07-02-2019, 12:45 AM
PITTSBURGH -- Fred Couples roared through his first 11 holes in the second round of the Senior Players Championship on Friday, ripping off seven birdies at water-logged Fox Chapel to take the lead. Then the weather managed to do what the defenceless course could not, stopping the Hall of Famer with a sudden downpour that suspended play for the day with most of the field still on the course. The stoppage came just after Couples hit his tee shot on the par-3 third. The sky cleared in about an hour, but with fairways and bunkers resembling ponds and the threat of more storms looming, officials decided to send players home rather than wait out a lengthy delay to squeeze in a few more holes. Couples understood the decision but allowed he was in the middle of something special when play was stopped. "Rounds like this dont happen very often," Couples said. Instead Couples was left to mull the 60-foot birdie putt that awaits when he and the 65 other players whose rounds were interrupted return to the course at 8 a.m. Saturday. "I was hitting the ball well," Couples said. "But you can look at the bright side tomorrow and hope to get it going again." He was 11 under. First-round leader John Huston was two shots back at 9 under after making an eagle from the rough on the par-4 15th hole just before the horn sounded. It was Hustons second eagle in two days on a par 4. He eagled No. 7 on Thursday when he drove the green and made a 25-footer. This one was a bit more unexpected after Huston pushed his tee shot to the right and it sailed into thick rough that bore more than a passing resemblance to soggy cabbage. His sand wedge from 100 yards caught the ball clean and it dropped into the hole on the fly, no roll required. "It was pretty shocking because it flew in the hole and stayed there," Huston said. Couples stressed he wont be getting ahead of himself as he searches for his second win at Senior Players, one of the Champions Tour five majors. He led at the halfway point on the same course last year, shooting a second-round 63 only to slip on the weekend and finish fourth behind winner Joe Daley. With the forecast calling for more rain over the weekend, Couples knows the rolling course a few miles north of downtown Pittsburgh wont be able to put up much of a fight. It certainly didnt Friday thanks to a steady stream of showers that have turned what is supposed to be one of the better tests on the tour into target practice. Officials allowed players to lift, clean and place their golf balls and, with the greens welcoming shots of all shapes, low scores were plentiful. Over half the field was even par or better for the day when the thunderstorm arrived. Though the conditions favoured longer hitters like Couples and Huston, the accommodating greens allowed short-hitting Jeff Hart to rise into contention. The 53-year-old shot a season-best 5-under 65 and was the leader in the clubhouse at 7 under. Not bad for a player who was hitting fairway woods and long irons onto some of the lengthier par 4s. He hit a 3-wood to 5 feet on the 475-yard eighth hole and made the putt, then knocked a 4-iron within a foot on the 422-yard 16th. Hart hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. The 53-year-old grinder has never finished in the top 10 in a Champions Tour event but is coming off a solid 15th-place finish at the Encompass Championship last week. He pointed to a change in mindset to the uptick in his play. "Im finally learning to try less and less," he said. "I think thats the key for me. I think were all conditioned to try harder and in all sports youre told to get in there, try harder and certainly golf is no different. But Im just kind of letting it go right now and thats the key." Duffy Waldorf was also 7 under with four holes remaining in his second round. Fred Funk, Mike Goodes and Michael Allen were 6 under, with points leader David Frost and Russ Cochran one shot back at 5 under. Colin Montgomerie, making his Champions Tour debut, moved into a tie for 10th with Corey Pavin and Mark Calcavecchia at 4 under after rolling in birdies on his first five holes. Discount Yankees Jerseys . The San Angelo, Texas product, who was a high school and college quarterback sensation in the Lone Star State, will start his first CFL game with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-4) on Friday at Mosaic Stadium against the leagues top team, the Calgary Stampeders (11-2). Mickey Mantle Jersey . Ortiz hit a pair of two-run homers, including his 400th shot in a Red Sox uniform, and drove in a career high-tying six runs to power Boston past the Houston Astros 10-7 on Saturday night. http://www.cheapyankeesjerseyschina.com/...ra-jersey/. Louis Blues brought in the premier unrestricted free agent centre, and did it without breaking the bank. Alex Rodriguez Jersey . -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett thinks of one thing when he watches Eastern Conference teams struggle against Western opponents before they get to Phoenix: His team must keep pace. Mariano Rivera Jersey .com) - Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall left Saturdays game against the Senators in the second period with a left knee injury.The Major League Baseball non-waiver deadline is at 4pm et and with 19 of the leagues 30 teams either holding a playoff spot - or within five games of one - the list of potential buyers is considerably larger than the list of sellers. That, however, certainly doesnt preclude business, even of the significant kind, from being done in the next day or in the coming weeks (the waiver deadline is August 31 at 11:59pm et). Weve already seen the likes of Jeff Samardzija (Oakland Athletics), Justin Masterson (St. Louis Cardinals) and Jake Peavy (San Francisco Giants) find new homes in the last days and weeks, but there could be more movement done in the coming hours and days. Here are a few players and teams to watch out for as the deadline approaches. Philadelphia Phillies: Ruben Amaro, Jr. appears to be open for business. Three-fifths of his rotation (Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and A.J. Burnett) are available, as are first baseman Ryan Howard, outfielder Marlon Byrd, reliever Antonio Bastardo and closer Jonathan Papelbon. Getting deals done might be easier said than done, though, with significant money owed to most of these players. Chances are, the Phillies