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The Florida Panthers have placed defenceman Ryan Whitney on waivers. Walter Thurmond . The 30-year-old defenceman has appeared in six games with the Panthers so far this season, registering no points and a minus-7 rating. Florida signed Whitney to a one-year $900,000 contract this off-season. In 480 career NHL games Whitney has scored 50 goals and 209 assists. Whitney was originally selected fifth overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. The Panthers are Whitneys fourth NHL club, having previously suited up for the Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, and Edmonton Oilers. Odell Beckham Jr Jersey . A noon downpour turned the 2.25-mile, 13-turn circuit into a slippery strand of roadway, but Bourdais proved to be the best on rain tires. The French driver made it through the first two qualifying rounds and into the Fast Six. Antrel Rolle .Y. - Henrik Lundqvist wasnt happy going into Game 6 against Montreal.SHENZHEN, China -- A day after Alexander Levy played a near-perfect 62 in the second round at the China Open -- the best 18-hole score of his career -- the Frenchman was happy just to get off the course with a 2-under 70 Saturday in pelting rain with gusting winds. That was solid enough to maintain a three-stroke lead over Alvaro Quiros of Spain heading into the final round. "It was tough to stay focused, but I kept my mind in good condition and played some good shots," Levy said. Levy, aiming for his first European Tour title, wasnt nearly as accurate as he was on Friday, when he holed a 20-foot putt for eagle and made eight birdies en route to setting a new course record at Genzon Golf Club. But he handled the nasty weather at the start of the third round and maintained his composure after bogeying Nos. 14 and 16, managing to avoid a third bogey with a 15-foot putt for par on the 18th. He has a 16-under total of 200. Levy knows he will face a lot more pressure on Sunday, even with a three-stroke cushion. Last year, he was tied with Ernie Els for the lead heading into the final round of the BMW International Open, but committed four bogeys in his last nine holes to slip to third. "I will be nervous, but because youre nervous doesnt mean you cant play well," he said. "Ill sleep nicely because Im tired. It was a long day with the weather and difficult golf course." Quiros has six European Tour titles to his credit but hasnt got a win -- or even a top-three finish -- since his title at the Dubai World Championship in November 2011. "If Alex plays really well then we might not be able to catch him," Quiros said. "It has been two-and-a-half years since I won so I have not had those feelings for a long time." Finlands Mikko Ilonen was four strokes back in third place after a 67, while Englands Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Spains Adrian Otaegui (71) were another stroke behind in a tie for fourth. A day after 15--year-old Chinese amateur Guan Tianlang failed to make the cut, another young homegrown talent, 18-year-old Li Haotong, shot a 67 to match the lowest score of the day and jump into joint eighth at 7 under. Stevie Brown Jersey. . With the leaders so far ahead, Li is playing for another goal -- a big payday. The golf club has pledged to double the purse for any Chinese player finishing in the top five. While Guan has received most of the attention in China after his breakthrough performance at last years Masters, where he became the youngest player to make the cut, Li is perhaps better poised to make an immediate impact on the game. Last year, he signed an endorsement deal with Nike and coped remarkably well against elite fields at the HSBC Champions and BMW Masters in his hometown of Shanghai, finishing tied for 39th and 42nd, respectively. And after practicing on the Genzon Golf Club course for the last two months, hes close to his first top-five finish. "Im very happy. I want to keep that name on the leaderboard," he said. Englands Ian Poulter also shot a 67 Saturday to move up to equal 11th place. But Poulter said he was still smarting from a two-stroke penalty he incurred on the 13th hole Friday when he improperly measured his drop after hitting into the rough. He took a triple-bogey 8 on the hole, following a double bogey on the 12th. "I shouldnt be happy with the position Im in. I dropped five shots yesterday in two holes. Its unacceptable. Its disgraceful," he said. "I should be a lot closer to the lead, but thats golf. You cant have it perfect all the time." Third-ranked Henrik Stenson would certainly agree. The Swede hasnt played his best since coming down with the flu earlier this week, and couldnt make up any ground on the leaders Saturday, falling 12 shots behind after shooting a 71. He needed a win here to take over the top ranking from Tiger Woods -- a goal that now appears well out of reach. ' ' ' |
