miaowang123: the climate in Cleveland as well as he did in Golden State.

the climate in Cleveland as well as he did in Golden State.

4 Feb 2018 at 21:46

AKRON, Ohio -- Tiger Woods showed signs of a positive recovery Thursday at the Bridgestone Invitational. Jordan Mills Jersey . Not just from back surgery, but from making bogeys. Woods bounced back with birdies all three times that he made mistakes, opening with a 2-under 68 on a soft, gentle day for scoring at Firestone. It left him four shots behind Marc Leishman of Australia, and hopeful that this time he can build on a solid start. Woods opened with a 69 at the British Open two weeks ago, only to plunge down the leaderboard the rest of the week at Royal Liverpool. "I hit a lot of good shots," Woods said. "I dropped shots at three holes out there today (and) got it right back on the very next hole." For so many players, the opening round of this World Golf Championship felt like either a warmup or an audition for bigger events to follow. Ryan Moore was among three players at 65, a good start for someone looking for one big week to get him on the Ryder Cup team. Two more Ryder Cup hopefuls -- Patrick Reed and Francesco Molinari of Italy -- were among those another shot back. British Open champion Rory McIlroy, who next week will chase his second straight major, was among the leaders until not paying attention to packed sand in a bunker that sent him to a double bogey late in his round. He still wound up with a 69. Leishman has quietly gone about his work in reasonable form, with top 10s recently at Congressional and Royal Liverpool. He had the perfect formula for Firestone, a big golf course where good scores are available by keeping the ball in play. "I drove the ball well. It makes this course a lot easier when youre on the fairway," Leishman said. "Its pretty tough when youre playing from the rough. Then, I hit my irons really well and was rolling the ball awesome. So its a pretty good combination for a tough golf course like this, something I can hopefully keep going." Charl Schwartzel and Justin Rose joined Moore one shot out of the lead. Woods said only a mild breeze and soft conditions from overnight rain allowed for scoring, though he noted that no one went terribly low. The 64 by Leishman seemed like a good score, so maybe Woods was basing that on his own experience at a course where he has won eight times. Woods twice has shot his career-best 61 at Firestone, including last year on his way to a seven-shot victory. That he managed six birdies was a sign that he was making putts, even though two of his birdies were tap-ins. He still had a few wild moments, starting with a three-putt bogey from 10 feet on the opening hole. He hooked his drive so badly on the par-5 second hole that he worried it might not clear the lake on the adjacent third hole. It was far enough left to leave him a good angle with a 5-wood that he put on the green for a two-putt birdie. His only big mistake was a shot into the trees on the ninth hole. It took him two shots to get out, and from behind the green he couldnt get up-and-down and made double bogey. Just like two other bogeys in his round, he answered with a birdie with a shot into 6 feet on No. 10. "I feel like I made some progress," Woods said. "As I said, this is only my seventh round back. So its just going to take a little time. Im starting to get in the flow of things. If you look at my iron shots into the holes today, a majority of them were pin-high. So Im starting to get the feel back in my hands and get my trajectory under control." Woods missed three months following back surgery, and the six rounds he has played since returning have not been inspiring, except for that opening round at Hoylake. He needs more rounds like that to remind Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson he would be worth selecting, and to try to extend his season beyond the PGA Championship next week by moving up 90 spots in the FedEx Cup standings to qualify for the playoffs. Phil Mickelsons biggest struggle was with his health. He didnt arrive in Ohio until Wednesday night because of strep throat, and he opened with a 71. McIlroy appeared to pick up where he left off in England. He wasnt expecting a hangover from winning his third major and didnt experience one except for his mistake from the bunker on the eighth hole. "Theres still so much to play for," he said. "No. 1 spot is up for grabs. Trying to get myself as far up the FedEx Cup points as possible. I havent won a World Golf Championship before. Got another major coming up next week. It hasnt been that hard for me to refocus and get back to work." O. J. Simpson Jersey . Thaddeus Young scored seven of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Turner added 22 points, and the 76ers hung on for their first road win since Nov. 1, beating the depleted Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 on Sunday night. Jerry Hughes 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.Its the day before the NBAs trade deadline and TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on Amir Johnsons return, Randy Wittmans influence on the Washington Wizards and what may be in store for Kyle Lowry and Rajon Rondo. 1. AMIR JOHNSON: Nice to see him back in the lineup Tuesday night in Washington DC. Played with great energy and purpose. Its amazing when a guy gets those few precious days to recover what it does to the bounce in their step and overall game/confidence. They need him big time in the final 29 games and the fact that he missed the two games prior to the All Star break due to injury could end up being a blessing for their team. When he and Terrence Ross are going good, this team can compete at a high level with anyone.              2. RANDY WITTMAN: I said it Tuesday night on the telecast and Ill say it again. A coach has to get run from a game to light a fire under his team - thats a joke. The ultimate motivation and leadership has to come from the players. More leadership is needed in that locker room. The Wizards have more than enough talent to not only be a playoff team, but a winning playoff team. Felt bad for Wittman. Coaches get the blame all the time. I get that - been there and done that - yet at some point to take that next step it truly has to be a conscious decision on the part of your core players that youre going to be a good team and not allow yourself to be outplayed at home.               3. RAJON RONDO: Love the hard bargain and market that GM Danny Ainge is trying to create for himm. Cordy Glenn Jersey. As he gets healthier, his play will improve significantly. On the other side, its pretty evident that Rondo will be playing for another team in the next few days - or at the very latest a year from now. He wants to play on a winner and it will take a little longer in Boston for that to happen. 4. KYLE LOWRY: Watch him in the third quarter last night? He was brilliant. How does a guy establish his value in a contract year? Play big when your team needs you the most. Believe me, GMs and scouts are watching and realize hes doing it on a winning team thats one of the pleasant surprises in the league and hes a big reason why. Whether its with the Raptors or somewhere else, it will all work out if he continues to play at this high level. The obvious concern is after he gets a significant contract will his level of play stay the same and/or improve to justify it or will it dip? Thats the toughest thing to gauge for decision-makers. These final regular season games and potential playoff games will help set the bar for him. So far, hes setting himself up very nicely. 5. JARRETT JACK: His name is involved in trade rumours and hed be a good pickup for a contender. His former team - the Warriors - really misses his clutch play and great leadership skills. Unfortunately, he hasnt been able to impact the climate in Cleveland as well as he did in Golden State. Hes more of a complimentary player and when hes in that position hes quite effective. Can play both guard spots and makes the good high percentage play. Will be interesting to see if he sticks around, considering the Cavs have won five in a row and are right back in the playoff race in the East. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '



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