One putt gave Bubba Watson a rare sense of calm. One swing reminded Martin Kaymer he finally had all the shots. One pitch proved to Rory McIlroy he could master links golf.These were not the defining shots from the majors this year.But they meant something special to the winners, and they were tied to lessons from the past.Asked to choose the signature shot of his Masters victory and a shot that was particularly pleasing to him, Watson found both on the same hole and the same day — Sunday on the par-5 13th at Augusta National.With a two-shot lead and six holes to play, he hit driver so outrageously bold and long that it sailed down the left side of the fairway, over the trees and disappeared for a nervous moment until plopping down in the fairway.It could have easily hit a tree and gone the wrong way or dropped down in the creek, Watson said. When you lose the ball over the trees, thats when you get nervous because you cant see it. When you hear the roar of the crowd, you can breathe again.With nothing more than a sand wedge to the green, however, Watson hit it to 20 feet and then left his eagle attempt 6 feet short. And thats when he leaned on his experience from winning his first green jacket.If you go back to 12, the same thing happened, he said. I hit 9-iron in there and left the putt 7 feet short and I made it. That started four (birdies) in a row. It was the same with this eagle putt. I left it way short. I just said to myself, Well, last time you did this you made the putt and won. I knew after that tee shot if I made birdie theyd have to put on a show to beat me.Making that putt was a key moment for me — for my confidence, calmness, everything.Picking out a signature shot for Kaymer isnt easy in an eight-shot, wire-to-wire victory at Pinehurst No. 2. He quickly settled on the par-5 fifth hole Saturday, where he hit 7-iron from a sandy area to an elevated green, the ball stopping 5 feet away for eagle to restore his momentum. He had started with two bogeys in four holes, and had just made a 15-foot par putt on No. 4 to avoid double bogey.Within 15 minutes, to go from a little negative to super, super positive, that was a defining moment for me, he said.But the most satisfying moment?Go back to the fourth hole on Friday, a shot that was insignificant to everyone but Kaymer and caddie Craig Connelly. The German had spent two years retooling his swing to become a complete player, not just the guy who hits a fade. He was in the fairway, stuck between clubs. Kaymer felt the shot called for a draw.This was a major test.I was 100 per cent convinced I would hit that high draw to 6 or 7 feet short of the pin, Kaymer said. A draw used to be difficult to hit. Nowadays, its not a big problem. But I pulled off the shot and said to Craig, How good was that golf shot? I started it at the right edge of the green. The rhythm was good. It was a crisp hit. The flight was good, 10 feet short of the hole. For me, it was the best shot I hit all week.McIlroy might have won the British Open on Saturday when he made two eagles on the last three holes to stretch his lead to six shots. The lasting image is his swing and pose with than 5-iron into the 18th at Royal Liverpool to 10 feet for eagle.In his eyes, the claret jug wasnt his until he drilled a driver on the par-5 16th hole Sunday to set up a two-putt birdie and take a three-shot lead.But it was the next hole — a par — that he found particularly pleasing.Not a defining moment in the tournament, yet a really important one, he said. My pitch over the bunker on the 17th hole on Sunday was extremely difficult and demanded a lot of feel and control. It was a true links shot I had to make — pick a spot, get the pace right and let it run out to the hole.It was close to perfect.That really felt good, he said.The PGA Championship was the most exciting major. Four players had a share of the lead on the back nine. The shot that ultimately won McIlroy a second straight major was his 9-iron out of a fairway bunker to 10 feet for birdie on No. 17 at Valhalla for a two-shot lead with one hole to play.In his eyes, how he started the back nine Sunday was as important as how he finished.Trailing by three shots, he hit 3-wood from 281 yards to 7 feet for eagle on the par-5 10th that got him back in the game. It wasnt the purest shot McIlroy hit at Valhalla, but he found a small measure of redemption. Remember, McIlroy hit 3-wood over the fence and out-of-bounds in the opening round and made double bogey.That was Thursday, with time on his side. This was Sunday, with time running out.I had taken a 7 at the 10th ... and wasnt sure what I could manage as I stood over my 3-wood on Sunday, he said. And then everything pretty much seemed to change for me after that point. My game had been a little flat, and I couldnt find a spark.Over the next few holes, my confidence grew and I felt I could swing the tournament back in my favour. .7 million, one-year contract.The deal, announced Friday, includes a $50,000 performance bonus if the left-hander appears in 60 games. . -- Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied the last three holes and five of the final six Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with Mi Jung Hur in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
