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AUGUSTA, Ga. Orlando Magic Cyber Monday Jersey . -- With dad in his ear, Bill Haas turned in the best round of his Masters career Thursday. Now he wants to do what his father never could -- finish the job. Haas birdied the final hole for a 4-under 68 and the opening-round lead, the first time he has broken 70 in five appearances at Augusta National. His father, Jay, played in the Masters 22 times, with five top-10 finishes topped by a tie for third in 1995. He is staying with his son this week and providing valuable advice on the practice range. "I never remember thinking, Man, I wish I could hit this shot for my dad," Bill Haas said. "But I do know that theres times Im like, I wish my dad could hit this shot for me." Jay Haas never won a major despite having plenty of success on the PGA Tour. Maybe his 31-year-old son can take care of that family oversight. "I think he deserves a major in his career as good as he played," Bill Haas said. Defending champion Adam Scott has his major title and got off to a strong start in his quest to stay dressed in green, even with a stumble in Amen Corner. Scott shook off a double-bogey at the par-3 12th, a tiny little hole that caused big trouble for a number of players. His tee shot caught the bank in front of the green and hopped back into Raes Creek. "I had just received the most incredible ovation as I came to the 12th tee -- and I hit my worst shot of the day," Scott said. "I think thats my first-ever trip into Raes Creek." The Aussie bounced back with a birdie at the 14th, rolled in a testy putt to save par at the 18th, and finished with a 69, one shot off the lead. "It was a nice way to walk off, not shooting 70," Scott said. In contrast to Haas, it was the fifth time in his last six Augusta rounds that Scott has cracked the 60s, showing he still has the game to make a run at being the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo are the only other repeat champions. If Scott finishes no worse than a tie for third place, he will take over the No. 1 spot in the world rankings for the first time in his career. "In a sense, winning last year took the pressure off," Scott said. "Whats the worst that can happen? Im still a Masters champion." Louis Oosthuizen matched Scott with a 69. The South African knows his way around the majors, winning the British Open at St. Andrews in 2010 and losing a Masters playoff against Bubba Watson two years ago. But experience isnt everything. Playing in their first Masters, Jimmy Walker and Kevin Stadler of the U.S. and Swedens Jonas Blixt were among those shooting 70, making their way around the course just fine despite some unfamiliarity with the revered layout. They are among a record two dozen Augusta rookies in the field, which doesnt include four-time winner Woods, out of the game until summer as he recovers from back surgery. The 35-year-old Walker is having a breakout year on the PGA Tour, picking up the first three victories of his career. He kept up his strong play, ripping off a run of four straight birdies starting at the 14th. "I wasnt thinking I was going to make four in a row," Walker said. "But just keep hitting good shots." Gary Woodland and Brandt Snedeker of the U.S. also opened at 70, as did K.J. Choi of South Korea. Stadler is part of the first father-son duo to play the Masters together. His dad, Craig, was the 1982 champion, while Kevin earned a spot in the field with his first PGA Tour victory at Phoenix. The elder Stadler didnt fare nearly as well as his son. Craig opened with an 82 in what he has said will likely be his farewell as a Masters competitor. "I played like a moron," Craig Stadler said. Two players at 71 provided quite a contrast: 54-year-old Fred Couples and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, who wasnt even born when Couples won his green jacket in 1992. Among those with late tee times: Phil Mickelson, attempting to join Woods and Arnold Palmer with a fourth green jacket. But that bid got off to a rocky start when Lefty shot a triple-bogey 7 at the seventh, his worst score ever at the hole nicknamed "Pampas." Mickelson finished with a pair of 7s on his card for the first time in five years at a major, and his 76 matched the highest opening round at Augusta for the three-time Masters champion. U.S. Open champion Justin Rose shot 40 on the front and scrambled for a 76. Watson was also among the late finishers, charging up the leaderboard with a birdie at the 15th that dropped his score to 3 under. The tournament began with Nicklaus, Palmer and Gary Player hitting ceremonial tee shots on a brisk, sunny morning. The "Big Three" combined to win 13 green jackets, including seven in a row at the start of the 1960s. This