SINGAPORE -- For all the talk of the youth movement in womens golf, Karrie Webb showed on Friday that experienced players can still show up their younger competitors from time to time. The 39-year-old Webb recovered from two bogeys on the back nine to card a 3-under 69 and open a two-stroke lead over 36-year-old Angela Stanford after the second round of the HSBC Womens Champions. Webb, who was at 9-under 135 overall, was quick to point out after her round that being older can have its advantages. "Two old ducks, I guess," she said about her and Stanford topping the leaderboard. "Did you ask any of the younger players if its hard to play against girls in their 30s? Because you always ask me the opposite question." Stanford, the 2012 HSBC champion, also shot a 69, while Taiwans Teresa Lu was in third place at 6 under after a 70. Swedens Caroline Hedwall briefly pulled into a share of the lead with Webb on the back nine before two bogeys and a double bogey on her final three holes. She fell back to joint fourth at 4-under 140 with four others. The U.S. LPGA Tours latest teenage prodigy, 16-year-old Lydia Ko, was at 2-under 142, tied for 13th with 19-year-old Lexi Thompson and world No. 1 Inbee Park. Webb, a seven-time major winner, has played some of her best golf in recent years this month. Two weeks ago, she captured her fifth Australian Open title in Melbourne, and now she holds the lead going into the weekend against a tough field in Singapore. The Australian acknowledged that the younger players have forced her to step up her conditioning, something she does not enjoy. "All these young players coming up are athletes," Webb said. "For me, Ive had to learn to get in the gym and do the work required. "My workouts have just gradually increased so it wasnt hard-core to start with, where I would have just hated it and never done it." Webb was pushed by one of the younger upstarts on tour, Hedwall, for much of the round on Friday. The Swede, who has never won a U.S. LPGA title, sunk two long putts for back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 and had a chance to pull even on the ninth but missed her 10-foot birdie putt wide. Webb followed with an 8-foot birdie putt that caught the edge of the cup and curled in, giving her a two-stroke cushion again. Then came her bogeys on the back nine, however, which re-opened the door for Hedwall. Instead of capitalizing, though, the Swede suddenly faltered. Faced with a tough chip shot on a steeply sloped bunker next to the 18th green, Hedwall swung once at the ball and missed. Then she swung again, and missed again. She finally got on the green with her third shot and two-putted to save the double bogey. "It was just a bad lie and I was trying too hard to get it close," she said. "It was just one of those moments when you want to walk off the golf course." Swedens Anna Nordqvist, winner of last weeks LPGA Thailand, made seven birdies for a 5-under 67, tied for the low round of the day. She was joint fourth with Hedwall and three Americans: Morgan Pressel (69), Paula Creamer (73) and Danielle Kang (70). World No. 2 Suzann Pettersen of Norway stumbled with bogeys on Nos. 14, 15 and 17, but made up for it on the 18th with a 40-foot putt for eagle. She was in a tie for ninth place at 3-under 141, a stroke ahead of Park. Pettersen has a chance to overtake Park in the rankings this week if she wins and Park finishes no higher than equal third. Defending champion Stacy Lewis, meanwhile, struggled for the second straight day. She shot an even-par 72 to be tied for 39th. .The South African had three birdies on the front nine and another four after the turn at Leopard Creek Country Club to move to 16-under 128 overall.Grace, who won all four of his European Tour titles in 2012, dropped his only shot of the competition on the par-3 fifth. . It led to his downfall on Tuesday. The Major League Soccer club fired Rennie after a second straight up-and-down season that saw the Whitecaps start strong before limping across the finish line.
