Kellermann-Strauss Forum » failed to win 20 games on home ice.T

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- The final moments Saturday at Oak Hill brought out more emotion as big putts kept falling in the PGA Championship, with one big difference. These putts were for par. Jim Furyk, after a 3-wood struck so poorly off the 18th tee that he couldnt have reached the green even if he had been in the fairway, worked his way up the 472-yard hole until he had a 15-foot putt from the fringe to keep a one-shot lead. The ball curled into the left corner of the cup, and the 43-year-old emphatically shook his fist. Adam Scott, whose sweet swing turned sour on the last few holes, was on the verge of letting the lead get another shot away from him when he knocked in a 15-foot putt for par on the 17th hole, bowed his head and pumped his fist. And then there was Jason Dufner, whose disappointment turned to surprise on the 18th hole when he took a step toward the cup to tap in a missed putt and watched gravity pull it into the hole for a par that put him in the final group. Perhaps those scenes were a prelude for Sunday, the final round of the final major of the year. "Its only going to get harder," Furyk said. Oak Hill finally had enough elements for a tough test, and Furyk showed enough of his western Pennsylvania grit for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot lead over Dufner. Grinding to the end in a swirling wind that cast doubt on so many shots, Furyk closed with two clutch putts -- one for birdie to regain the lead, the par putt to keep it -- that put him 18 holes away from winning another major 10 years after his U.S. Open title. There was nothing fancy about the way he worked his way to the top of the leaderboard at 9-under 201, but then, thats rarely the case with Furyk. He made three birdies and two tough pars on the back nine, and the one bogey was a bunker shot that hit the pin and rolled 7 feet away. He was so wrapped up in his game that he didnt even know the score. "Give me a leaderboard. Where are we at?" he asked before he was told he was one shot ahead of Dufner, and two clear of Henrik Stenson. "Im comfortable with where Im at," Furyk said. "Theres a crowded leaderboard at the top, and instead of really viewing it as who is leading and who is not, Im really viewing it as I need to go out there tomorrow and put together a good, solid round of golf. Fire a good number and hope it stacks up well." Dufner was eight shot worse than his record-tying 63, but at least he got into the final group at the PGA Championship for the second time in three years. At the Atlanta Athletic Club in 2011, he had a four-shot lead with four holes to go and lost to Keegan Bradley in a playoff. "I was young, new to doing the majors," Dufner said. "I think that was the third or fourth major I played in. So hopefully, the experience Ive had since then will pull me through and give me a chance to win tomorrow." Stenson, a runner-up at the British Open three weeks ago, dropped only one shot over the last 16 holes and ran in a pair of 12-foot birdie putts for a 69 and was two shots behind. Swedens odds of winning a major have never been this high. Stenson will play in the penultimate group with Jonas Blixt, who had a 66. The surprise was Scott, who was poised to seize control at any moment. Scott blasted a driver on the uphill, 318-yard 14th hole that was so pure he snatched his tee from the ground as the ball was still rising. It stopped 25 feet below the cup, and he had an eagle putt to tie for the lead. The Australian two-putted for birdie, and two holes later fell back with a double bogey on the 16th. Scott escaped further damage with a 15-foot par save on the 17th and managed a 72. He was four shots behind, along with Steve Stricker, who had a 70. Those were the only five players within five shots of the lead. Still with an outside chance was Rory McIlroy, who came to life with three birdies over his last six holes for a 67. McIlroy, trying to join Tiger Woods as the only repeat winners of the PGA in the stroke-play era, knocked in a 40-foot birdie putt on the 17th and then showed more emotion than he has all year when he chipped in for birdie on the 18th. "It was good to feel the sort of rush again," McIlroy said. He was at 3 under, still six shots behind. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., briefly the clubhouse leader during round 1, fell to 3 over for the tournament after carding 1-over 71 Saturday. Hearn looked like he was going to turn in a strong round, but he followed a bogey on 17 with a double-bogey on 18. Woods, meanwhile, will have to wait eight more months to end his drought in the majors. He opened with two bogeys in three holes and shot a 73 to fall 13 shots behind. It was a shocking performance from the worlds No. 1 player, mainly because he was coming off a seven-shot win at Firestone that included a 61. Woods has made only seven birdies in 54 holes -- four of them on par 3s. British Open champion Phil Mickelson was even worse. He sprayed the ball all over Oak Hill on his way to a 78, matching his highest score ever in the PGA Championship. No one looked terribly comfortable at the start, not with the swirling wind and water hazard that winds its way along the front nine. U.S. Open champion Justin Rose fell apart early with back-to-back double bogeys that sent him to a 42. He wound up with a 77. Scott opened with a 20-foot birdie putt, only to follow with back-to-back bogeys. And when Dufner ended his string of pars by driving into the creek on No. 5 for double bogey, it appeared that this tournament was wide open. The leaders steadied themselves, leaving the title Sunday it still up for grabs but likely among fewer players. Scott knows as well as anyone how unpredictable a final round can be. He was four