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He becomes only the second Korean to win on the PGA Tour
Alone in front throughout, Yang shot a final round of 2-under 68 Sunday to finish one shot ahead of John Rollins and pick up his first PGA Tour victory.
The Korean took command with three straight birdies on the front side and wouldn’t fold, picking up a two-year exemption and a check for $1,008,000. With the win, he qualified for next week’s CA Championship at Doral, plus earned an invitation to next month’s Masters.
Yang played last year’s final round at PGA National by himself, going off first and needing only 1 hour, 53 minutes to finish.
He was there until the very end this time, pumping his fist in the air when his 50-footer for birdie nestled to a stop a foot away from the cup, giving him a tap-in for victory.
For a guy whose claim to fame was beating Tiger Woods at the 2006 HSBC Champions in Shanghai, it was a moment to savor.- AP
Yang played the best golf and was a deserving winner. He withstood challenges from Robert Allenby and John Rollins to win by one shot. This is the first time I ever saw Yang play, so I won’t fathom a guess as to what kind of future success he’ll have on the PGA Tour. The win gets him in next month’s Masters.
With the win the Bobcats pull within one game of the last Eastern playoff spot. From AP-
They have compiled the longest winning streak in franchise history. Not only that, but the Charlotte Bobcats also own the longest streak in the Eastern Conference.
“The second. It’s got to be, because we’re a team that has aspirations of trying to backdoor our way into the playoffs and so it’s really important that we’re doing it right now,” guard Raja Bell said. “It’s great that it’s a franchise record, but the timing couldn’t be better for us.”
Gerald Wallace had 23 points and 13 rebounds, and the Bobcats beat the New York Knicks 114-105 on Saturday night for their franchise-record sixth straight victory.
Boris Diaw added 22 points for the Bobcats, who have won nine of their last 13 in hopes of landing a playoff berth in Larry Brown’s first season as coach. Charlotte pulled within a game of Chicago for eighth place.
A six game winning streak being the high note for a team with just six years in the league isn’t unsual. Should a 28-35 team be worthy of a playoff spot? You have to remember Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando are so dominating the East that it skews the records for the last playoff qualifiers.
Charlotte won’t last long in the post season who ever their opponent ends up being. If they make it.
Does Bills management honestly think TO will make them a playoff team? From AP-
Terrell Owens needed only two days to find another place to play. The Buffalo Bills decided to take a chance on the talented but high-maintenance receiver, signing Owens to a $6.5 million, one-year deal Saturday.
The 35-year-old Owens caught 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns last season with Dallas. But the Cowboys were looking to improve the atmosphere in the locker room and decided they would be better off without him.
“I’m leaving America’s team (for) North America’s team,” Owens said at a news conference.
The Bills will be Owens’ fourth stop. He started with San Francisco, bounced to Philadelphia — where he helped the Eagles get to a Super Bowl — and then to Dallas.
As I am a Miami Dolphin follower, I will get to see a lot more of Owens now. He will certainly bring Buffalo lots of attention, some of it unwanted, but the Bills need a lot more than one All-Pro Wide receiver added to the roster before they can be seriously considered a Super Bowl contender.
Left Winger Rick Nash scored an unusual hat trick. From AP-
The Columbus Blue Jackets gave their playoff hopes a boost — and set a couple of team records, too.
Rick Nash had his fourth career hat trick — his second against Detroit this season and third overall against the Red Wings — in Columbus’ 8-2 victory Saturday night.
R.J. Umberger also scored two goals, Jason Williams had a goal and an assist, Raffi Torres and Andrew Murray also scored, and Steve Mason made 44 saves for Columbus, fighting to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Rookie Goalie Steve Mason and Rick Nash are the stars in Columbus these days. Nash, who’s been a top scorer in the NHL since 2003-04, finally looks like he has a worthy supporting cast.
What was unusual about the hat trick?
Nash completed his hat trick with 7:44 left for his 31st goal. All three goals were unassisted.
I can’t ever recall watching a game where the same player scored three unassisted goals. It would have been nice if Associated Press would have reported the last time this happened.
It took all of three LPGA tournaments in 2009 before a South Korean took home the winner’s trophy.
South Korean star Jiyai Shin won the HSBC Women’s Champions on Sunday for her fourth LPGA Tour title in eight months, shooting her second straight 6-under 66 for a two-stroke victory over Australia’s Katherine Hull.
The 20-year-old Shin, five strokes behind Hull at the start of the round and four back with nine holes to play, had an 11-under 277 total at Tanah Merah and earned $300,000 for her first victory as a member of the LPGA Tour.
“I’m very surprised and very happy,” said Shin, the Women’s British Open winner last August at Sunningdale. “I’m thinking, I had chance for top 10, not for win.”
Called the “Final-Round Queen” in South Korea, Shin birdied the first four holes — opening with 9- and 12-foot putts, chipping in from 45 feet on No. 3 and adding a 15-footer — to put herself in position to take advantage of Hull’s back-nine meltdown. -AP
Singapore was Shin’s 4th LPGA win since last August. She’s just a tour rookie, but one with over world-wide wins who could be player of the year this year. I actually predicted it.
2009 got off to a slow start for Shin, primarily due to two rounds of golf. She shot an 81 in Hawaii and missed the cut at the LPGA operner, and then followed it with a first round 75 in Thailand. She did bounce back to finish 13th there and now has posted another win. Any thoughts of last year being a fluke have to be gone.
Other notes-
Katherine Hull continues to be on a roll, which like Ji-Yai’s, began last summer. I picked Hull as one of the top 10 golfers for 2009. She should be in the winner’s circle again soon.
Brazilian born but Naturalized US citizen Angela Park finished 3rd for the second time this year.
Jane Park’s 6th place finish improves her chances of qualifying for the 2009 US Solheim Cup team. She was 12th in the points standings, and may be 11th now. The top 10 players automatically qualify for the team.
Angela Stanford has three top tens in three tournaments this year, including a win.
Also blogging on this news- The Constructivist
He coached in the Motor city for nine seasons. From AP-
Former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The team says Friday that Daly “is being treated for the cancer and his family is requesting privacy.”
The 78-year-old Daly coached the Pistons to NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. He also was the coach of the 1992 gold medal-winning US Olympic squad dubbed the “Dream Team.” He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to Chuck and his family following today’s tough news,” Detroit president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said. “He holds a special place in our hearts and we’ll be here to support him in any way we can.”
Dumars played for Daly on both championship teams, winning the NBA finals MVP award in 1989.
The Pistons were scheduled to play the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
“I wish him the best. It’s a tough cancer to get,” Golden State coach Don Nelson said. “He beat my (butt) probably more than anybody.”
Family spokesman Matt Dobek says in the release that as a coach Daly was “known as the Prince of Pessimism, right now Chuck Daly is the King of Optimism.”
Pancreatic is a particularly nasty cancer. Say a prayer that Daly can beat it.
In return Florida sent D Noah Welch and a 3rd round pick. From Sports Network-
The Florida Panthers did make a trade involving a defenseman on Wednesday, however, it didn’t involve Jay Bouwmeester. Instead, they acquired defenseman Steve Eminger from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Noah Welch and a third-round pick in the 2009 draft.
This marks the third time Eminger has been traded since the end of last season. He was dealt to Philadelphia from Washington in a 2008 draft-day deal and posted two assists in 12 games with the Flyers before being traded to Tampa Bay along with Steve Downie for Matt Carle in early November.
The 25-year-old recorded four goals and 19 assists in 50 games with the Lightning. In 274 career games with Washington, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, Eminger has notched 10 goals, 58 assists and 265 penalty minutes.
Eminger has a career -48 rating. That’s terrible but could be a result of his not playing for very good teams and being rushed to the NHL after being selected 12th in the 2002 draft by the Washington Capitals.
John McGourty fills us in on the maybe the most important aspect of this trade.
The trade reunites Eminger with Panthers coach Peter DeBoer, with whom Eminger won the 2003 Memorial Cup as a member of the OHL Kitchener Rangers. Eminger has since struggled in his six-year NHL career.
*****
The difference between Eminger in juniors and the NHL has been astounding. In Kitchener, he controlled play, offensively and defensively. He was well positioned and strong on defense, and crafty with the puck on offense, quarterbacking the power play.
Until he joined the Lightning, Eminger showed little of those skills and even less confidence. Reuniting with DeBoer could be exactly what he needs.
In light of that and how Welch didn’t fit in Florida’s scheme of things, I think the gamble on Eminger is worth it.
The drama level for America’s team has to be considered cut by at least a third. From AP-
Jerry Jones made it clear, both in action and words: Getting rid of Terrell Owens means a fresh start for the Dallas Cowboys.
T.O. was released Thursday, ending a three-year run that produced as many big headlines as big plays. Many of those headlines were about ego and attitude, and Jones has decided enough is enough. He wants the focus on winning, something the Cowboys haven’t done in the playoffs since 1996.
“In the aftermath of the season, we talked about change,” Jones said in a statement. “Some of what is changing involves the process and some of it involves people. This is a decision that was made based upon consideration for an entire team.
“We will move on now with a new team — a new attitude — and into a new stadium. The evaluation process and the prospect for change will continue at every level of the organization.”
Owens released a statement on his Web site thanking Jones, coach Wade Phillips and the organization “for the opportunity to be a member of the team for the past three years.”
“A big thanks to the fans — you’ve been awesome! I look forward to the upcoming season and continuing to play in the NFL,” Owens added.
Owens caught more touchdown passes than any NFL receiver over the last three years and was a big part of Tony Romo’s emergence from an unknown backup to a starlet-dating Pro Bowl quarterback with a $67 million contract.
Yet the Cowboys went 0-for-2 in the playoffs with Owens, and didn’t even make it this past season. Dallas’ late-season collapse — capped by a lackluster effort in a win-and-you’re-in finale in Philadelphia — emphasized that a new approach was needed.
Jones was slow to go along. Just a few weeks ago, he indicated Owens wasn’t going anywhere and firmly said the idea of locker-room problems were “a figment of the result. You didn’t hear about those things when we were winning.”
Dallas also released safety Roy Williams on Thursday. Despite his reputation as a hard-hitter, teams never hesitated throwing his way in recent years because he struggled in coverage. After Owens, Williams likely was the second divisive figure among Cowboys fans — especially after Dallas already got rid of Adam “Pacman” Jones and Tank Johnson.
“Roy has been a wonderful representative of this organization since coming to Dallas,” Jones said. “Unfortunately we have reached a crossroad with his time here in Dallas and the difficult decision was made to allow him to explore other opportunities in the NFL.”
Cutting Owens and Williams will cost the Cowboys about $14 million against the salary cap. There’s no telling how much more Dallas will lose in jersey sales and other publicity Owens generated. Then again, the $1.1 billion stadium that’s opening next season should generate plenty of interest and souvenir sales.
Owens learned he was being cut Wednesday night and sent text messages to his friends. Cowboys receiver Sam Hurd said Owens’ reaction was “more shock than anger.”
“He didn’t give me an explanation. He just said, `Wow,’” Hurd said Thursday. “I really didn’t believe that he seen that coming. … He said it’s tough, but it’s a business.”
What’s next for T.O.?
It remains to be seen what kind of market there is for a 35-year-old with a proven track record — good and bad.
Owens is among the NFL’s career leaders in catches, yards and touchdowns. Over the last three years, his 38 touchdowns are one more than Randy Moss and he’s among the league’s best in catches, yards, yard per catch and yards per game.
*****
The Cowboys signed Owens in March 2006, despite the bitterness some fans had for him having celebrated on the team’s star logo while playing for the 49ers. At his introductory news conference, Owens declared, “Getcha popcorn ready” and he certainly kept things interesting.
His first season included an accidental overdose that police initially called a possible suicide attempt and an obviously strained relationship with coach Bill Parcells. Yet it also included the most TD catches in the NFL and the birth of Romo’s stardom.