http://www.cheapbillsjerseysonline.com/ ... sey-online. The club announced on Wednesday that Malhotra signed a 25-game professional tryout contract. The 33-year-old suffered a serious eye injury when struck by a puck during a game versus Colorado in March of 2011. . - The New York Rangers have momentum, a unified locker room and Henrik Lundqvist. . TSN 1290s game day coverage begins on Monday, June 9 at 5:30pm ct as the Blue Bombers take on the Toronto Argonauts in pre-season action. Bombers game day broadcasts on TSN 1290 are hosted by Winnipeg Blue Bomber Hall of Famers Troy Westwood and new addition Chris Walby, alongside beat reporter Darrin Bauming, who delivers regular reports on the team for TSN 1290 all-season long.SOCHI, Russia -- Another golden opportunity awaits Team Canada. Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome. This time, though, it was made possible by a few players who werent around in 2010, namely Jamie Benn and Carey Price. Benn scored for Canada on a pretty pass from fellow newcomer Jay Bouwmeester, and Price -- chosen by coach Mike Babcock to start over Vancouver golden goalie Roberto Luongo -- had 31 saves to make it stand up. Though it didnt show up on the scoresheet, Sidney Crosby was flying up and down the ice, creating chances seemingly at will. The captain still doesnt have a goal in this tournament, but along with the rest of his teammates he has raised his level of play just in time to play Sweden for the gold medal on Sunday. The United States will play for the bronze Saturday against Finland, which lost to the Swedes 2-1 in the other semifinal. Guaranteed either a gold or silver, this is the first time Canada has won a medal in an Olympics held outside North America since NHL players began participating in 1998. Canada and the U.S. traded chances throughout the first period. Just 90 seconds in, Crosby forced a turnover that led to a quality opportunity for Patrice Bergeron in front. More than five minutes in, Phil Kessel patiently waited for John Carlson to cross the blue-line and get a one-timer off that Price snagged with his glove. Not long after that, Crosby created a chance for Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Quick made a big save on Bergeron. Quick finished with 36 saves. It took until early in the second period for Canada to get on the board, thanks to a heads-up play from Bouwmeester. The smooth-skating defenceman waited it out with the puck above the left face-off circle, allowing Benn to find open space between Brooks Orpik and Carlson, playing together for the first time at these Olympics because of a hand injury to Paul Martin. A perfect sliding pass across the ice from Bouwmeester hit Benns stick right on the tape and deflected past Quick at the 1:41 mark of the second. At that point, Canada tilted the ice and spent much of the period hemming the Americans in their own end. The result was more brilliance from Quick, who had to slide post-to-post to rob Benn and oozed confidence.dddddddddddd The same came from Price on the other end, as he didnt flash his glove hand as much as calmly lift it to catch the puck with ease. Canadas victory came a day after the womens team staged an improbable late comeback to beat the United States for its fourth straight gold medal. Babcock and his players said that victory taught them that "you dont give in." Of course the way Team Canada got to the gold-medal game was very different. It hasnt trailed for even one second at these Olympics. That didnt stop the women from trying to use their experience as motivation. Alternate captain Hayley Wickenheiser, starting goalie Shannon Szabados and forward Brianne Jenner were responsible for a letter posted in the mens locker-room that read: "Tonight is yours. Own the moment. We are proof that every minute matters. The podium is reserved for the brave. Earn every inch, dictate the pace. Go get em! From the girls!
" The men are one win away from giving Canada double gold in hockey for the third time in the past four Olympics. Friday nights game was skated almost at the blistering pace of the one played Feb. 28, 2010, that Canada won 3-2 on Crosbys unforgettable overtime goal. Some of Canadas best players in the Olympic rematch were watching from home four years ago. In addition to Bouwmeester, Benn and Price, Jeff Carter looked like he was playing in another gear and defenceman Alex Pietrangelo and Marc-Edouard Vlasic quietly controlled the game. NOTES -- Canada scratched defenceman P.K Subban on defence and the injured John Tavares at forward. Tavares, who suffered a tournament- and season-ending left knee injury against Latvia, will remain with the team until after the Olympics. Matt Duchene filled his spot in the lineup. ... Russian star Alex Ovechkin was in attendance, sitting at centre ice on the suite level of Bolshoy Ice Dome. Ovechkin did not take the first charter flight back to North America after his father underwent heart surgery. He tweeted Friday night: "Thanks to all for support. My dad going to be good and he see you all again." ... Even though Russia was eliminated in the quarters, 11,172 fans filled the arena for the all-North American semifinal. ' ' '
