g in the first half. His first few minutes on the ...
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g in the first half. His first few minutes on the court gave Flor
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2015/11/06 07:19AM
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Latest post: 2015/11/06 07:19AM, Views: 190, Posts: 1
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DUBLIN, Ohio -- The Presidents Cup is a lot like The Players Championship. No one really talks about it until its time to play. And too much time is spent comparing it with something it will never be instead of enjoying it for what it is. At least no one can joke the Presidents Cup is match play between the United States and Florida. This year, only four players on this International team have homes in Florida. One lives in North Carolina, one in Virginia, another in Idaho. And its a home game for Jason Day of Australia, who lives about 10 miles away in Westerville and is an honorary member at Muirfield Village. But it has nothing to do with where these guys live or where they play. Remember, the most recent Ryder Cup at Medinah was a home game for Luke Donald of England. And only two players from Europes team are not PGA Tour members. The Presidents Cup can never equal the passion, pride and excessive hype of the Ryder Cup, just like The Players Championship can have all the trappings of a major championship without ever being considered one. Those vested in the Presidents Cup -- mainly anyone who works for the PGA Tour -- will argue that its only a matter of time. No one paid that much attention to the Ryder Cup when it was first starting out. Now it rivals the Masters as must-see TV. Thats missing the point. Europe has a real flag, not one that someone designed exclusively for a golf tournament. More than playing for a flag, Europe plays for its tour. Padraig Harrington said it best a decade ago when he referred to the European Tour as the "country cousin" of the PGA Tour. Its not as big, not as rich, not as popular. They have something to prove one week every two years. Its the success of the Ryder Cup -- and that success comes from beating up on the Americans every other year -- that pumps much-needed money into the European Tour. Golf fans from European countries build their year-round travel to the Ryder Cup, home and away. The International team comes from Argentina and Japan, South Africa and Australia. The biggest draw this week in Ohio might be Graham DeLaet of Canada, a proud golf nation and not terribly far away from central Ohio. "We are going to have a lot of support from the Canadians, and I think were going to have a lot of people down here from Canada in the next four or five days, so good for him," International captain Nick Price said. Safe to say there hasnt been a big rush for tickets from Zimbabwe. Or Argentina. So why bother with the Presidents Cup? Mainly because its an opportunity, and that should be enough. "When we started out with the Presidents Cup, the initial guys -- myself, Greg (Norman) and Ernie (Els) -- we so enjoyed watching the Ryder Cup and so wanted to be a part of the Ryder Cup-type format," Price said. "And then the Presidents Cup came along, and that was fantastic." Go back two decades to the start of these matches, and it might explain the value of the Presidents Cup -- and perhaps why it has lost some steam in recent years. The biggest stars outside of America in the mid-1990s werent from Europe, but from other parts of the globe. Norman was the biggest draw in golf. Price won three majors and was No. 1 in the world. Els won his first U.S. Open at 24 and was referred to by Curtis Strange as "the next guy." International players not eligible for the Ryder Cup won majors in all but two seasons during the 1990s. The only big stars from Europe when the Presidents Cup began in 1994 were Jose Maria Olazabal (when healthy) and Colin Montgomerie. Yes, Nick Faldo won his sixth major in 1996, but that was his last big moment. Europe got its due at the Ryder Cup. And these days, Europe has the best of both -- the Ryder Cup and some of the top stars. Just two years ago, the season ended with Europeans occupying the top four spots in the world ranking. Maybe thats why its hard to get worked up over this Presidents Cup. Masters champion Adam Scott has emerged as a global star. No other player on the International team is ranked among the top 15. It wouldnt hurt if the International team won the Presidents Cup this year to at least make it look like a contest. The last three have been blowouts, and the Americans only loss in this "competition" was in 1998 at Royal Melbourne. It certainly would help for the matches to be close. "We dont like getting beaten," Price said. "This is -- to all of us, I think -- its a really big week." Would it change the interest level worldwide? Not much as people might think. Its still an exhibition between the best players in the world outside of Europe. Its team match play, the most engaging format in golf. It can be fun. It can be intense -- Price once snapped a putter over his knee after losing a match on the 18th hole. Its still a great week of golf. And thats all it needs to be worth playing. Wholesale Jerseys Cheap . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Wholesale Jerseys . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. http://www.wholesaleauthenticj... . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. [url=http://www.wholesaleauthenticjerseys.us.com/]Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Wholesale Jerseys China . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams.GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Michael Frazier II scored 14 points, highly touted freshman Chris Walker had two crowd-pleasing dunks in his debut and No. 3 Florida beat Missouri 68-58 on Tuesday night. The Gators won their 14th consecutive game and extended a school record with their 28th straight victory at home. Frazier came up huge in the latest one. The sophomore drained three 3-pointers in a 2-minute span in the second half, giving Florida some breathing room in a tight, back-and-forth game. Patric Youngs driving layup with 4:10 remaining gave the Gators (20-2, 9-0 Southeastern Conference) a 58-48 lead. Missouris 3-point shooting kept the Tigers (16-6, 4-5) in it for much of the game. Missouri made 8 of 21 from behind the arc, but just 4 of 13 in the second half. The Tigers went more than 4 minutes without a point, a stretch that helped Florida build its biggest lead. Jabari Brown led the Tigers with 15 points while Jordan Clarkson added 14. Scottie Wilbekin finished with a career-high 19 points for the Gators. He was 13 of 16 from the free throw line, most of them down the stretch. Young chipped in 13 points and six rebounds. Florida coach Billy Donovan notched his 16th consecutive 20-win season. Only Syracuses Jim Boeheim and Dukes Mike Krzyzewski have longer active streaks. Donovans current team has some issues -- shaky free throw shooting and few long-range threats outside Frazier -- but the addition of Walker could increase Floridas chances of making another deep run in the NCAAA tournament.dddddddddddd. A forward from Bonifay in Floridas panhandle, Walker sat out 12 games, or 40 per cent of the season, because the NCAA determined he "received preferential treatment from five people, including two agents." The NCAA said Walker and people close to him accepted free cellphones and service, airfare, lodging, meals and apparel while he was a prospect. He was ordered to donate the $270 received from the agents to a charity of his choice and serve 80 hours of community service. Walker, who failed to qualify academically and spent the fall taking online classes to gain eligibility, joined the team Dec. 14 and has been practicing since. His debut had been much-anticipated. Walker, who drew oohs and aahs with every move during pregame warm-ups, entered the game to a standing ovation with 11:28 remaining in the first half. His first few minutes on the court gave Florida fans even more to celebrate. Walker blocked two shots and pulled down a rebound in just 3 minutes. There was some obvious confusion, especially on the defensive end, but he showed surprising poise considering all the hype, the wait, the atmosphere and the opponent. He was even better in his second stint. Walker had two thunderous dunks in the final 2:07 of the half, finishing alley-oops from fellow freshman Kasey Hill. The second one had the OConnell Center rocking -- but just briefly. Brown hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer a few seconds later, giving Missouri a 28-25 lead. wholesale stitched jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys cheap nfl jerseys china ' ' '
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