Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

PGA Senior Championship Boasts Elite Field, Spectacular Setting

Posted: 26 May 2010 11:04 PM PDT

Denver, CO, United States (AHN) – The star of the 71st playing of the PGA Senior Championship may not be Freddie Couples or Tom Watson or any of the other players in the 156-man field.

The main attraction will be the majestic Colorado Golf Club, a beautiful and challenging design outside the mile-high city of Denver.

This oldest major in senior golf begins on Thursday with Couples the favorite, as he’s been all year on the Champions version of the PGA Tour.

Perhaps the biggest distraction for Couples and the rest of the field will be the picturesque setting on this 7,600-yard design by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.

Fortunately the tournament did not start this past Monday. The area was invaded by extreme wind conditions with gusts as high at 65-70 miles per hour.

“I got out early Monday but by time we played nine holes, the winds were unbelieveable,” said Jim Roy of Syracuse, N.Y., a rookie on the Champions Tour. “It was unplayable, almost dangerous to be out there when those winds got up. We had to go in.”

Roy felt the course will be challenging even for players on top of their game. “At most of our events, there’s no rough to speak of. There’s rough out here and it’s particularly tough around the greens if you miss a green. There’s a lot of slope, false fronts, reminds you of a Donald Ross design.”

Of course there is length. “There are two par fours,” Roy recounted, “that are virtually 500 yards each, the fourth and fifth holes, that play into the prevailing wind. Even with the altitude factor, those are still long. While there are holes like No. 17, it is 200 yards, it’s downhill, I hit eight-iron there.”

Length is no problem for Couples, who leads the tour in driving distance at nearly 300 yards.

“You go out there and think that a course is hard,” Roy said, “but out here there are always guys who are on their games and shoot good scores.”

That may well be the case on this golf course.

In addition to the long holes, there are holes like the eighth, a 308-yard par four, and the 14th, at 326 yards, both driveable par fours.

The wild card remains the winds. They had subsided somewhat by Wednesday but still could be in the 20 mile per hour range during the four days of the tournament.

“That will have a lot to do with the scores,” Roy observed. “But this is a great golf course, there’s a lot of risk and reward holes.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Tom Watson: If the conditions are windy as they are expected to be, look for Watson to be right in the thick of the hunt come Sunday. He’s the best player in difficult conditions. His scoring average of 66.63 this season is second only to Couples. If his putter is on, he’ll be tough to beat as he has the ball striking and course management skills necessary to win majors.

Fred Couples: With three wins in six events, he’s always the favorite to win when he tees it up in senior competition. His solid irons shots will serve him well in windy conditions. Like Watson, it all depends on his putter. Still, Freddie’s averaging less than 66 (65.86) strokes per event and that’s why he’s dominating this tour.

Bobby Clampett: A rookie this year, he’s already been hanging out at the top of the leaderboard. During his prime, he was the poster-boy for the late Homer Kelly’s book, The Golfing Machine. Clampett was known as a pure striker of the ball, so don’t be surprised to see him play well this week.

Hal Sutton: He has been consistent this year and he’s putting better. Complete ball striking with solid iron shots. With Hal, it’s the putter that determines his success.

Nick Price: Price has come into his own in senior golf. He’s a proven competitior in majors and can drive with great accuracy. If he’s hitting greens and putting well this week, Price can make it to the winner’s circle on Sunday.

Bernard Langer: He’s a force in senior golf because he remains a talent in all facets of the game, even with the long putter. A larger field often creates slower playing conditions and that falls right into his wheelhouse. Langer is one of the slower players on this tour.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Federer Barges Into Third Round; Kuznetsova Survives At Soggy Roland Garros

Posted: 26 May 2010 11:02 PM PDT

Paris, France (AHN) – Defending champion Roger Federer endured weather delays and a sloppy first set Wednesday to continue his dominance over Colombian left-hander Alejandro Falla and advance into the third round of the French Open.

The world No. 1, who previously conquered his Columbian foe without dropping a set, including in the second round of the 2006 French Open, overcame 21 unforced errors to post a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-4 win at a rain-drenched Roland Garros.

After three days of 30-degree temperatures, the clay courts at Roland Garros became soggy following a burst of heavy rains.

But the change in weather barely hampered the Swiss master as he continues his quest for a 17th Grand Slam.

