at Juan Pablo Montoya, and Montoya stated Thursday although he was OK with Brad Keselowski, his wife was fairly angry at the Penske Racing driver. Joey Logano and Robby Gordon played yet another round of bumper cars, and Brian Vickers exacted revenge on Tony Stewart by intentionally wrecking him as retaliation for Stewart bumping him earlier.
No matter whether there’s any carry-over Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway remains to be observed.
“Does it carry-over into the next week? It’s generally there,” said Sonoma winner Kurt Busch. “Drivers by no means forget.”
That could make it fascinating at Daytona, where the new style of restrictor plate racing calls for drivers to have a drafting partner. Two-auto tandems is the new norm at Daytona and Talladega, and drivers don’t have a chance at the victory if they don’t locate a drafting partner they can trust.
In an ideal world, drivers will only function with drivers they like. But absolutely nothing is ideal at Daytona, and it’s fairly probable that two feuding drivers could come across themselves hooked up on the track.
“It appears like every year that you go to those restrictor-plate races that you have your buddies that you’re going to draft with and then you have those guys that you’ve had some run-ins with that you don’t necessarily want to draft with,” Kurt Busch stated. “But what ends up happening in this two-vehicle draft scenario is wherever you come out on pit road after a pit quit, and if you haven’t teamed-up with a person, you could end up drafting with someone that may be on that list that you don’t like.
“You have to do the finest that you can do to win. You’ve got to put your differences aside for the short term.”
Jeff Gordon, who finished second at Sonoma, said drivers are attempting to figure out who to draft with lengthy before Saturday night’s race.
“I’m sure there’s already been calls being created because a lot of times you have your drafting partner set up from perhaps Talladega or possibly earlier in Daytona, and if you made that guy angry on Sunday at Sonoma, it’s going to make that phone call a small tougher,” Gordon stated earlier this week.
Gordon, who had a clean race at Sonoma, stated he’s already set it up to function with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin.
Harvick will likely work with his Richard Childress Racing teammates. But need to he discover himself forced to function with Kyle Busch, at least one driver thinks Harvick will be fine.
“I would take into account (the handshake) genuine,” said Denny Hamlin, Busch’s teammate. “Kyle is just not a ‘head games’ sort of guy, I don’t believe. He in no way definitely does anything on-track to instigate it. I really feel like he’s 1 of the most fair racers actually out there. Even though he’s aggressive at times, he does a fairly very good job of keeping it comparatively safe for the other drivers.”
But does Hamlin, who has had his own feuds with Busch, believe there is hope for Busch-Harvick reconciliation?
“Every team has its own makeup and drivers have their own personalities, and a lot of times they don’t mesh nicely together and we saw that with the 29 and the 18 this year. But in common, every person is going to function it out in time.
“Even though you look at oneself the toughest of rivals we still do a lot of items together that kind of patch that up at times.”
House exercises option to stay with Heat
June 30, 2011
MIAMI (AP)—Miami Heat reserve guard Eddie Home(notes) has decided to exercisethe option clause in his contract, and he’ll be back with the team next season.
Home’s decision was confirmed Thursday by the team. Home, who could havebecome a free agent, is now under contract for $1.four million for next year.
Eddie Residence (L) of the Miami H&hellip Getty Images – Jun 12, 10:22 pm EDT NBA Gallery
The 11-year pro played in 56 games for the Eastern Conference champions lastseason, averaged 6.five points per game and created 68 3-pointers.
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Marlins get rare back-to-back wins
June 30, 2011
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—Chris Volstad(notes) allowed one unearned run in seveninnings and John Buck(notes) hit a two-run double to support the Florida Marlins cap amiserable June by beating the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Thursday for their firstback-to-back wins in much more than a month.
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OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 30: Manage&hellip Getty Images – Jun 30, four:29 pm EDT 1 of 19 Fla-Oak Gallery Series at a Glance Florida Oakland 1 Tue, Jun 28 – Final Florida three Oakland Wed, Jun 29 – Final Florida five Oakland four Thu, Jun 30 – Final
The Marlins had won just three of their first 26 games in June ahead of thestrong begins by Ricky Nolasco(notes) and Volstad (4-7) gave them their firstconsecutive victories and first series win given that sweeping the Giants across thebay in San Francisco on Could 24-26.
Absolutely nothing went right for the Marlins in between their two trips to the BayArea as they fell from second location to last and had manager Edwin Rodriguezresign during a stretch that included 14 straight losses in 1-run games.
That turned about for Jack McKeon’s team in the course of the three games against theoffensively challenged Athletics, who had been held to just 3 runs and oneearned run in the whole series.
Oakland also traded its longest tenured player just before the game, dealingsecond baseman Mark Ellis(notes) to Colorado for two minor leaguers. Ellis had been theonly player on the 25-man roster remaining from Oakland’s division-winning teamslast decade, but was expendable mainly because of the emergence of rookie Jemile Weeks(notes).
Volstad allowed seven hits and an unearned run soon after an error by thirdbaseman Jose Lopez(notes) in the seventh inning to win his second straight commence aftera career-lengthy six-game losing streak.
