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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. Cam Newton Panthers Jersey . -- Jimmy Walker and Jordan Spieth are tied for the lead at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which should surprise no one. Walker went eight years and 187 starts on the PGA Tour before his first victory, and now he cant seem to lose. He already has won twice in this new wraparound season, the Frys.com Open and Sony Open, and he has played 36 holes this week without making a bogey. That included a 69 at Spyglass Hill on Friday. And it helps that Walker has finished in the top 10 at Pebble Beach each of the last three years. "Its definitely not old," he said of this position he keeps finding himself in. "Ive been here before after 36 holes and after 54 and after 72. You do get more comfortable and you start to realize what it takes." Spieth had an amazing rookie season, going from no status at the start of the year to No. 7 in the FedEx Cup and a spot on the Presidents Cup team. And the 20-year-old Texan has shown no sign of stopping. Throw out that missed cut at the Sony Open, a matter of the hole failing to get in the way of his putts, and consider his start. He led after the first and third rounds at Kapalua, where he played in the final group and finished second. He led after 36 holes at the Farmers Insurance Open and played in the final group at Torrey Pines. Spieth had a 67 at Monterey Peninsula, following a 67 at Spyglass Hill, and now heads to Pebble Beach. In his young career -- 27 tournaments in the book since turning pro -- he already has a win at the John Deere Classic and four runner-up finishes. Spieth doesnt see the four second-place finishes as failures, rather learning experiences, which shows a maturity beyond his years. Both still have one more day before they can truly figure out where they stand. Walker was at 9-under 135 and heads to Monterey Peninsula, the easiest of the three courses in the rotation. Spieth was at 9-under 134 and goes to Pebble Beach, which can be brutal in nasty weather. And the forecast for Saturday was not particularly pleasant. Along with a three-club wind on the exposed sections of all three courses, steady rain began coming down sideways toward the end of the second round. There was about a 75 per cent chance for more rain Saturday, and Sunday didnt appear to be much better. More than looking ahead, Spieth was looking behind. He was happy to at least get Spyglass out of the way already, having opened with a 67 on Thursday. That didnt make the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula a picnic. "Today was very difficult," Spieth said. "We started out in the rain and wind, and we finished in rainier and windier," he said. Spieth caught Walker for a share of the lead on the 187-yard ninth hole, which typically requires a 6-iron. He watched Kevin Chappell hit first with a 3-iron, and the ball rolled back down off the front of the green. Spieth doesnt carry a 3-iron. "I went to a hybrid," he said. "And I just kind of hit a little stinger cut about 20 feet away. And then it was normally a straight putt and Michael (Greller) and I, my caddie, are looking at each other saying, Well, weve got to play this about a foot out to the right with the wind. And so I hit it a foot out. With about 3 feet to go, the wind just blew it right, just broke perfectly right into the hole." Walkers best holes were his pars, particularly the par-5 14th. His 8-iron came back down into a bunker, leaving him such an awkward lie that he had to plant his feet outside the sand. With a shallow swing, he did well to blast out 12 feet away, and he made the par putt. "That was pretty big to keep it feeling like things were still in my favour," Walker said. He made two long birdie putts, and then hit a drive of nearly 390 yards on the seventh hole -- with the aid of a cart path. It left him only an 8-iron to the green, and he had an easy up-and-down for his final birdie. Hunter Mahan had a 68 at Spyglass Hill, with half of his six birdies on the par 5s. He was at 8-under 136. "Coming up these last few holes are tough," Mahan said. "Theyre uphill, they got the wind, its getting cold, raining. You just dont want to throw away shots. Because this can be a long week, and it could be mentally more grinding than anything." Phil Mickelson had a 73 at Pebble Beach and was five shots behind, even though he has taken 62 putts over two rounds. "Tee to green, Im playing very well, but I havent putted this poorly in a year," he said. "For the way Im hitting it, its a little disappointing because I should have a really good opportunity. And Ill have to turn it around. Its not too late, but Ive got to get it turned around here." Jonathan Stewart Panthers Jersey . CSN New England reports that the team is interested in Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, whom they reportedly tried to acquire last off-season. Greg Olsen Jersey . - Inbee Park is back defending her No.Two months ago, if you had told 16-year-old Sura Yekka that she would be a member of Canadas womens national team, she wouldnt have believed such a thing was possible. “I wouldnt have expected it. I would have been, like, ‘Oh, thats a good joke!” said Yekka on Wednesday. “It was crazy…I went to the Canada - U.S. game (in June) and I was a fan and then, within a couple of months, Im now part of the team…its just unreal,” she explained, trying to put into context how much her soccer career has changed in such a short period of time. It would be completely understandable if Yekka was overwhelmed by it all. Players who she grew up idolizing, the likes of Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson, are now her teammates. But she isnt. In fact, shes taking it all in her stride. “When Im a little awestruck, its more off the field. But when Im on the field, Im like ‘These are my teammates, like ‘Im in the zone now”, said Yekka. Once she steps over the white line and the ball comes out, shes in her element. Yekka has all of the characteristics that you look for in a modern fullback: she is quick, agile, technically sound and has good natural instincts for when to jump into the attack. The area of her game that still needs work - which is understandable, given her age and relative inexperience - is her reading of the game and her positional awareness. Those can be taught and, the more time Yekka spends with the womens team andd its coaching staff, the more she will improve in these areas. Brad Nortman Panthers Jersey. Over the next six months, Yekka will be preparing for the FIFA U-20 Womens World Cup, being held in Canada. With venues in Edmonton, Moncton, Montreal and Toronto, Yekka is excited about the prospect of playing in front of family and friends. “Its going to be a dream come true. The amount of people who are going to be there and knowing that your friends and family are going to be in the crowd and knowing that, no matter what, people are going to be there to support you…its going to be absolutely crazy. Its going to be so exciting,” she enthused. Aside from the thrill of playing in the U-20 World Cup, Yekka also sees the tournament as an opportunity to stake a claim to a place in the senior squad for the World Cup in 2015. “I feel like I need to do the best that I can to gain as much World Cup experience because everyone on the senior team has World Cup experience, no matter what level they have…and I feel like Im the only one thats lacking it so I feel like I need that. The fact that its home makes me more determined to do well,” said Yekka. That determination should see Yekkas star continue to shine. If she performs as well as she has shown in recent months, it will go a long way towards securing a spot on the senior team for the main event in 2015. So youd better get used to hearing Sura Yekkas name - I suspect youll be hearing it a great deal for years to come. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