After losing serve just once against world No. 70, the top-ranked Swiss broke back and unleashed four winners in the tiebreak, cruising the rest of the match.

Federer will next face German qualifier Julian Reister.

Fifth-seeded Robin Soderling also won Wednesday, along with No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 10 Marin Cilic and No. 11 Mikhail Youzhny before rain interrupted the day’s play for a second time.

Meanwhile, No. 4 Andy Murray and Frenchman Gael Monfils, seeded 13th, will have to return Thursday to complete their respective matches, which were suspended due to darkness.

In the women's side, Russian sixth seed and defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova had to save four match points to fend off an upset-minded German Andrea Petkovic, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

The 41st-ranked Petkovic, on the verge of stunning the Russian star after racing to a 6-4, 5-4 lead, suddenly faltered in the 10th game of the second set as she served for the match at 40-love.

Kuznetsova, who toppled Dinara Safina in the 2009 final, regrouped and broke again to take the set and force a deciding third.

In other women's play, world No. 2 Venus Williams cruised into the last 32, while third seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark plastered Italy’s Tathiana Garbin, 6-3, 6-1.

Also advancing were No. 14 Flavia Pennetta, Aravane Rezai, seeded 15th and No. 19 Nadia Petrova, a two-time semifinalist.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Phil Mickelson Returns For Shootout At Colonial; Bears Down On Top Ranking

Posted: 26 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Fort Worth, TX, United States (AHN) – They call it Hogan’s Alley, the Colonial Country Club in Ft. Worth.

It is a standing testament to the late Ben Hogan, a five-time champion of the event and a player that is still revered by golfers everywhere. A statue of the golfing legend greets players at Colonial.

Phil Mickelson is one of them and he’ll be back in action this week as he launches his final preparation for the U.S. Open next month at Pebble Beach.

Since his Masters victory in April, the constant talk of the PGA Tour is not “if” but “when” Mickelson will take over Tiger Woods’ position as the No. 1 ranked player in golf.

Mickelson is less than a point behind Woods in the world rankings but will need a victory this week to claim the top spot.

Tim Clark, the Players Champion, returns to competition for the first time since his breakthrough victory. Clark lost in the three-man playoff here last year to eventual champion Steve Stricker.

But Clark’s days as a constant runnerup may have come to an end as he found the way and means to become a closer earlier this month at the TPC Sawgrass in the PGA Tour’s premier non-major.

Stricker, the defending champion, is back after a six-week absence from the tour. Stricker has been nursing a painful, inflammed sterno-clavicular joint.

“If you asked me a week ago if I’d be here, I would have said no,” Stricker said as he arrived. “But I’ve been taking some anti-inflammatories and now I feel fine. But I am rusty.”

One player who isn’t rusty is Jason Day, who claimed his first PGA Tour win last week at the Byron Nelson. Day has a home-course advantage this week as he plays out of Colonial and lives in Ft. Worth.

The 22-year-old Australian won at Las Colinas even though he put his second shot into the water on the 72nd hole. The 18th hole at Colonial, though difficult, has water to the left of the 18th green but it is not nearly as menacing as the water feature at TPC Las Colinas.

What Colonial has is hundreds of ancient oak trees that line the fairways and often create problems for approach shots. Precise iron shots are required and that’s one reason why Hogan was so dominant on this layout.

“To be part of anything he’s done (Hogan) is terrific,” said Stricker. “I wanted to be here.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Phil Mickelson: Former winner of this event, Mickelson was absent last year to be with his wife, Amy, as she underwent treatments for breast cancer. This event has a “pinkout” day during the tournament for the Susan Komen fight against cancer. Mickelson will play here and next week at the Memorial as his final preparations for the U.S. Open. A win here jumps him into the No. 1 world ranking.

Tim Clark: An excellent ball-striker who is probably the best putter who uses the long-shaft. He blew a two-shot lead on the final nine last year then lost in the playoff. He has new-found closer’s confidence after his win at the TPC in the Players earlier this month.

Jason Day: First-time winner last week and a member at Colonial. Home field advantage.

Kenny Perry: A month ago Perry was lamenting that he’d lost distance and energy and had not found a proper replacement for the putter he broke at the beginning of the season. He played much better last week and likes this golf course. He’s a former champion here.

John Daly: JD’s comeback took a setback when he withdrew in San Antonia after rounds of 77-67-69. He returned home and an MRI showed he would not require any hip surgery. He’s treating it with ice and exercise. Fort Worth is JD’s kind of place.

Steve Stricker: It would be asking for a lot from the defending champion to contend this week. He’s been absent for a month and a half. Will he have enough going his way to make the cut?

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Real Madrid Sacks Pellegrini; Makes Room For Possible Hiring Of Mourinho

Posted: 26 May 2010 10:59 PM PDT

Madrid, Spain (AHN) – Real Madrid sacked head coach Manuel Pellegrini, in a move which may pave the way for the arrival of current Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho.

Pellegrini had been under pressure after failing to win any trophies during the 2009-10 season despite spending millions of Euros, including making Cristiano Ronaldo the world’s most expenisve ever soccer player.

Real splashed £80 million, for instance, to bring Ronaldo from Manchester United with the payoff not meeting the price.

Second place in La Liga wasn’t deemed good enough by the Real public, with the club’s President claiming the chance to appoint Mourinho, who has previously managed Chelsea in England, was one the club couldn’t miss.

Mourinho’s move from Inter to Madrid is likely to be a protracted one with Inter demanding over £13 million in compensation for their coach, who led the club to the European Champions League.

Mourinho became only the third man to win the title with two different clubs.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Expectations High For Hokies Record-Setting Running Backs

Posted: 26 May 2010 10:57 PM PDT

Blacksburg, VA, United States (AHN) – The talent in Virginia Tech’s backfield can be considered an embarrassment of riches. Finding enough footballs to use all that speed and power might be the hard part for the Hokies.

Two years ago, Darren Evans rushed for 1,265 yards, setting an Atlantic Coast Conference record for a freshman. He suffered a knee injury and missed the entire 2009 season.

He held the record for one year. Ryan Williams, his freshman replacement, ran for 1,655 yards and was named the ACC rookie of the year.

Evans, a junior, and Williams, a sophomore, join quarterback Tyrod Taylor to form one of college football’s most dangerous backfields.

Taylor, a senior, has improved his passing each of the past two seasons and continues to be an electrifying runner.

Coach Frank Beamer’s conservative offensive attack should be able to cater to both his running backs, and take pressure off Taylor.

“The problem is when you don’t have a tailback, or when you’re concerned about that spot,” offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring told a gathering of Hokie fans at a recent booster meeting. “To say that you have too many, I don’t think that’s a problem.”

The Hokies finished 10-3 last season and won their last five games, including a 37-14 victory over Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

They were ranked 10th in the final poll, and are expected to start this season ranked even higher.

ESPN has Virginia Tech ranked No. 5 in its latest poll for next season.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Cards Slugger Pujols Denies Rift With Manager La Russa

Posted: 26 May 2010 12:20 PM PDT

St. Louis, MO, United States (AHN) – St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols broke his silence Tuesday about a reported heated argument with Manager Tony La Russa, saying the two never engaged in one.

Pujols, the three-time National League MVP, denied rumors of a rift between him and La Russa during Saturday's 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pujols said the rumors were not true and added he never argued with La Russa.

“Ask the guy that wrote it because I don’t know where he’s creating all of that story,” Pujols told MLB Fan House Tuesday . “I never crossed any words with Tony, so I don’t know what the heck the paper is writing about.”

Joe Strauss, a veteran writer with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, said Pujols exchanged words with La Russa after the first baseman unleashed his frustration in the Cards dugout.

Pujols got frustrated when right fielder Ryan Ludwick became the last out in the eighth inning with his unsuccessful steal attempt.

Pujols said he wants to focus on the Cardinals’ series against the San Diego Padres than what he considers false reports.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Patriots Sign Third-Round Pick Taylor Price of Ohio U.

Posted: 26 May 2010 11:16 AM PDT

Foxborough, MA, United States (AHN) – The New England Patriots’ rookie contract negotiations promised to be as busy as rush-hour in Boston, with the team making 12 picks in the NFL Draft.

Make that two down, 10 to go, after the Patriots announced they and third round selection Taylor Price agreed to terms. Price, a wide receiver out of Ohio University, is the highest overall draft pick (90th) to sign with an NFL team so far.

Center Ted Larsen, taken in the sixth round, was signed by the Patriots last week.

With New England’s aging defense, the spotlight in coming weeks certainly will shift to signing key picks linebacker Brandon Spikes, cornerback Devin McCourty and lineman Jermaine Cunningham, all considered potential starters as rookies.

Price has yet to participate in organized team activities. Per league rules, rookies are not allowed to join team workouts until their schools hold graduation (Ohio doesn't graduate it's seniors until June 11th).

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Redskins Owner Snyder Wants Super Bowl For D.C. Area

Posted: 26 May 2010 11:16 AM PDT

Dallas, Texas, United States (AHN) – Now that the New York metropolitan area was awarded the 2014 Super Bowl, can this be considered a coming trend or a passing cold front?

NFL owners certainly opened a can of icy possibilities in naming the Giants and Jets new open-air stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. as host site. So what’s next? Pittsburgh? Green Bay? Chicago will be clamoring for a Super Bowl, too. Or how about …. Buffalo?

If Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has any say, his team will be next in line. “I think Washington should get one, no matter what. It is the nation’s capital,” Snyder was quoted in The Washington Post as saying during a break at the owners’ one-day.

A few hours later, NFL owners voted New York to put on the first Super Bowl in a cold-weather region, discarding all previous rules and pretenses that their showcase game can’t be played anywhere outdoors with a February temperature in the 30s.

Snyder has a point. So does New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft.

Ditto for any other franchise whose employees have to wear parkas on their way to work during winter, or a team with a shiny new, expensive stadium to unveil, which was the real keystone to New York’s bid.

That tradition remained unbroken, with Dallas (2011) and Indianapolis (2012) — both new indoor stadiums — having been awarded the next two Super Bowls.

A trend or passing cold front? Probably neither. Maybe the Super Bowl was destined for the nation’s biggest market some day, especially now that the Giants and Jets boast a new stadium.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted as much, saying to reporters after the meeting ended: “I think there are some unique aspects of this. . . . I think each game is going to be [awarded to a host city] on an individual basis. I do think New York is a unique market.”

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Wear Brothers Head Home With Transfer To UCLA

Posted: 26 May 2010 11:10 AM PDT

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – The UCLA Bruins men's basketball team added a big boast to its frontcourt Wednesday when sophomores David and Travis Wear transferred from North Carolina.

UCLA coach Ben Howland confirmed Tuesday that the Wear brothers were cleared to play for the Bruins.

“I am absolutely ecstatic about Dave and Travis joining our program,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said in a statement reported by ESPNLosAngeles.com.

“Both are outstanding players. They are highly-skilled athletes who are hard workers and extremely motivated to be at their best,” Howland told the Web site. "They are constantly working hard on their overall game.”

A big factor in Travis’ and David’s decision was returning to play near their Southern California home. David Wear Sr., their father, said his sons felt they didn’t fit into Tar Heels coach Roy Williams’ system.

The Wear brothers saw limited playing time due to North Carolina's crowded pool of talented frontcourt players.

David and Travis, both McDonald's All-America high school stars, must sit out next season to comply with NCAA transfer rules.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Speculation Mounts Over When Pitcher Strasburg Will Join Nationals

Posted: 26 May 2010 11:08 AM PDT

Syracuse, New York, United States (AHN) – The Washington Nationals obviously have a plan for bringing Stephen Strasburg to the big leagues, but the club hasn’t tipped its hand as to when the pitcher’s much-anticipated debut will be.

Several media outlets have speculated June 4 will be Strasburg’s first start for the Nationals, who made the right-hander the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft.

General Manager Mike Rizzo told The Washington Post nothing has been decided yet and no announcement is imminent.

“There are factors that will be involved when we announce it. And even when we announce it, it’s not going to be settled on until after a couple days after he starts his last start in Triple A,” Rizzo said.

Strasburg was limited to 52 pitches in five innings during his last outing for Class AAA Syracuse.

He’ll likely be on another specific pitch count when he makes his next start Saturday for Syracuse.

Then the Nats may call on the phenom.

Despite major improvements the Nationals are 23-23 and tied for last place in the National League East Division through Tuesday, the team could use a spark from its top draft choice.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.
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