yyys123
Joined: 08 Jul 2019
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 Posted: 22.02.2009 Post subject: ed upon what we know |
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MONTREAL -- It was almost as if Jim Furyk, Graham DeLaet and Matt Kuchar were a team when they went on a birdie spree in the second round of the US$5.7 million RBC Canadian Open on Friday. The threesome were all smiles after they combined for 22 birdies (and only three bogeys), while Furyk and DeLaet tied the course record with 63s in near-perfect scoring conditions at Royal Montreals usually daunting Blue course. Furyk, who birdied four straight holes early in his round, emerged with a share of the tournament lead at 10-under 130 with veteran Tim Petrovic, who shot 66. Weyburn, Sask., native DeLaet in was in a tie for third at 8-under 132 with Kyle Stanley, who had 67. "Theyre fun to play golf with," Furyk said of DeLaet and Kuchar. "We chatted a lot out there. "And then to have everyone play well, youre seeing birdie putts going in, its a lot of fun. And I think you can feed off that a little bit. Those guys are making birdies, you feel like putts are going in, its a good vibe." In a way they are a team. They are among the 10 PGA Tour players sponsored by RBC that includes Graeme McDowell, who had five birdies of his own for a 65 to sit at 7-under 133 along with Justin Hicks (67), Scott Brown (66) and Andrew Svoboda (66). Kuchars 65 put him in a group at 6-under 134 that included first-round co-leader Michael Putnam, who shot 70. The entire RBC-sponsored crew plays the Canadian Open, which many top stars skipped to rest up after last weeks British Open at Royal Liverpool. The 44-year-old Furyk had extra motivation. He won the event back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. One more win would put him in a tie for the second-most Canadian Open titles with Tommy Armour, Sam Snead and Lee Trevino. Leo Diegel won four in the 1920s. "Winning any event is special," said Furyk, who has 16 career victories. "Ive had a lot of success (in Canada) and really a lot of support here. "But were only at the halfway point." Furyk came into the tournament off a sizzling 65 at Royal Liverpool on Sunday that got him fourth place in the British Open. He hopped on a charter after that round to get to the Canadian Open in time to readjust to the Eastern time zone and get reacquainted with the course, which he played while on the U.S. team that defeated the Internationals at the 2007 Presidents Cup. With the fairways and greens softened by heavy rain on Wednesday, Royal Montreal was ready to be taken. "The golf course is soft and receptive, and they have it set up where we can attack and fire at pins, so scores are going to be good," he said. "It would be a totally different scenario if these greens were firm." DeLaet isnt short of motivation either. Canadas top-ranked player at No. 31 in FedEx Cup standings is seeking his first PGA Tour win and would like nothing more than to become the first home grown player to win the Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. He started the second round at 1-under, then posted five birdies on the first eight holes and nine on the day to go with a pair of bogeys. "I felt I was in control of my game all day, with a couple of little hiccups," the 32-year-old said. "I mean, all three of us played great. "I never saw so many putts rolling in. It was a lot of fun. We were feeding off each other. When you see putts rolling in from everywhere like it was in our group, you just feel like puttings easy or something and you just start holing them." Tying the course record was a particular thrill for the Canadian. It was set in the second round the last time the Canadian Open was played at Royal Montreal in 2001 by David Morland and Scott Verplank, the tournament winner. "To share a course record here is pretty special and to have two guys in one group do it is pretty amazing," said DeLaet. Petrovic has been a surprise. The 47-year-old was on a family vacation when he got the call on Tuesday that he was in the Canadian Open as the seventh alternate when another player withdrew. He arrived the next day and barely had time to look at the course. Then he opened with a six-under 64 and followed with a 66 to take a share of the lead. I have been hitting the ball really well for about the last three weeks," said Petrovic, who missed the cut at his last five tournaments. "Ive seen signs of some good rounds coming. "Am I surprised? Maybe a little." The cut was set at even-par 140 and 73 players made it, including six of the 19 Canadians in the field: DeLaet, David Hearn of Brampton, Ont at 3-under 137 after a 70, Adam Hadwin of Moose Jaw, Sask. at 1-under 139 from a 69, and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont. (70), Brad Fritsch of Ottawa (6 and amateur Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hills, Ont. (75), all at even-par 70. It was a rough day for Pendrith, who stole the show in Thursdays opening round with a 65. The 23-year-old gave back all his strokes by shooting five over par. "It was a disappointing round," said Pendrith, who had a double bogey, four bogeys and only one birdie. "To play well yesterday and come out and not play my best, I didnt hit many greens -- only six -- and didnt give myself too many chances for birdies. "My short game was pretty good -- I had a few nice saves -- so I cant be too disappointed about that. The ball striking was off today." Thomas Muller Jersey . He liked what he saw on Tuesday night. Not only did his team post a comeback 3-2 victory in a shootout over the Montreal Canadiens, but the rival Washington Capitals were beaten 5-1 in Buffalo. Julian Brandt Jersey . The Los Angeles Clippers showed them just how ugly that life could be. Jared Dudley scored a season-high 21 points, Chris Paul added 16 points and 17 assists, and the Clippers jumped all over the Bulls in Roses absence for a 121-82 victory Sunday. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Niklas-Sule-Germany-Jersey/ . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Darcy Kuemper, Minnesota (5): He was calm, poised, and looked comfortable all game. Sami Khedira Germany Jersey .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York. Sami Khedira Jersey . Maximilian Arnold put Wolfsburg ahead in the eighth minute, when the stationary Fallou Diagne allowed him to guide Patrick Ochs cross beyond the helpless Freiburg goalkeeper, and Ivica Olic doubled the lead three minutes later after Luiz Gustavo did well to set him up.An independent arbitrator has finally ruled on Alex Rodriguezs appeal, reducing his suspension from 211 games to 162 for his involvement in Major League Baseballs Biogenesis scandal. A-Rod is also disqualified from any post-season play. So at the tender age of 38, he will miss all of next season. As a result of missing the coming season, hes also out $25 million (which coincidentally is my hourly rate). This brings the arbitration process to a close. This case, however, is far from over. Still some track to cover. Who was the arbitrator? His name is Fredric Horowitz, hes 64 years old and specializes in labour and employment arbitration. After MLB fired arbitrator Shyam Das when he overturned Ryan Brauns suspension, Horowitz was hired to replace him and handle these types of grievances. Hes been a full time arbitrator since 1988. Who won the appeal? This is a win for MLB. A big win. While the suspension was reduced by 49 games, this should not be seen as a failure for baseball. A substantial part of the suspension was preserved (about 75per cent). So while we saw a reduction, MLB ultimately got its wish: A-Rod is gone for all of next season. As well, based on past arbitration cases and MLBs Drug Policy, it could have been worse for MLB. Historically, arbitrators dont like to see punishments or sanctions that seem to be a dramatic departure from the existing rules and policies at play. So are you saying that A-Rods suspension could have been reduced by a lot more? Yes. The collectively bargained Drug Policy provides for a 50 game suspension for a first time offender like him, and as a result his 211 game suspension may have been found to have been not only excessive and heavy-handed, but also not in keeping with the Drug Policy. The Drug Policy calls for a specific punishment for a first time offender, and that punishment was ignored in favour of a far longer suspension. If that argument got any traction, the arbitrator could have reduced the suspension by many more games. So why didnt the arbitrator reduce the suspension by more games? He was convinced that a substantial suspension was warranted. Based upon what we know about this case, MLB argued that A-Rod had engaged in an extensive and continuous pattern of PED use since at least 2010. He also has a long standing relationship with Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch that dates back to 2009. MLB also alleged that A-Rod obstructed its investigation, tampered with witnesses and generally interfered with its attempt to get to the truth. MLB has also suggested that A-Rod may have also recruited players to Biogenesis. Ultimately, his pervasivve and wide ranging pattern of wrongdoings was not only contrary to the Drug Policy, but also the MLBs Basic Agreement, which allows baseball to discipline a player for conduct detrimental to the game.dddddddddddd So given these various factors, A-Rods suspension was reasonable in the eyes of the arbitrator. So all of these elements conspired to result in only a modest reduction in the suspension. Was this ruling predictable? Yes. A reduction was in order but nothing earth shattering. So whats next for A-Rod? Hes says hes going to challenge the decision in Court. A-Rod filed his lawsuit against the league (and also personally against Commissioner Bud Selig) months ago in anticipation of being in a position to challenge the whole Biogenesis investigation and suspension. The first thing he does is ask a judge to put the suspension aside until such time that the case is decided in a court of law (which could take years thereby allowing A-Rod to play out his contract). A-Rod is unlikely to be successful with this request since this type of relief is only awarded in very special circumstances; and this isnt one such case on its face. Horowitz is a seasoned and respected arbitrator, and a court will defer to him. Right now, MLB is trying to have the case kicked out of Court, while A-Rod wants it moved to state court. It would be a surprise to see a judge kick the case out of court completely; still A-Rod faces challenges. Enough Jibber Jabber. Can A-Rod win in Court? Probably not. Heres your bottom line: judges are very reluctant to overturn arbitrators unless their decisions are off the wall. The reasoning is this: arbitrators are specialists on the issues they rule on and judges are not in a better position to decide these cases. Also, judges want people to respect arbitration and take it seriously. If they didnt, the lines at the court house would be a lot longer. Apart from being a partner at a law firm, Im also an arbitrator. When Im making my rulings, I know that unless Im totally out in left field, my decision will stand if challenged in court. So A-Rod has a real uphill battle ahead of him. The likelihood of success seems low. However, A-Rod may still pursue it and this could go on for years. Anything else I should know about? One small thing: Federal law enforcement officials are investigating Biogenesis raising the possibility of criminal charges. If that happens, expect the feds to have A-Rod testify under oath. At that point, he would be advised that he needs to tell the truth, failing which he could face perjury charges. This is quite the mess. Yep. ' ' ' |
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