Masters is far less predictable. Without Woods or a dominant figure in golf, its seen as the most wide-open tournament in years. Day 1 did nothing to change that perception. Cleveland Cavaliers Cyber Monday Jersey . When you think teams you imagine a group of people who all shop at the same jersey store and move together in a large pack with a common goal, which is usually scoring goals. But at these Olympic Games the idea of becoming a team in figure skating makes perfect sense because of a new event called, shockingly, the Team Event. New Orleans Pelicans Cyber Monday Jersey . -- Quinn OBrien scored three times in the third period as the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies beat the host Chicoutimi Sagueneens 7-3 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Stephen Curry didnt shoot all that well -- and Golden State won anyway. The Warriors figure thats a good sign at the start of a lengthy road trip. "Its not necessarily going to be flash and fun every night," Golden States Jermaine ONeal said. "If were going to have a chance to really compete for a championship, these are the types of games youre going to have to win in the playoffs. We have a fairly young team and these games like this build the character and the image of the team." Curry had 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Warriors clamped down on the Detroit Pistons in the second half of a 104-96 victory Monday night. Klay Thompson scored 19 points for Golden State, which has won four in a row. The Pistons have lost five of seven since firing Maurice Cheeks and replacing him with interim coach John Loyer. Curry went 6 of 15 from the field and was only 3 of 9 from three-point range, but he repeatedly found teammates for open shots on the perimeter. "I tried to press a little in the third quarter," Curry said. "It didnt work out my way, so I tried to stay positive. Other guys were making plays, so it was kind of a team effort." The Warriors were still without David Lee, who has been dealing with a stomach flu. Andrew Bogut returned from a left shoulder injury and played 29 minutes before fouling out. It was the opener of a six-game road trip for Golden State. Greg Monroe had 23 points for the Pistons, who scored only 13 points in the fourth quarter. The Pistons were only down 63-62 at halftime but couldnt replicate that offensive success. "We took it to the finish line. We just didnt cross it," Loyer said. "You get to the last 2 or 3 minutes, thats what you are trying to get to in the NBA game. We have to get to the point where we can finish them." The Warriors have won six straight over the Pistons for the first time since a seven-game streak from 1975-76. Detroit trailed 95-94 after Monroes layupp with 4:11 to play, but the Pistons didnt score again until the final minute. Indiana Pacers Black Friday Jersey. Golden State was progressively stingier in each quarter, allowing 37 points in the first before holding Detroit to 25, 21 and 13 in the remaining three. "We were trying to work the ball inside, but they were giving us a lot of tough angles and we couldnt get the offensive rebounds," Detroits Kyle Singler said. "You cant play one-and-done offence against a team that can put up points like Golden State. Theyve got shooters no matter where you look." The Warriors bench outscored Detroits 42-15. Golden State (35-22) is a season-high 13 games over .500. Detroit (23-34) is fading from the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are now four games behind eighth-place Atlanta. Josh Smith had 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Detroit but shot 9 of 24 from the field. The first half was an entertaining one. Curry had a four-point play in the first quarter -- just 40 seconds after Brandon Jennings had one for Detroit. There was also a dunk by Thompson on Singler that left the Detroit forward so off balance he fell into a row of cameramen near the basket. NOTES: Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was seated courtside, and Spartans standout Adreian Payne was nearby. Draymond Green, a former star at Michigan State, had six points and five rebounds for Golden State. "Adreian will be here on this level in a few months, so it was good for him to get to see a game up close and be able to see me play," Green said. "It was also good to see Coach Izzo. Four years with him, it hasnt changed. Hell still call me and tell me what Im doing wrong, and Ill call him and tell him what hes doing wrong." ... ONeal and Detroits Andre Drummond were hit with a double technical foul in the first quarter when they both went spilling into the same area for cameramen that Singler fell into. Green and Smith received technical fouls in the third, apparently for jawing at each other. ' ' ' |