http://www.stitchednfljerseys.us.com/St ... eys-Cheap/. Picard had a goal and two assists to help Canada improve to 2-0 at the tournament. Seven different players scored for the two-time defending champions. "Today all four lines played excellent," said head coach Laura Schuler. . With the Canadiens leading by one to start the third period, Price turned away 16 shots by the Panthers in the final frame to give Montreal a 2-1 victory over Florida on Monday night. The Panthers (16-21-6) outshot Montreal 16-10 in the final frame, but were repeatedly frustrated by Price, who made 26 saves on the night. . Johnny Manziel, college footballs most entertaining player with the reputation for pulling off magical plays, was selected with the No.DETROIT -- After only 86 pitches, Minnesotas Phil Hughes left the game with a shutout in progress. Afterward, he not only endorsed the move, but said he helped his manager make the decision. "Every pitcher has a certain amount of pride. In the seventh, I felt like my stuff and location were deteriorating," Hughes said. "You dont want to give the game away just because youre feeling prideful." Hughes pitched seven innings, and the Twins beat Justin Verlander for the first time in over four years, 2-1 on Friday night. Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run single off Verlander in the seventh. Hughes (4-1) allowed eight hits in his fourth consecutive win, but he was fine letting the bullpen take over for the final two innings. "The catcher and him both said, Hes losing it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "If a pitcher feels that hes losing it off the ball and starting to misfire, then youve got to take him out of the ballgame. Him being honest there allowed us to get our bullpen up going." Casey Fien pitched the eighth, and Glen Perkins allowed a run in the ninth but held on for his ninth save in 10 chances. Verlander allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two. The start of the game was delayed 27 minutes by rain, but the teams played through an emergency alarm that went off in the top of the ninth. The Tigers later said there was a mechanical fire in a janitor closet that was quickly contained and put out. "I almost took off running," Detroit outfielder Torii Hunter joked. "Im thinking biohazardous or something." Players paused briefly, then the game went on. The injury-plagued Twins snapped a three-game losing streak. Star first baseman Joe Mauer sat out a fifth straight game. Hes been dealing with back spasms. Alex Avila hit an RBI double off Perkins with one out in the ninth, but pincch-hitter J.ddddddddddddD. Martinez popped out and Rajai Davis struck out to end it. Hughes lost 14 games last season for the New York Yankees, but the right-hander has pitched well after signing with the Twins in the off-season. He struck out Avila with men on first and third in the fourth, and got Miguel Cabrera to fly out with two on and two out in the fifth. Hughes struck out three, and he went a third straight start without a walk. He began this game with 13 straight strikes. "They werent all strikes in the zone. They were hacking," Hughes said. "When youre around the plate and pop a fastball up every now and then, theyre going to be aggressive and swinging at it. Thats kind of what I am. Sometimes it hurts me a little bit if Im around the plate too much, but when I have good stuff, its usually all right." Verlander (4-2) escaped jams in the second and third, but he couldnt retire Suzuki with the game on the line in the seventh. It was his first loss in his last 10 decisions against the Twins. The last time they beat him was April 27, 2010. "Pretty good for the first six innings, but I wasnt great in the seventh," Verlander said. "I had a couple inexcusable pitches. It wasnt that I made mistakes, but I got away from the pitches I wanted to throw." In addition to Mauer, Minnesota is also without outfielder Josh Willingham, who has a left wrist contusion, but the Twins were able to beat the Tigers without any extra-base hits. NOTES: It began to rain hard in the top of the fifth, but there were no more weather delays once the game started. ... Detroits Victor Martinez had his hitting streak snapped at 11 games. ... The Tigers transferred the injury rehab assignment of RHP Luke Putkonen (right elbow) from Class A West Michigan to Triple-A Toledo. ... Detroits Max Scherzer (4-1) faces Minnesotas Kyle Gibson (3-2) on Saturday. ' ' '
