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he time trial in the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998. He also represented South Africa at two Olympics, i
Topic Started: May 18 2014, 01:56 AM (8 Views)
zake201
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KAPALUA, Hawaii -- For those who think the PGA Tour season never ends, heres a new twist: This one cant get started. The season-opening Tournament of Champions was postponed for the second straight day because of gusts that topped 40 mph and made it impossible to play golf. Unlike the previous day when 24 players managed to tee off, no one hit a shot Saturday on the Plantation Course at Kapalua. "We tried as best we could," said Slugger White, the tours vice-president of rules and competition. Play was delayed three times before it was called for the day. The season now starts Sunday -- thats when most tournaments end -- with hopes of playing 36 holes, followed by an 18-hole finish Monday. It will be the first time the Tournament of Champions is reduced to 54 holes since 1997, when Tiger Woods hit a 7-iron to a foot to beat Tom Lehman in a playoff when a par 3 at La Costa was the only hole that could be used because of so much rain. Players arrived in darkness and never got farther than the practice range. The wind has been relentless for two days, and it was clear early on there would be trouble. The back nine of the Plantation Course is higher up the mountain and more exposed. White and the rules officials found that golf balls kept moving on the 10th, 11th and 13th holes. "On the 10th hole, we dropped a ball on the back of the green and it rolled 20 yards off the front," White said. He said the wind caused another ball to roll uphill. The forecast is slightly better for Sunday and Monday, with strong wind in the morning gradually abating through the day. Even so, the Plantation Course is a long walk with severe changes in elevation, which figures to be brutal on the caddies. White said they were considering offering more shuttle rides on portions of the course to help. "Its just a little too windy out there for us to play," Brandt Snedeker said. "If the course wasnt so exposed, it wouldnt be a problem. But you have a lot of greens exposed to 40 mph wind gusts. Its tough to make that call. They did the right thing. We had to try to play today if we wanted to try to get 72 holes in." The PGA Tour has weather guidelines with an emphasis to play 72 holes, even going a fifth day provided the forecast allows for it. But this is different. The tour opted last year for a Monday finish to try to stay away from NFL playoffs, and finish before the BCS championship game. The Sony Open in Honolulu starts on Thursday, and its no small task to get the television and other tournament equipment to another island. If the tournament doesnt end by mid-afternoon on Monday, the Sony Open would have a limited TV operation for its opening round on Thursday. The only way the Tournament of Champions would stretch into Tuesday would be if 54 holes could not be completed. Then, there would be no television coverage. "Its a unique situation," said Andy Pazder, chief of operations for the tour. "Its a 16-hour barge trip, in good weather." Pazder said the tour would not be inclined to follow its weather guidelines for a 72-hole event "because of the impact of next weeks tournament." But he said the tour was not inclined to go back to a Sunday finish for Kapalua. Meanwhile, the seven players who chose not to play in this winners-only event were feeling much better about the decision. Luke Donald, who typically takes a long break over the winter, said in a tweet to Ian Poulter, "give me a call -- Ill tell you how calm and sunny it is over here on the East Coast! Haha." Poulters reply: "missing you." The weather was as fickle as ever. One moment, photographers stood behind the first tee under clearing skies to capture idyllic images of the blue Pacific, filled with white caps, and a hint of orange around the puffy clouds. Five minutes later, everyone was scrambling for cover as another rain shower moved in and cut off any view of the water. But this isnt about the rain. "With these gusts, the ball is basically moving on its own," Hunter Mahan said. "It doesnt make for good golf, good scores. Its not fun for anybody out there." Mahan has hit three shots this year, and they dont even count. The scores of the 20 players who finished at least one hole Friday were wiped clean. Mahan was playing with Zach Johnson, whose first putt went 10 feet by the hole. Mahan began to settle over his putt and the wind blew it a few feet closer to hole. "I knew we were in trouble then," he said. "I was watching on TV, and I cant believe we got on the tee box." The forecast provided enough optimism that the first round of the year would be completed -- finally -- on Sunday, and as long as the wind died, there should be enough time to get in 36 holes and head for the Monday finish. Perhaps that bodes well for Dustin Johnson. 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He made the turn in style, eagling the 10th when his second shot landed within 10 feet of the pin. http://www.authenticjaguarsshop.com/Andre-Branch-Jaguars-Jersey . LOUIS -- The St. http://www.authenticjaguarsshop.com/Chad-Henne-Jaguars-Jersey .J. -- Tim Tebow has been criticized for years about his quarterback skills, his arm and how he throws. CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- South African cyclist David George, a former teammate of Lance Armstrong, admitted using the blood-boosting drug EPO on Tuesday and said the sport had given him experiences "no person or young athlete should have to go through." The former U.S. Postal Service rider failed an out-of-competition doping test on Aug. 29, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport said, and was provisionally suspended by Cycling South Africa ahead of an independent tribunal. He now faces a two-year ban. "I fully understand the consequences of my admission and will bear the results of this," George said. He apologized to his sponsors but Nedbank, the backer of his current 360Life team, said it was immediately withdrawing its sponsorship. "Nedbank has a zero tolerance towards the use of any banned substances or performance enhancing drugs and does not condone or support such use in any sport," the South African bank said. George cycled on the disgraced Armstrongs U.S. Postal team in 1999 and 2000 and was one of South Africas top cyclists having won the South African time trial championships five times and road race championships in 2003. He said he would not ask for his B sample to be tested and would accept his punishment. "I know the result will ultimately be the same. This decision will be communicated to Cycling South Africa (CSA) and Drug-Free Sport shortly and according to protocol," Georrge said in his statement.dddddddddddd Armstrong was last month banned for life for doping by the International Cycling Union following a report by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. He was formally stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, wiping out the career of one of cyclings most celebrated riders. Other former teammates of the American testified against him in the report, which said Armstrong used steroids, EPO and blood transfusions. George won silver in the road race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and bronze in the time trial in the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998. He also represented South Africa at two Olympics, in 1996 and 2000. "Cycling, as you know, has been a confusing space, and although it has given me incredible moments it has also given me experiences that no person or young athlete should have to go through," George said. EPO, or Erythropoietin, artificially increases the red blood cell count and increases an athletes oxygen carrying capacity. "His biological passport indicated suspicious activity and that triggered a targeted test for EPO," SAIDS chief executive Khalid Galant said earlier Tuesday, announcing the positive test. "A subsequent urine test came back positive for the banned EPO drug." Despite the sports battered international image, William Newman, the president of Cycling South Africa, said doping was "not endemic" in South African cycling. ' ' '
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