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May 18 2014, 01:56 AM
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Taking advantage of perfect conditions and a relaxed pairing with close friend Fred Couples, Jay Haas matched the Champions Tour record with a 10-under 60 to open a five-stroke lead Friday in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The 58-year-old Haas made a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th after hitting his second shot into a greenside bunker and leaving his eagle blast short. "It was just a very magical day for me," Haas said. "I had a great pairing. I love playing with Freddie. ... It was a wonderful day. One of those that you dont want to end." Haas became the eighth player in the history of the 50-and-over tour to shoot 60, and the first since Nick Price last year in the Toshiba Classic. "I cant remember another time that Ive had a chance to shoot a 59," Haas said. "I was thinking about it without question. I hit a decent bunker shot. It stopped a little quicker for me than I thought." Haas also broke the course record on Desert Mountains Cochise layout, closing with a 7-under 28 on the back nine to finish a stroke off the tours nine-hole record. Tom Lehman was second in the season-ending event after a 63, moving into position to win the Charles Schwab Cup points race. Bernhard Langer, 211 points ahead of second-place Lehman, was tied for fifth at 6 under after a 65. Couples was third at 8 under after a 66. "Wow! What a round he had," Couples said about Haas. "I had a good time, 4-under par. Im not going to complain, but when a guy is shooting 10 under it seems like youre shooting 80." Haas is 14 under after two days in perfect conditions on the mountainside course. The nine-time PGA Tour winner won the Principal Charity Classic in Iowa in June for his 16th victory on the senior tour. "The course is magnificent," Haas said. "The fairways are like carpets. The greens are perfect. So, if you hit a poor shot, its my fault." After making three birdies on the front nine to take the lead at 7 under, Haas chipped in for birdie from 35 feet on the par-4 10th after his 8-iron approach landed on the false front and spun off into the rough. That was the only green he missed in regulation, and gave him a chance to test his work Monday with noted short-game instructor Stan Utley. "I spent about an hour with Stan Utley up here at Grayhawk and he gave me some tips," Haas said. "I told him I was chipping really poorly, and he gave me some things to think about. ... I certainly have to applaud Stan for that." He also birdied the next three holes, holing a 7-foot putt on No. 11 and 15-footers on 12 and 13. "I kind of should have known my day was going really well because I thought I pushed the putt on 11," he said. "I started walking and I misread it. It broke a lot more than I thought and it caught the high edge and went into the hole." Haas missed an 8-foot birdie try on the par-4 14th and settled for a birdie on the par-5 15th after missing a 9-foot eagle putt. "Fifteen was the break of the day, really," Haas said. "I had too much club in my hand with 21-degree hybrid. Hit it in the neck just a little bit, and it hit just short and kicked up. ... I didnt hit it the way I wanted to, but it turned out nicely." He parred the par-4 16th after a 117-yard wedge shot that came up 20 feet short and right, then hit a 5-iron to 8 feet to set up a birdie on the par-3 17th. Couples is playing for the first time since a back injury forced him to withdraw during the first round of the Boeing Classic outside Seattle in late August. Before this week, he hadnt completed a competitive round since winning the Senior British Open in July for his second victory of the year. "Im excited to be out here playing," Couples said. Lehmans 63 was his lowest round on the Champions Tour. "I was extremely pleased with my play today," Lehman said. "As disappointed as I was with my finish yesterday, it was just the opposite today." Langer and Lehman would win the season title with a victory, while third-place Roger Chapman needs a victory and some help to top the standings. The tournament winner will get 880 points, with players receiving a point for every $500 they earn in the $2.5 million event. Langer won the points title in 2010, and Lehman won last year. "Were out there to do the best we can and at the end of the day well find out what happens," Langer said. Chapman was tied for 21st in the 30-man field at 1 under after a 70. Jay Don Blake, the defending champion and first-round leader, followed his opening 64 with a 71 to drop into a tie for eighth at 5 under. Blake won last year at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. Wholesale Jerseys . The third-ranked Spaniard withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday. Tendinitis has kept him out of action since his stunning loss at Wimbledon in late June. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping .763 mph in Saturdays qualifying. Its the 11th pole of Hamlins career and his second this season. http://www.wholesalechinajersey.us.com/ . Captain Tomas Rosicky has been declared fit and resumed training Monday at the Czech base in the Polish city of Wroclaw. Cheap Jerseys From China . Segares played in 178 games over eight seasons, scoring 11 goals and adding 13 assists. Bone, a first-round pick in the 2010 SuperDraft, made 17 appearances in three seasons. Cheap Jerseys . AHL president Dave Andrews isnt praying for the big league to shut its doors, but he knows it would mean an influx of talented players, a surge in attendance and greater media attention for "whatever period of time we are the top league in North America. HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros arent going to make too much out of winning two straight games for the first time in more than a month. But for this last place team, it sure feels good to end a series on a high note. Pinch hitter Jason Michaels hit an RBI single in the 11th inning to lift the Astros to a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday and give Houston consecutive victories and a series win for the first time since taking two of three from the Dodgers in June. "Its good to see these guys rewarded for some good play," Houston manager Brad Mills said. "To have these back-to-back wins and win a series is big." Humberto Quintero singled to right field before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. He took third on a single by Michael Bourn to set up Michaels game-winner to centre off Todd Coffey (3-1). Neither team got a hit in a scoreless 10th inning before Jayson Werth doubled with one out in the 11th. Wilton Lopez (2-4) retired the next two Nationals to end the scoring threat. Houston starter Brett Myers is hopeful that the series will help the Astros get something positive going in the second half of the season. "We need some momentum going right now," he said. "Obviously were not playing our best baseball, but that series right there we played pretty well. It was close games. We slugged with them yesterday and we pitched with them today and ultimately we were able to come out winning." It was the 15th extra-inning game for the Nationals this season and dropped their record in those games to 9-6. Houston rookie Jose Altuve picked up his first major league hit with a single to right field off Tyler Clippard with two outs in the ninth. Clippard walked Hunter Pence before retiring Carlos Lee to send it to the 10th. "Tyler was Houdini," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "He came in with two men on and nobody out and got out of it. He got into trouble the next inning and got out of it." Werth had three hits and drove in Washingtons only runs with a two-run homer that tied it 2-all in the sixth inning. It was his first homer since June 16. "Its kind of like all year -- we arent matching up," he said. "If we pitch, we dont hit. You hope that we will match up. Thats how you win games ... the pitching has been good all year, and weve been picking up the hitting. We are going to have to pitch, and we are going to have to hit if we are going to play in the post-season." Henry Rodriguez walked Pence and Lee with no outs in the eighth inning and was replaced by Clippard. Brett Wallace put doown a sacrifice bunt and Clippard intentionally walked Chris Johnson to load the bases.dddddddddddd Clippard got out of the jam when Clint Barmes popped out and Quintero struck out. Myers yielded eight hits and two runs in seven innings but did not factor into the decision, remaining winless since June 17. "I didnt feel like I had my best stuff, but I was able to make pitches when I needed to," he said. Livan Hernandez, who started for the Nationals, allowed seven hits and two runs with three strikeouts in six innings. He has allowed seven or more hits in five of his last six starts. "He made quality pitches. He kept us in the ball game," Johnson said. "I hate that we couldnt win it for him, but unfortunately, we couldnt punch one across." Hernandez retired six of the last seven he faced and was replaced by Rodriguez, who threw a 1-2-3 seventh. Michael Morse singled in the sixth inning and Werth followed with his tying homer. The home run to the Crawford Boxes in left field was the 24th Myers has allowed this season -- second-most in the majors. Rick Ankiel singled after the homer, but Myers retired the next two Nationals to end the inning. Quintero pushed Houstons lead to 2-0 on an RBI double in the second inning. Pence tripled in the first inning on a ball that bounced off the wall in left field and scored on a single by Lee to give Houston a 1-0 lead. Altuve started at second base on Wednesday in his major league debut. He was called up from Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday after the team traded second baseman Jeff Keppinger to the San Francisco Giants. "I was a little nervous in the beginning of the game," Altuve said. "And then just went out to play and it was pretty good." NOTES: The Astros optioned LHP Wesley Wright to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for INF Matt Downs, who was moved from the paternity leave list to the active roster after the game. ... Nationals LHP Tom Gorzelanny threw on Wednesday for the first time since twisting his right ankle Sunday in a home-plate collision. Johnson said he still isnt sure if hell make his scheduled start on Saturday. The Nationals could skip him without adding a pitcher to the rotation because of Thursdays scheduled off day. ... Houston OF Jason Bourgeois (right quadriceps strain) went 2-for-5 with an RBI in a rehabilitation assignment for Oklahoma City on Tuesday and is scheduled to play again Wednesday. ... Johnson doesnt expect C Ivan Rodriguez (strained right oblique) to come off the disabled list when he is eligible on Friday, but he will likely come off soon after that. ' ' '
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