Coco Crisp(notes) added a solo homer off Edward Mujica(notes) in the eighth inning andKurt Suzuki(notes) hit a two-run shot off Leo Nunez(notes) in the ninth to give the A’s theirfirst multihomer game because Might 24 against Anaheim. Nunez recovered for his 22ndsave in 25 probabilities.
The Marlins struck first with back-to-back doubles by Hanley Ramirez(notes) andLogan Morrison(notes) to open the second inning against Trevor Cahill(notes) (8-6). Ramirezheld up initially on Morrison’s drive to right, but scored when David DeJesus’(notes)relay throw to Weeks was low for an error.
There was an odd play in the leading of the third inning when Florida hadrunners on initial and third with 1 out. Omar Infante(notes) ran from very first on a 3-2pitch that Gaby Sanchez(notes) took for a walk. Kurt Suzuki threw to second baseanyway, but Weeks cut off the throw and threw out Emilio Bonifacio(notes) at homeplate.
Florida then chased Cahill with 4 runs in a fifth inning that startedwith a couple of infield hits. Bonifacio led off with a bunt single, stolesecond and went to third on a sacrifice. With two outs, Ramirez reached on aswinging bunt down the third-base line that Adam Rosales(notes) didn’t choose up in hopesit would roll foul. The ball died inches from the foul line, giving Ramirez anRBI single.
That began a run of 4 straight hits with Logan Morrison knocking in arun with an RBI single and Buck ending Cahill’s day with his two-run double tocenter field. Cahill allowed 5 runs—four earned—and nine hits in 4 two-3innings.
NOTES: Mike Stanton(notes) struck out twice for Florida, giving him 12 Ks in hislast six games. … The error by DeJesus ended a streak of 301 straight gameswithout an error, the longest active streak for an outfielder. … Hideki Matsui(notes)started in LF for his 1st appearance in the outfield in an AL park thisseason. … The A’s raised far more than $29,000 for juvenile diabetes researchthrough their annual root beer float day.
Tom Lehman set for Montreal Championship
June 30, 2011
BLAINVILLE, Quebec (AP)—With the Montreal Championship set to begin CanadaDay, Champions Tour leader Tom Lehman didn’t miss the occasion to get into theholiday spirit.
“Does that mean we take the day off and sit at the range and drink beer?”Lehman joked Thursday soon after his pro-am round at Fontainebleau Golf Club.
Lehman and defending champion Larry Mize will tee off Friday in the secondedition of the event.
Mize’s victory last year was his 1st in an official tournament in 17years, dating to the 1993 Buick Open.
LOUISVILLE, KY – May possibly 27: Tom &hellip Getty Images – May well 27, 2:08 pm EDT Golf Gallery
“The nice thing is I’m the only one that has won here prior to so you’ve gotto use that as a positive to your benefit,” said Mize, the 1987 Masterswinner. “It’s just excellent to be back and playing here and I’m just lookingforward to getting back out and playing in front of these fantastic crowds.”
The 52-year-old Georgian will be challenging-pressed to defend his title against afield headed up by Lehman, a 3-time winner this year who leads the SchwabCup standings.
“I’ve had very good momentum all through the year,” stated Lehman, who has sixtop-10 finishes in 10 events. “My game is superior but there are a lot of otherplayers who are playing quite well, so it must be a quite competitivetournament. But I have high expectations, certainly.”
Lehman, the 1996 British Open winner, can only add to his points lead. Hisnearest competition, No. 2 Nick Price and No. 3 Tom Watson, are taking the weekoff.
“The reality that they are not here, in the course of the course of the year it balancesout,” Lehman stated. “I play some events that they don’t and they play someevents that I don’t, so usually I don’t worry about it. I just attempt to get agood game plan for this week and do the ideal I can this week, and then I’ll takewhat I get.”
Hale Irwin, the Champions Tour’s career leader with 45 wins, had his 203rdtop-10 finish Sunday in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y., tyingBob Charles’ tour record.
The 66-year-old Irwin has completed in the best-10 5 times in 11 eventsthis year, such as a fourth-place finish at the Senior PGA Championship inLouisville in late Could, immediately after accomplishing the feat just three times over thecourse of the 3 prior years combined.
“I really feel like I’m in a re-studying curve, sort of, and that’s kind ofexciting,” stated Irwin, a three-time U.S. Open champion. “Not that I got bored,I never got bored, but I believe there’s a point in time where the status quochanges almost just about every day.
“I think I’ve needed challenges and this is absolutely a challenge now.”
Fred Couples, the anchor of the 2011 Montreal Championship’s marketingcampaign, advised tournament organizers last weekend that he had to withdrawbecause of a back injury. Loren Roberts and Fred Funk are also sidelined byinjuries.
“Those items occur,” Irwin said.
John Huston, a Champions Tour rookie who claimed his initial win Sunday, is inthe field that includes Tom Kite, Corey Pavin, John Cook, Jeff Sluman, JeffHaas, Hal Sutton and Larry Nelson.
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