Spaß & Spiel » showing up in a military convoy

SHANGHAI, China -- Dustin Johnson tied the course record with a 9-under 63, four shots better than anyone else Friday, and built a five-shot lead in the HSBC Champions. It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days." Moments later, after Johnson blasted another one down the middle, McDowell saw No. 19. It was an impressive display, Johnson at his very best with the most important club in his bag. He ran off six birdies in his opening seven holes. He never hit more than 8-iron into a par 4. He twice came within 15 yards of driving the green on par 4s -- once with a 3-iron. "I really drove the ball really well," Johnson said. "For me, thats a big key." Johnson became the sixth player with a 63 at Sheshan International, last achieved by Martin Kaymer in the final round in 2011. He was at 12-under 132, five shots clear of Rory McIlroy (72), Bubba Watson (69) and Boo Weekley (67). McIlroy couldnt keep up. No one could. McIlroy, who started the second round of this World Golf Championship with a two-shot lead, made three birdies on the front nine to stretch his lead to four shots. At that point, Johnson was just getting warmed up. And it wasnt long before McIlroy started to cool off. He drove into the same bunker he was in on Thursday and made another bogey, and he didnt give himself any birdie chances over the last six holes. On the par-5 14th, his wedge went just over the green and forced him to hit a delicate chip to save par. On the reachable par-4 16th, he drove into a tiny pot bunker left of the green and took two to get out, again scrambling for par. And on the par-5 18th, McIlroy hit his second shot into the water and made bogey. "I just hit a couple of bad shots, and then I guess I let it affect me a little bit, and then I started to doubt myself sometimes," McIlroy said. "I didnt hit a lot of quality shots on the back nine." At least hes still in the hunt for his first win of the year. And if Johnson loses his stride, there are plenty of players behind him who are poised to make a move. McDowell, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Ian Poulter were among those at 6-under 138. Phil Mickelson, trying to recover from his quadruple bogey-bogey finish to the opening round, had a 68 and was seven shots behind. "Im making a lot of birdies," Mickelson said. "But Ive had too many mistakes. Im going to continue to play aggressively out here, because I have to make birdies to catch the lead. And hopefully, Ill eliminate a few mistakes here or there." The one positive from his finish Thursday? The last time Mickelson made a quadruple bogey was in the first round of the 2009 Tour Championship. He went on to win. Even so, catching Johnson suddenly looks like a monumental task. "It was kind of tough to focus when playing with Dustin Johnson hitting it 350 yards in the middle of the fairways," McDowell said after his 69. "It was a little demoralizing at times. But I was happy that I hung in there. If he keeps playing the way hes played the last two days, hell be tough to catch. "Whats possible for an athlete like him who just rips it, thats not whats possible for the rest of us sometimes," McDowell added. "It was probably one of the best driving displays Ive seen this year, for sure. It was pretty immense. Hes got a short game to match, as well. When hes in the mood and when hes on form, hes pretty prolific." Johnson wasnt in much of a mood when he took double bogey on his fourth hole of the tournament and made the turn in 1-over. Starting with his eagle on the par-5 second hole of his opening round, he has played his last 26 holes in 13-under par. His tee shot was so long on the 10th hole that it was through a cart path that crosses the fairway. His only mistake was forgetting that the green falls off to the right, which he didnt realize until his shot tumbled down a steep slope. That led to his only bogey. About the only thing that really tripped him up was a question from a Chinese reporter asking if he was aware he had so many female fans in China and if he brought his girlfriend with him. Indeed, Paulina Gretzky followed him around the course. "Its my fiancee," Johnson said. Weekley is no stranger to China, having played the World Cup at Mission Hills. He qualified for the HSBC Champions by winning Colonial, and he has played solidly for two days. Johnson did not make the Presidents Cup, so he had a month off before going to Perth for a European Tour event. This is his first PGA Tour event of the 2013-14 season. He won the first event of the 2013 season, at wind-blown Kapalua in the 54-hole Tournament of Champions. "It still hasnt hit me that this is a new season," he said. "Id like to get off to a good start. I just want to play well the next two days." Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Tavon Austin Jersey . Blown save in the ninth inning? No problem. http://www.footballcowboysshop.us/cowboy...rsey-authentic/. -- Sonny Grays fastball wasnt as sharp as it usually is, and the Oakland Athletics young pitcher even had a quirky replay go against him. Allen Hurns Cowboys Jersey . Cammalleri scored two goals, Corban Knight netted the winner in a shootout, and the Flames erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Stars 4-3 on Friday night. Leighton Vander Esch Jersey . The Bulls seem to be getting along fine without him. D.J. Augustin scored 27 points in a start for Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson matched a career high with 26 filling in for Carlos Boozer as the Bulls improved to 7-2 since trading the popular Deng with a 98-87 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.INDIANAPOLIS - At age 36, Reggie Wayne could revel in the spoils of his success.A poster-sized photo of the Colts receiver hangs outside the front entrance of Lucas Oil Stadium. The hometown fans regularly serenade him with chants of Reg-gie, Reg-gie. Hes a respected leader and mentor in the locker room and a pillar in the community of his adopted hometown.He also knows this is no time for a victory lap — not with a playoff spot and two of the Colts most revered records on the line Sunday.I put my hard hat on and go to work, Wayne said. I just want to be here with my teammates. Being available is something Ive always taken pride in.Few NFL players have stuck around longer or been more consistent over 14 seasons than Wayne.He goes into this week tied with Peyton Manning for most games played (208) and most wins (141) in franchise history. A victory over Houston (7-6) would break the ties and allow Wayne to celebrate his ninth division title.Those who know Wayne arent surprised by his resume — 1,061 receptions, seventh in league history; 14,207 yards, eighth; 82 TD receptions, tied for 22nd; 82 consecutive games with three catches or more, an NFL record; six Pro Bowl appearances; two AFC championships and one Super Bowl ring.Former Colts general manager Bill Polian is already lobbying for Waynes Hall of Fame candidacy.The numbers only provide a small glimpse into the everyday impact Wayne makes, though.I think whats really helpful about having a guy like Reggie in the locker room is that he takes such a big burden off the other guys, backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. Hes the guy people want to talk to after a bad game, hes the guy the marketing department goes to, hes the guy they ask to do community outreach, hes the guy who can walk down to the coachs office or the GMs office and say, Hey, somethings out of balance in the locker room, and that allows the younger guys to just play football.Sure, Wayne has some fun.His grand entrances at training camp have become the stuff of legend — driving a dump truck, showing up in a military convoy, riding on a helicopter with a recovering hospital patient. Its not just show. Theres always a deeper message, like this summer when he arrived in an IndyCar — demonstrating he had his wheels back after tearing the ACL in his right knee.But Polian never doubted Waynes skills or personality would help him excel.It was one of the reasons Polian defied conventional wisdom in the 2001 draft, taking Wayne instead of a defensive player.The initial plan, Polian explained, was to choose a defensive tacklle with the 22nd overall pick.dddddddddddd When the Colts turn came, the player they coveted was gone. With no consensus among the coaches and scouts about who to take, Polian dealt the pick to the Giants who chose cornerback Will Allen. Polian then took Wayne at No. 30.He was absolutely a terrific route runner, a clutch performer with a great work ethic and great football instincts, Polian said. Everybody in that room was really convinced we had a good one.At first, Wayne wasnt so good.He spent the better part of two seasons working through injuries and developing a rapport with Manning.In 2003, Wayne blossomed in an offence that featured Manning, Marvin Harrison and two-time NFL rushing champ Edgerrin James. By 2006, Wayne was emerging as the next big thing and wound up dancing in the rain after catching a TD pass in Indys Super Bowl win.Not long after that, Wayne supplanted the aging and injured Harrison as Mannings No. 1 target, a title he held until the Colts embarked on a massive rebuilding project after the 2011 season. When Manning was cut, Wayne considered leaving.Coach Chuck Pagano, an old friend, urged Wayne to stay and the receiver gave Indy a hometown discount on a three-year deal so he could come back and work with rookie Andrew Luck.I dont want to think about that, Luck said when asked how different things might have been without Wayne. He was so instrumental in my growth as a rookie. Hes still instrumental in the growth of this team.He was still his young self in 2012 and was playing well last year until the ACL injury.This year has not gone according to the script.After a solid start, Wayne tore his left triceps and injured his left elbow Oct. 19. He missed the next game and has caught only eight passes for 46 yards in the last three, prompting talk about possible retirement when his contract runs out after the season.Yet Wayne has continued to be the consummate professional by never complaining and always showing up for practices and games and still making plays on bad days, such as the rub route that got T.Y. Hilton open for Lucks winning TD pass at Cleveland.Thats Reggie.Hes a Hall of Fame receiver in my opinion five years after he ever decides to retire. And hell go down as one of the all-time great receivers and certainly one of the all-time great Colts of all time, Manning said. He was a great guy to play with, a great teammate and a heck of a wide receiver.___AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Denver contributed to this report.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Blackhawks Jerseys Store Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Red Wings Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Penguins Jerseys Store Capitals Jerseys For Sale Blues Jerseys Store Cheap Kings Jerseys Adidas Lightning Jerseys Stars Jerseys For Sale Cheap Predators Jerseys Ducks Store Sharks Jerseys For Sale Cheap Sabres Jerseys Rangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '