NORTON, Mass. Alex Petrovic Panthers Jersey Authentic . - Jordan Spieth has spent his second season going to PGA Tour courses he had seen only once, each of them filled with various memories. The best ones are in Boston. Spieth didnt win the Deutsche Bank Championship a year ago, though it sure felt like it. He played the final round on Labour Day with Phil Mickelson and turned in what he still calls the best round of his life. The 21-year-old Texan finished birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle for a 62. The round was stopped by storms, and with no golf being played, the TPC Boston was buzzing about Spieth. "This is the site the last time I was here of the best round of golf Ive ever played," Spieth said Thursday after his pro-am round. "Given the timing of it, what was at stake, the way I played that day ... being back draws some really good memories." Spieth could use another performance like that. He still hasnt won this year, though he played so consistently well and gave himself so many chances the first half of the season that he is No. 9 in the FedEx Cup going into the second playoff event, which starts Friday. Hunter Mahan now is the No. 1 seed after his win last week at The Barclays. Rory McIlroy is No. 2, followed by Jimmy Walker. Only the top 100 qualified for the Deutsche Bank Championship. The top 70 advance next week to the BMW Championship in Denver, and the top 30 go to the FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship. Spieth couldnt help but remember some of the shots during his practice round this week — the long birdie putt on 15 to match Mickelson, another long birdie on the 16th. "On 17, I hooked a 3-wood and it was going in the junk," Spieth said. "It hit a rock and 340 yards in the middle. I had 50 yards to the hole. Johnny Miller I guess said on the air that he was surprised I was playing aggressively because I hit driver. I hit a 3-wood. Toe-hooked it." And then on the 18th in his practice round Tuesday, he had the same length of the eagle putt he made last year, but from the other side of the hole. "I remember exactly what the putt did — breaking slightly off to the right and at the end curving back in," Spieth said. Even better was how it ended. He already was 7-under for his round when he drilled his tee shot on the par-5 18th as clouds gathered and thunder began to rumble. It was his first time playing with Mickelson, and the kid was putting on quite a show. The Deutsche Bank was the final tournament before U.S. captain Fred Couples announced his two picks for the Presidents Cup. Spieth was being mentioned as a possibility, but this round clearly was an attention-getter. "Walking up the 18th fairway, Phil said, With what youve done today, you locked it up in my mind. Go ahead and finish strong. Dont that that for granted. Finish this round off," Spieth said. He finished in style, and Mickelson took over from there. Coming out of the scoring area, Mickelson sent a text to Couples that said, "Dude, youve got to pick this guy." Spieth was the clubhouse leader during the storm delay, though it was clear it would not hold up. Henrik Stenson, Steve Stricker and Sergio Garcia were among those with enough holes to play on a rain-softened course. Spieth wound in a tie for fourth, five shots behind. His family was in town, and he joined them on a drive to Providence, Rhode Island, to help brother Steven get moved it at Brown, where he plays basketball. Thats when Spieth got a text of his own — from Couples. "Freddie texted me before the tournament was over, on my drive to Providence," Spieth said. "He said, What a great round. Look forward to seeing you on the team. Dont say anything except to your family, but its looking good." Couples picked him. Spieth wound up at No. 7 in the FedEx Cup. He went 2-2 in the Presidents Cup. Six months later, he shared the 54-hole lead in the Masters. All because of Boston? Technically, no. Spieth would not have been in the FedEx Cup playoffs had he not won the John Deere Classic, which made him a PGA Tour member. Thats a pretty strong memory, too. "To have this experience was because of the Deere," he said. "Here is what sent it over the edge." Jonathan Huberdeau Panthers Jersey Authentic .J. -- The NHL reduced its penalty against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday for signing Ilya Kovalchuk in 2010. Keith Yandle Panthers Jersey . Dwyane Wade followed a few days later.PITTSBURGH -- When Daniel Alfredsson pulled off the stunner of the NHL off-season by leaving the Ottawa Senators as a free agent, the rationale he gave was simple: He thought the Detroit Red Wings offered him a better chance to win the Stanley Cup. At the time, skeptics looked at the Senators and questioned if that was true. They had just overcome injuries to Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and Craig Anderson to reach the second round of the playoffs, and even Alfredsson saw a bright future ahead. Playing into his 40s, Alfredsson just didnt "have the time to wait for that." As a disappointing season unfolded in Ottawa, it became clear the longtime Senators captain was right, and on Wednesday night the Red Wings validated his decision to sign in Detroit by making the playoffs and giving him another opportunity to chase the Cup. "Thats what you play for: to get into the playoffs," Alfredsson said after the Red Wings clinched with a shootout loss in Pittsburgh. "I played a long time in this league, I played a lot of playoff games but I havent won the Stanley Cup, and thats what you dream about. Thats the only reason Im still playing." The easy move, as Alfredsson acknowledged July 5, wouldve been to re-sign with the Senators and play out a career that would then include his No. 11 being raised to the rafters and maybe a statue being built outside Canadian Tire Centre. Leaving immediately clouded his legacy. In the wake of Alfredssons departure, the Senators couldnt seem to get out of a fog early and were never able to catch up. They missed the playoffs for the third time in six years, but even from afar the former face of that franchise didnt get any satisfaction in watching the Sens struggle. "I was hoping that they would do well, theres no question," Alfredsson said Tuesday in Buffalo. "Other than that, my focus is solely on this team and on the present and finishing out this season strong." Led by Alfredsson and fellow Swede Gustav Nyquist, the Red Wings made a strong push to qualify for the playoffs on the night they played their 80th game of the season. And they did so despite missing stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg for almost half the season due to injuries, while Alfredsson, himself, missed 13 games. Thanks to major contributions from young players like Nyquist and Tomas Tatar, Detroit overcame those and many more injuries to make a 23rd consecutive playoff appearance. The Red Wings also leaned heavily veteran defenceman Niklas Kronwall, Alfredsson and coach Mike Babcock to steady the ship. "I think theres a few factors: goaltendings been consistent for us, I think Kronwall has pulled a really heavy load throughout the year on and off the ice for this team," Alfredsson said. "And (the) coaching staff, as well, adjusting to the team we have and giving us a chance and a game plan to win every night. Theyve been pushing us hard. Its been hard-fought to get here, but it feels great." A sseason full of injuries putting a coach in line for a Jack Adams Award -- sound familiar? Ottawas Paul MacLean won it last year, and Babcock will be a serious candidate given how many Red Wings regulars missed time this season.
Pinnwand