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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. Travis Wood Jersey . -- Zach Johnson made a quadruple-bogey 8 on his second hole and still managed a 67 in the Honda Classic on Thursday. Tiger Woods had good birdie chances on his opening four holes and couldnt break par. Johnson made seven birdies after his soggy start -- two straight shots into the water -- and it took a few minutes for him to digest a wild round at PGA National. He looked as though he might have shot himself out of the tournament, but he ended the round two shots behind co-leaders William McGirt and Rory Sabbatini among the early starters. "It was easy to put behind me because it was the second hole," Johnson said. Woods was playing for the first time in a month -- and only his third tournament this year -- and he didnt show many signs of rounding into form. Coming off pedestrian finishes at Torrey Pines and Dubai, the worlds No. 1 player couldnt make any putts until he was scrambling for par. He had only three birdies in a round of 71 and likely will start the second round Friday outside the cut line. "I hit it good starting out," Woods said. "Hit it kind of scrappy in the middle and then hit it good at the end." The big blow came on No. 2 when he pulled his tee shot into thick rough, advanced the ball only about 25 yards, found a bunker and took double bogey. British Open champion Phil Mickelson, Masters champion Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy were among the late starters at a tournament that features seven of the top nine players in the world, making it the strongest regular PGA Tour event of the season. McGirt is getting used to this position. Just two weeks ago, he had a two-shot lead going into the final round at Riviera until he closed with a 73 and tied for sixth. In his next start, hes right back at the top. McGirt had a tap-in eagle at No. 3 and kept bogeys off his card. "About as well as Ive played since Ive been out here," McGirt said. "Just stayed out of my own way." Sabbatini is a past winner at the Honda Classic. Brendon de Jonge, Derek Ernst, Tommy Gainey and Brice Garnett were among those at 66, while Luke Donald joined Johnson in the group at 67. Johnson had a day to remember. Anyone with an 8 on the card before breakfast gets cold has reason to think the tournament effectively is over. Johnson looked to be in shock as he stood in the 11th fairway. He was between a 6-iron and a 7-iron, went for the 6-iron and saw it come down in the water. Because he carried the water the entire way, he had to drop well back in the fairway. Johnson went up 10 paces (still behind the hazard line) and went with the 7-iron. That didnt make it. So he took a few steps back and changed to the 6-iron and pulled that to the left back of the green. "That was the worst shot I hit of the three," he said. But instead of getting down, Johnson thought back to the time he was in the second stage of Q-school. On the opening hole, he took an 8. "I hit the ball eight times without a penalty," he said. "And I finished second." He still had at least 34 holes remaining and started putting them to good use, especially how he closed out the back nine with three straight birdies. "Not surprising knowing how tough this guy is," said Woods, who played alongside Johnson and wound up four shots worse. "He was pretty stoked about what he did today." Woods is still trying to emerge. As the defending champion and an eight-time winner at Torrey Pines, he missed the 54-hole cut. At Dubai, where he was a two-time winner, he tied for 41st. Woods has played in only four tournaments, not including the Presidents Cup, since the Tour Championship last September. He talked Wednesday about possibly altering his pre-Masters schedule, though he has not made clear what he meant by that. The biggest issue was converting birdie chances. He opened with three shots pin-high, two from about 18 feet, the other from 6 feet, and never touched the hole. "It certainly wasnt together today," he said. "Didnt get into a roll early." Billy Williams Cubs Jersey . LUCIE, Fla. Welington Castillo Cubs Jersey . - Wednesdays lightweight bout between Canadian Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout and K.NEW YORK -- The stands were filled and the fences were much closer. Chris Young and the New York Mets certainly enjoyed the cozy confines across town. Young hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning, Jenrry Mejia provided a jolt after his reluctant move to the bullpen and the previously punchless Mets went deep four times to rally past the banged-up Yankees 9-7 Monday night in the Subway Series opener. The crowd of 46,517, chanting back and forth, included Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra -- who received a warm hand on his 89th birthday -- and a large throng of Mets fans in left field wearing orange shirts that read "Bronx Invasion." "It was like a big party out there in the outfield, and it keeps you in the game," said Young, who played centre and left. "I was saying that I was having the most fun that Ive had even before the home run." After going 4-0 last year for their first season sweep of the Yankees, the Mets picked up right where they left off last May. Curtis Granderson connected in his return to Yankee Stadium, and the Mets also got long balls from Eric Young Jr. and Travis dArnaud while overcoming a pair of three-run deficits. Lumbering first baseman Lucas Duda turned in two spectacular defensive plays, starting a game-ending double play with runners at the corners by making a diving stop of Brian McCanns sharp grounder. Taking full advantage of a hitter-friendly ballpark, rather than the vast dimensions back home at Citi Field, the Mets hit four home runs in a game for the first time since May 3, 2013, in Atlanta, according to STATS. They began the day ranked 29th in the majors with 22 homers. "Part of it is being here," Mets manager Terry Collins explained, referring to both the fences and the environment. "This atmosphere creates intensity and creates focus, and guys are excited about being here." Brett Gardner hit an early grand slam off ex-Yankee Bartolo Colon, and Derek Jeter had three hits for the first time since Sept. 30, 2012, in Toronto. Carlos Beltran left in the seventh with a hyperextended right elbow and was scheduled to have an MRI. Beltran, the designated hitter, got hurt working in the indoor cage between at-bats. "Im concerned because it was enough to take himself out of the game," manager Joe Girardi said. Bumped into a struggling bullpen before the game, Mejia (4-0) entered in the seventh for his first relief appearance since September 2012. He struck out Alfonso Soriano on three pitches and worked a scoreless eighth. Mejia sure seemed to relish the role -- even though he made it clear he wanted to stay in the rotation because he was concerned about injuring his surgically repaired arm again. Ryne Sandberg Jersey. The right-hander excitedly pumped his fist after a double play and then backed his way off the mound following a called third strike that ended the eighth. "It feels pretty good. Ive got to enjoy it," a smiling Mejia said. "If they need me in the bullpen Ive got to be there because I never play for myself." Kyle Farnsworth pitched a shaky ninth for his third save -- aided by Mark Teixeiras nagging groin injury. Teixeira laced a pinch-hit single to right that went to the wall and sent Jeter to third base. A gimpy Teixeira had to stop at first, though, and was pulled for a pinch-runner. That kept the double play in order and Duda turned a rare 3-5-3 gem with third baseman David Wright, who was shifted near shortstop against McCann. Pinch-hitter Eric Campbell, enjoying his third day in the majors, got the Mets started in the eighth by hustling for a double after his sharp grounder caromed off third baseman Yangervis Solarte and into left field. Duda blooped a single to centre off Matt Thornton (0-1), and Campbell barely beat Jacoby Ellsburys accurate throw with a nifty slide at the plate. Chris Young greeted Preston Claiborne with a two-run shot to left, giving the Mets a 9-7 lead. "We really struggled today," Girardi said. "We didnt make pitches." The Yankees snapped a 4-all tie with three runs in the sixth off Colon, who gave up 11 hits for the second time this season. Young Jr. trimmed it to 7-6 with a two-run homer off Alfredo Aceves, who relieved starter Hiroki Kuroda in the seventh. In the first inning, Granderson turned and greeted fans in right field. The slugger signed a $60 million, four-year contract with the Mets in December after spending four seasons with the Yankees. He caused a bit of a stir in the off-season by saying, "A lot of the people Ive met in New York have always said that true New Yorkers are Mets fans." "The Mets fans came out in droves," Granderson said. NOTES: Mets President Saul Katz denied a report by The New York Times that he has expressed an interest in selling his share of the team. "I have no intention of selling my share of the Mets nor have I ever had any intention of selling my share," Katz said in a statement released by the club. ... The Mets plan to promote touted pitching prospect Rafael Montero from Triple-A Las Vegas to start Wednesday night at home against the Yankees in place of Mejia. It will be Monteros major league debut. ... Sorianos second-inning single made him the seventh player to get 1,000 hits in the American League and National League. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