will have to eat some cash to get anything done. Amaro will be looking for the biggest return from Hamels, but few teams seem to be willing to pay a steep asking price. If anybody is interested, you can imagine the Los Angeles Dodgers will be among them. Lee, the 2008 Cy Young winner, has led the entire MLB in starting pitchers WAR since then with an incredible mark of 38.3. The rub on dealing Lee, though, is that history shows that the return probably wont pan out. In the three trades that have seen Lee switch jerseys since his Cy Young, 11 prospects have gone the other way. Only Carlos Carrasco and Justin Smoak are currently in the MLB among them. Howard is likely to draw the least amount of interest due to age, money and injury history. Burnett and Byrd are owed the least amount of money and should be on the move. Burnett lives in Maryland, making the Baltimore Orioles the most obvious destination for the veteran. Trading Byrd will be a little bit more complicated, as his four-team no trade clause includes the Seattle Mariners, a team with the most apparent interest. The New York Yankees also appear interested in the 36-year-old. Not entirely outside the realm of possiblity? Amaro attempting to package several of his assets into a blockbuster deal akin to the one made between the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox in 2012 that saw Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford head to the west coast. Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays are on a torrid streak right now, winning 11 of 12, and find themselves now just five games out of an AL Wild Card. The impetus for the team to move assets that existed when they were 18 games under .500 in June has greatly abated, but not entirely. The team will reportedly still take calls on some of its veteran players, including former AL Cy Young Award winner David Price, the teams all-time leading lefty pitcher. While the likes of Price, Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce could be available, that doesnt mean that the anybody will meet general manager Andrew Freidmans asking price. Furthermore, with Price under contract for another season, its not a stretch to suggest that the haul the Rays would receive for Price in the offseason or even during next year wouldnt be all that different than what theyd get now. And what kind of message would it send to the Rays fans to pull the plug on the this team right when its in the midst of the best baseball its played all season? Obviously, the Rays fan base or lack thereof has been a sore spot in recent years for a team that has made the playoffss four of the past six seasons, but if the team does intend to retain what support is does have and cultivate any new fandom, selling off assets now might not be the best play.dddddddddddd If Price is dealt, he becomes the seventh Cy Young winner in the last 10 years to be traded after taking home the award. Cleveland Indians: A playoff team a year ago, the Indians are in a similar position to the Rays in that their playoff hopes arent entirely extinguished, but Wednesdays trade of Masterson could indicate that general manager Chris Antonettis focus has turned to 2015. LOOGY Marc Rzepczynski could be an easy sell for any club looking to shore up its bullpen, while Asdrubal Cabreras time appears to be coming to an end in Cleveland. With highly touted infield prospect Francisco Lindor appearing to be ready to go at a big league-level next season, Antonetti could look to recoup some assets for the impending free agent second baseman. Both the Jays and Giants have reportedly kicked the tires on the 28-year-old two-time All-Star. Boston Red Sox: The defending World Series champions appear on course to be the first team since the 1997 Florida Marlins to go from first to worst in the following season. The team has already parted with Peavy and Felix Doubront (Chicago Cubs), but their two biggest assets remain in starters Jon Lester and John Lackey. Lester was scratched from his Wednesday night start against the Toronto Blue Jays in anticipation of an impending deal, while Lackey, scheduled to pitch on Friday, has had his name has come up in talks in recent days with the Miami Marlins. General manager Ben Cherington has never been one to shy away from making bold moves, but right now, he appears to taking a wait-and-see approach. Lester and Lackey are free agent at seasons end, so its not inconceivable that the team could move them for prospects now and make plays for them in the offseason. Lester, after a poor 2013, has bounced back considerably, on pace for career highs in ERA, innings per start and walk rate. The Blue Jays and Orioles were said to have interest in Lester earlier than the week, but that appears to have cooled on both ends. Even with the acquisition of Masterson, the Cardinals could still make a play for Lester. Reliever Andrew Miller could also be available, along with outfielder Jonny Gomes. Texas Rangers: Few teams have had a more disappointing 2014 than the Rangers, a preseason favourite to compete for the AL West crown. With their playoff hopes crippled by injuries and underperforming stars, the Rangers find themselves in the rare position of being sellers at the deadline after playoff berths in three of the last four seasons. General manager Jon Daniels has already traded relievers Jason Frasor to the Kansas City Royals and Joakim Soria to the Detroit Tigers and lefty Neal Cotts could be next. A free agent at seasons end, Cotts is effective against both lefty and righty opposition. Both the Orioles and Atlanta Braves have already expressed interest. Outfielder Alex Rios could also be on the move. Rios is also an impending free agent and could be an option for a team looking for production in the outfield or at the designated hitters spot. The Blue Jays were said to have held talks with the Rangers earlier this month. Though down and out now, the Rangers dont see themselves in a rebuild. Looking to contend in 2015, expect Adrian Beltre to be off of the table. Other players to watch: SS Martin Prado and 2B Aaron Hill (Diamondbacks), 2B Chris Denorfia, RHP Ian Kennedy and RHP Joaquin Benoit (Padres), C Kurt Suzuki and OF Josh Willingham (Twins), OF Dayan Viciedo (White Sox) and RHP Chad Qualls (Astros). Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale NHL Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '