in 12 2/3 innings against the White Sox this season. | Forum

TROON, Scotland -- Rory McIlroy was never more thrilled to be playing the British Open. Cheap Shoes China Free Shipping .Thursday was his first round since he won the claret jug at Royal Liverpool two years ago because he had to sit out St. Andrews with an ankle injury. And finally, he was able to talk about his birdies -- all five of them -- instead of jabs at Olympic golf that caused such a stir earlier in the week.Its nice that the tournament started, McIlroy said after opening with a 2-under 69. I think I said all I needed to say on that matter and hopefully I can go out tomorrow and play similar to the way I did today and get myself right into contention for another claret jug.McIlroy gave away three shots, and a share of the early lead, with two sloppy holes on the back nine at Royal Troon. But in a procession of golfs Fab Four, he made the best of the ideal conditions along the Irish Sea.Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and McIlroy were in separate groups separated by four tee times. Spieth was heard uttering rare words -- I cant buy a putt -- on his way to a 71, while Day made it three straight majors as the No. 1 player in which he failed to break par in the opening round. He had a 73. Johnson played in the easiest conditions and shot 71.MCILROYs MISSIONThe strong talk from McIlroy on the idea of Olympic golf helping to grow the game might have revealed a deeper state of his mind. He is fed up with watching others go to No. 1 and win majors, and there was a sense he was ready to do something about it.He came out firing, and with a third straight birdie on the Postage Stamp par 3 at No. 8, he was 4 under and tied for the lead. That changed with a shot over the green, a poor chip and three putts for a double bogey on the 13th, and he was so angry that he dropped another shot on the 14th.I think if I wouldve stepped on the first tee and someone would have given me a 69, I probably would have taken it, McIlroy said. But if somebody had given me that score on the 10th, I probably would have.The real test could be Friday with rain in the forecast. McIlroy, even with his roots in Northern Ireland, is not regarded as a player who thrives in bad weather. And he was six shots behind Phil Mickelson. His hope is that it clears out by the time he tees off in the afternoon.I dont think were going to see the course like this for the rest of the week, he said.DAYS SLOW STARTDay takes his No. 1 ranking seriously. Maybe too seriously.Favored in all three majors this year, he still cant seem to get off to a good start. Dropped shots on the back nine sent him to a 72 at the Masters. He opened with a 76 at Oakmont and had to play well just to make the cut. And in the ideal conditions at Royal Troon, he shot 73.For the third straight time, he has to spend the rest of the week catching up.Day might be one of the few players hoping for bad weather because it might be his best way to get back into the tournament.Im already missing greens anyways, he said. And if Im going to miss greens, Im going to miss greens on hard days, and if I can just grind myself out and make pars, it would be great. If I can hit a little bit better tomorrow, that would be fantastic.SPIETH STUMBLESSpieth faced two 10-foot birdie putts on his opening holes. He missed them both, a sign of what was to come. The player known as the best putter in todays crop of players required 18 putts on the front nine -- a pair of two-putt birdies, one par save and a three-putt bogey on the ninth.He stared for the longest time at a leaderboard next to the 17th green, realizing that even par wasnt going to cut it on a perfect day as this.When asked what was wrong with his putting, Spieth smiled and said, Thats a question I almost never get asked. So because of that, Im not thinking much of it.He at least hit the ball well from tee to green, calling it his best since he won by eight shots in Hawaii to start the year. He made a lot of putts in Hawaii.JOHNSONS MAJOR ENCOREIn his first round at a major since winning the U.S. Open, Johnson played a round that usually gets rewarded at a U.S. Open -- 14 pars, two birdies, two bogeys. Except this was the British Open, and the conditions were never easier at Royal Troon.He blasted driver on the opening hole toward the sea and made bogey. He played the par 5s in even.Obviously, you have to hole some putts here, he said.Thats true at any major. Discount Shoes Online Free Shipping . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Wholesale Shoes China Free Shipping .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. http://www.discountshoeschina.com/ . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. MINNEAPOLIS -- Byron Buxtons trip back to Minnesota included an early morning wakeup, a flat tire on his rental car on the way to the airport, a three-mile walk and a changed flight, followed by the need to get his car out of security when he got back to the Twin Cities.The long, tiring trip was worth it Thursday night.Buxton homered in his return to the majors, and Trevor Plouffe continued his resurgence with a two-run shot as the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 8-5 to end a 13-game losing streak.Im about to go straight to the pillow, Buxton said. Im exhausted.Buxton started his third stint with Minnesota this season in surprising fashion, connecting for a three-run home run to cap a five-run second inning. The home run reached the second deck in left field and was Buxtons second of the season, his first in 34 games.The former top prospect has had a rough transition to the majors, hitting .199 entering Thursday in 109 career games the past two seasons. He was sent back to Triple-A Rochester on Aug. 7 after a 1-for-18 stretch saw his 2016 average dip to .193.Were going to be looking for positive signs here, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Hes still very young in terms of age and experience. Hes got a lot of work to do. But we all know that theres talent there that were hoping to see that he can harness a little bit more consistently.Minnesota got to Chicago starter Jose Quintana, who entered the day leading the American League with a 2.77 ERA. Quintana (11-10) allowed seven runs and seven hits in five innings and saw his ERA rise to 3.05.I mean disappointing with the homers, especially early, Quintana said. It was a bad night for me.Ervin Santana (7-10) escaped trouble to win for the fourth time in five decisions. He gave up 11 hits and two walks, but allowed just two runs as the Twins snapped their losing streak, one off the franchise record for a season.Brandon Kintzler recorded his 13th save in 14 chances.Everybody seems more happy than yesterday, Santana said. But its still, we have more games to play.Chicago has scored 171 runs, the second-fewest in the AL, since the All-Star break. The White Sox left runners in scoring position in each of the first five innings and left a total of 13 men on base in the game.Avisail Garcia showed the frustration when he snapped his bat over his knee aftter his second strikeout of the game in the seventh. Cheap Wholesale Shoes Free Shipping. We left a lot of runs out there, Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. When you look up there and see youve left 10 guys and they didnt leave any at one point; that really kind of tells the tale more than (Quintana).Todd Frazier hit his 34th home run to open the scoring in the second for the White Sox. Jose Abreu connected for a two-run homer, his 20th, in the sixth.COME ON UPBuxton was Minnesotas lone call-up on Thursday with rosters expanding in September.Chicago added RHP Juan Minaya and C Kevan Smith from Triple-A Charlotte.Minaya, 25, was 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 52 innings over 47 relief appearances since being claimed off waivers from Houston on June 22.Smith, 28, was recalled by the White Sox in April before going on the DL with a sacroiliac joint dysfunction without playing in a game. Smith was hitting .219 with eight home runs and 24 RBI for Charlotte this season.Minaya and Smith made their major league debuts in the eighth inning. Minaya pitched a scoreless inning. Smith lined out to center in his first at-bat.TRAINERS ROOMWhite Sox: SS Tim Anderson left the game in the third with a bruised right calf and was announced by the team as day to day. He was hit by line drive by teammate Melky Cabrera in the first. ... RHP Miguel Gonzalez (strained right groin) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday. Gonzalez took the loss while allowing seven runs -- six earned -- in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out seven.Twins: Pitchers Trevor May (low back strain) and Tommy Milone (left biceps tendinitis) each threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and are scheduled to throw in the bullpen again during the weekend. If all goes well, the two would make a simulated start sometime next week, Molitor said.UP NEXTRHP Kyle Gibson (5-8, 5.17 ERA) will start the second game of the four-game series for Minnesota on Friday against LHP Carlos Rodon (5-8, 3.91). Gibson has allowed nine earned runs over his past two starts but has given up just one earned run in 12 2/3 innings against the White Sox this season. Rodon has won his last three decisions and owns a 1.47 ERA in his past five starts. 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