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PINEHURST, N. cheap jerseys from china .C. -- Now that hes got that pesky major out of the way, Justin Rose is learning to savour the quest for his next big title. Hes not nearly as optimistic about Englands chances in the World Cup. Rose is the reigning champion heading into the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, a player who is certainly more at ease with his place in golf now that hes got one of those prestigious titles on his resume. "In the last few months, I sort of realized what I have achieved and its time to embrace it, enjoy it, and let that be the strength for me to go on and win more," Rose said Tuesday. Of course, theres another big sporting event beginning this week, one that will certainly have the attention of Rose and his fellow English players. Their soccer-mad nation has a huge opening match in the World Cup against Italy on Saturday, the soccer game scheduled to begin in Brazil about the time the third round of the Open is wrapping up in North Carolina. Reflecting the mood of his homeland, Rose is not very hopeful. Englands only World Cup title came in 1966 and expectations are low for this team, a youthful squad playing in one of the most difficult groups. "I would say theres probably more chance of one of us winning the major than England winning the World Cup," said Rose, among 11 English players in the Pinehurst field. "Sad to say." Roses primary focus will be on his bid to become the first repeat U.S. Open champion in a quarter-century. Last years triumph at Merion had been in the making for nearly that long, ever since Rose finished fourth as an 18-year-old amateur at the 1998 British Open. He spent the next 15 years trying to finish the job, chasing a major title that seemed increasingly elusive as the close calls began to pile up, the weight of expectations becoming almost too much to bear. Then, just when it seemed he might have a lifetime membership in the "Best Players Never To Win A Major" club, Rose won a duel with Phil Mickelson at the venerable club outside Philadelphia, clinching the title with a 4-iron into the demanding 18th hole that gave him the par he needed to hold off Lefty. "I havent been one of those guys who said, OK, well, Im going to win X amount of majors in my career," Rose said. "I really want to treat this major that Ive won now as a gift and let it give me the ability to sort of free-wheel for the rest of my career -- play free, play loose, just go after it. Ive really got no pressure on me from that perspective anymore." Not surprisingly, the U.S. Golf Association paired Rose and Mickelson in the first two rounds. Both hope theyll still be playing together in the final group on Sunday. "I enjoy playing golf with Phil," Rose said. "I enjoy the spirit in which he plays the games, how free he is out there. Hes got a great temperament for the game. Nothing seems to faze him. Thats something a lot of players can look up to him for." Curtis Strange, the last player to win consecutive Opens in 1988 and 89, is pulling for Rose to join the exclusive club. "If Justin would happen to do it this year, that would be the first phone call," Strange said. "That would be fantastic." Rose missed the cut in his last tournament, the Memorial, though he thinks that might turn out to be a good break because it gave him more time to get familiar with Pinehurst. Before that stumble, he had ripped off three straight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including a tie for fourth against a loaded field at The Players Championship. His biggest challenge this week might be keeping his mind on golf. During the 2010 World Cup, Rose held a three-shot lead going to the final round of the Travelers Championship. That morning, he watched Englands title hopes fade away with a 4-1 loss to Germany. Then he went out and shot a 75, finishing three shots behind winner Bubba Watson. "I never really calmed down," Rose recalled. "So maybe Ill be a little bit more careful about my emotions watching the football." After all, hes probably Englands best hope for a championship. cheap jerseys . - The Chicago Cubs say they have agreed to one-year contracts with pitchers Jason Hammel and James McDonald.wholesale nfl jerseys . Kyrie Irving scored 22 points and the Cavaliers won their sixth straight game, 101-93 over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.As the home of soccer and the official broadcaster of Major League Soccer (MLS) in Canada, TSN on Monday announced its 90-game national broadcast package that includes 65 games featuring at least one Canadian team – Montreal Impact, Toronto FC, or Vancouver Whitecaps FC (see attached or visit TSN.ca for a complete schedule). New this season, TSN is set to deliver unprecedented access to Whitecaps FC as the network becomes the exclusive home of the team. In total, TSNs 90-game regular season broadcast schedule features: • All 34 Whitecaps FC matches • 23 TFC matches • 12 Impact matches • 25 matches featuring U.S.-based teams The networks national broadcast package is complemented by exclusive Canadian coverage of the MLS CUP Playoffs, MLS CUP 2014, and the 2014 AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAME from JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore. MLS ON TSNs coverage is led by acclaimed commentators Luke Wileman, Jason deVos, and Kristian Jack. Also handling MLS ON TSN broadcasting duties this season are Vic Rauter, Nigel Reed, and Greg Sutton. "As the official broadcaster of MLS and the new home of Whitecaps FC, were proud to bring fans more games than ever before," said Shawn Redmond, Vice-President of Programming, TSN. "With the incredibly passionate Whitecaps fan base, the Impact coming off a playoff run, and franchise players like Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley headlining TFC, were anticipating the leagues biggest season yet." MLS ON TSN kicks off Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET with Whitecaps FCs home opener at BC Place vs. cheap nfl jerseys. New York Red Bulls. Fans can watch the MLS debut of former Tottenham Hotspur F.C. striker Jermain Defoe live on TSN during TFCs season opener against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 15 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The following week, TSN captures Defoes first game at BMO Field in Toronto during TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Throughout the season, TSN Radio stations across the country deliver extensive coverage of MLS. Live game coverage is also available on the following stations:• TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto – select TFC matches • TSN Radio 690 in Montreal – all Impact matches• TEAM 1410 in Vancouver – all Whitecaps FC matches For news and analysis from around the league, fans can:• Follow @lukewileman, @jasondevos, and @kristianjack on Twitter • Tune in to the weekly TSN FC podcast on TSN.ca and iTunes • Visit TSN.ca for soccer columns by Luke Wileman, Jason deVos, and Kristian Jack, as well as TSN soccer experts Noel Butler and Gareth Wheeler MLS on RDS As the official French-language broadcaster of MLS in Canada, RDS will broadcast more than 30 games, highlighted by 13 matches featuring Montreal Impact – including the teams home opener vs. Seattle Sounders FC at Olympic Stadium on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Once again, RDSs MLS coverage will be led by play-by-play commentators Claudine Douville and Jean Gounelle, hosts Michel Y. Lacroix and François-Etienne Corbin, plus analyst Patrick Leduc. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