shots up with four holes to play at the British Open last year and watched Ernie Els win the claret jug. At Muirfield last month, Mickelson came from five shots behind on the final day and won by three. "I would like to be leading," Scott said. "Four back is well within reach. Anything can happen in a major. We just saw the pin spots get tough today, and scoring in the final groups was very difficult. With so much danger around, its hard to be completely free where major pressure is on the line. Tomorrow is going to be similar." Air Jordan 1 Uk . -- With Tony Allen back, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to turn up their defence pressure and hold off the Los Angeles Clippers down the stretch. Air Jordan 1 Uk Online . Edmonton opened the season with 14 straight victories before falling Friday night 10-8 to the host Colorado Mammoth in National Lacrosse League action. http://www.airjordan1uk.com/.com) - They didnt meet in the regular season, so Sam Houston State might be saying it won the de facto title game between the two Southland Conference co-champions Saturday. Wholesale Air Jordan 1 . -- C.J. Cron hit an RBI single on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues, doubled his second time up and hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Cheap Air Jordan 1 Uk .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night.OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators hope to make the most of home-ice advantage this season after giving up too many valuable points at Canadian Tire Centre in 2013-14.After a successful season-opening road trip (2-1-0), the Senators play their home opener Thursday night as they host the Colorado Avalanche in the first of a four-game homestand.Players and coaches talked Wednesday of the normal excitement to play the home opener, but more important is setting the right tone for the season.Its a brand new season and we have to start things differently, said head coach Paul MacLean. I think this year coming home weve gained some momentum from our games on the road and we need to bring that to the rink (Thursday) night and start with one game. Weve got to make sure were ready to play and play hard.The Senators finished with an 18-17-6 record on home ice last season, compared to 19-14-8 on the road.It marked just the second time since 1997-98, minus the shortened lockout season, that they failed to win 20 games on home ice.The Senators finished last season five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and players cant help but wonder how a few more wins at home might have altered their season.Weve got a good crowd behind us here and we need to find a way to use that energy and find ways to win games, said forward Clarke MacArthur. We had some issues in the second period last year that kind of hurt us and this year its more about keeping our foot on the gas pedal I think. You want to play with the puck and have possession of the puck all game. Its a better way to go through any hockey game.Its the first of four home games we want to start on the right foot.Part of the Senators problems at home last year came from their defensive play as they gave up 133 goals at Canadian Tire Centre. Only Edmonton (134) gave up more goals at home.The Senators have allowed just five goals on the road through three games this season and players believe they are making progress.We know what we need to address, said captain Erik Karlsson. Obviously last year our defensive play wasnt the best, but I think its much improved this year, even though were only three games in. We made a few mistakes and ttheres a few things we need to clean up.ddddddddddddIts a long season and were going to have to change things as they go, but its just one of those things that everybody has to communicate about and make sure everybody agrees about what were doing out there.Better defensive play has been the theme for the Senators since the first day of camp, and MacLean has shown little patience for those who have made mistakes.Jared Cowen, who started the first two games as part of the top defensive pairing, was a healthy scratch in Ottawas 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday night. He also found himself on the bench for much of the third period of a 3-2 shootout win at Tampa Bay on Saturday after he was on the ice when the Lightning scored the tying goal.The 23-year-old felt he played a decent first game against Nashville (a 3-2 loss), but said he could have been better against Tampa Bay. He was still caught off guard when he found out he wouldnt be playing Monday night.Yeah it surprised me, Cowen said. Only two games, so yeah it did surprise me. It sucks, only the third game of the year. I just need to be better though.With seven healthy defencemen, MacLean wont hesitate to make changes to his blue-line. Patrick Wiercioch, who sat out the first two games, took Cowens place on Monday.If Wednesdays practice is any indication, Cowen will likely find himself the odd-man out for Thursdays opener.Right now Jared needs to come to the rink every day and continue to work at his game, said MacLean. Hes still a young player in this game — just over 100 games — so theres still a lot to learn. There are still lots of good games left in Jared Cowen. Theres like 900 games left in him.Sometimes its hard to be that age and we dont want him to accept that youre being scratched from games. But we expect youre going to come in and work with us to become a better player because thats what its all about.Notes: MacLean did not name his starting goaltender for Thursdays game. ... Defenceman Marc Methot remains sidelined with a back injury and there is no timetable for his return. ... MacLean didnt confirm that Curtis Lazar would play Thursday, but the rookie centre is expected to dress for the home opener. ' ' '