With a new coach and coordinator in 2007, Owens set a club record with 15 TD catches and Dallas tied the best record in franchise history at 13-3, only to lose its first playoff game. He tearfully supported Romo afterward, then a few months later received a $34 million contract extension at a news conference that featured a humongous bowl of popcorn.
The Romo-Owens relationship appeared to fray late this past season, with Owens upset about everything from game plans to pass distribution. He had 213 yards in one game, but cracked 100 yards in only one other game, the otherwise forgettable finale.
Dallas already has a replacement as the top receiver in Roy Williams, who led the NFC in yards receiving in 2006. The Cowboys gave up a first-, third- and sixth-round pick in the upcoming draft to get him from Detroit midway through last season.
In addition to Williams and Hurd, the Cowboys also have receivers Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin, plus Jason Witten, among the best receiving tight ends in the NFL.
Will the Cowboys be better off without Owens? Talent wise, absolutely not. He’s a problem child to say the least, but the Cowboys have more than a few of those. Starting with the owner. Wade Phillips is not a championship quality coach. Dallas won’t be going to the Super Bowl unless Jones stops meddling and hires someone who knows how to coach.
This comes after the Coast Guard called off their search. From AP-
Family and friends refused to give up the search for two NFL players and a third man missing four days in the Gulf of Mexico, enlisting private boats and planes to comb the waters off the Florida coast.
The Coast Guard called off the official search Tuesday for Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith, who played for the Detroit Lions last season, and former South Florida player William Bleakley. The friends have been missing since their boat overturned Saturday in rough seas.
Authorities were done, but about a dozen charter boats motored out Wednesday, some with friends of the families aboard, to try to locate some signs of the men, according to dock workers at John’s Pass near St. Petersburg. Three private planes also flew over the endless stretch of water, according to Cooper’s father.
“Everyone around here, they’ve either known someone or heard of someone who’s been lost out at sea,” said David Scott, who works at a marina at John’s Pass. “It’s just one of those situations. Everyone really comes together in times like these.”
A fourth man on the fishing trip, Bleakley’s former South Florida teammate, Nick Schuyler, was rescued Monday after a Coast Guard cutter crew found him clinging to the hull 35 miles off Clearwater. His doctor said it’s a “miracle” Schuyler survived in the 63-degree Gulf water for nearly two days.
It will be a miracle if the others are found alive. I understand the families don’t want to give up hope, but exposure and hypothermia(I live over 200 Miles to the southeast of where the boat capsized. Temperatures were in the 40′s just two days ago) have certainly taken the lives of all three of these men.
A source says the deal is four years and for 28 million dollars. From ESPN-
A day after losing wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Cincinnati Bengals replaced him by agreeing to a contract with former New York Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles.
Coles agreed to a four-year, $28 million deal, according to a source.
For Coles, it was a victory. He turned down a $6 million guaranteed salary from the Jets. To obtain his freedom, Coles voided the final year of his Jets contract and became a free agent.
*****
“The Bengals were very aggressive right from the start in talking to us,” Coles said, in a statement released by the team. “And when a team makes you feel really wanted, that’s a factor you’re not going to ignore. They said, ‘Let’s get this worked out,’ and we did.”
The 31-year-old Coles caught 631 passes during his nine-year career with the Jets. He had 8,095 yards and 44 touchdown receptions during his career in New York.
****
Houshmandzadeh’s departure left Chad Ocho Cinco and Chris Henry as the two most experienced receivers. The Bengals quickly focused on Coles, who caught 70 passes for 850 yards last season and led the team with seven touchdown catches. He’s replacing one of the NFL’s most reliable receivers — Houshmandzadeh had 112 catches in 2007 and 92 last year, even though Carson Palmer was sidelined for most of the season by an injury to his passing elbow.
Coles is a very good wide receiver but the Bengals stink. I don’t see how this can be considered a good match. Laveranues went for the money and I won’t fault him for that. At least he spared the media and sports fans the usual cliches about picking team because he liked the potential they had.
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