ST. LOUIS — Jeff Fisher began rebuilding the St. Louis Rams' confidence when he was hired in mid-January. Now they've got the results to back it up.Heading into a three-day break and a 10-day gap between games, the Rams (3-2) have more to savor than just knocking off previously unbeaten Arizona. They've already topped their win total from the dismal 2011 season with 11 games to go, and they're 3-0 at home for the first time since 2003."To be in this position and to have this franchise above .500 is a beautiful thing," middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "I'm happy to be a part of it."Far from satisfied, too. Never too early to start thinking about next weekend's game at Miami.Cornerback Cortland Finnegan and Laurinaitis, an Ohio State alum, are driving to Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio State-Nebraska game on Saturday."But I'm downloading all the Dolphins stuff," Finnegan said. "So, football won't be too far away from me."The key to the 17-3 victory over the Cardinals was a fast-improving defense that sacked Kevin Kolb nine times, the Rams' best total in 14 years, with very little blitzing. Defensive End Robert Quinn, one of three first-round picks on the line, had a career day with three sacks.The Rams, who totaled six sacks the first four games, stopped Arizona twice inside the 20 in the final minutes."It's a new mindset overall," Quinn said. "We knew we had it in us, it's just really fitting the pieces and getting them to click together. Everything is starting to jell."On his third sack, Quinn stripped Kolb and William Hayes recovered at the Arizona 47 with less than two minutes to go to stop the Cardinals' final chance."We knew they were going to come," Fisher said. "I hope (they) keep coming."Rookie corner back Janoris Jenkins had his best game of the year with three pass breakups, and also filled in ably on punt returns after reveiver Danny Amendola was injured in the second quarter."He's just coming right along," Finnegan said. "It's just exciting to have somebody like that you can mentor to, but doesn't really need it."The defense took the pressure off an offense that's scuffled lately. Tight end Lance Kendricks' first-quarter touchdown reception was the first TD for the offense in three games.Bradford had one of the worst days of his career, completing only 7 of 21 passes for 141 yards and enduring an 0-for-12 funk that included an end zone interception by Patrick Peterson. There were some drops, but he also threw too high, led receivers by too much, or not enough."A lot of little things. It was nothing major," Bradford said. "We just never really got ourselves in rhythm. Fortunately, our guys up front were able to get the run game going in the second half when we needed it."Bradford emerged in time to hit rookie Chris Givens, the fastest player on the team, in stride on a 51-yard touchdown pass that put St. Louis up by 14 points early in the fourth quarter. Givens had a few drops earlier in the game."I told him I was going to come back to him," Bradford said. "I'm never going to lose confidence in those guys. He's young, he's learning."Obviously, he made a great play for us when we needed it."ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher had little to say about the condition of Danny Amendola, calling it a "competitive issue" after the receiver was injured during Thursday night's win over Arizona."If Danny's going to miss a game, I'll discuss it at a time at which I'm sure that he's going to miss a game," Fisher said Friday.The Rams reported a shoulder injury during the game. Amendola was pointing to his right collarbone after coming to the sideline after just missing a diving catch in the second quarter.The receiver told AP in a telephone interview he didn't know how long he would be sidelined.The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and ESPN, both quoting sources, said Amendola had a separated sternoclavicular joint where the collarbone meets the breastbone and likely would be out about six weeks but could return earlier.A TV camera caught Amendola flinging his helmet into a wall with his left hand while walking in a tunnel to get X-rays. He had the arm in a sling after the game, but the Rams did not make him available to reporters.
Showing posts with label early. Show all posts
Showing posts with label early. Show all posts
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Johnson out to early lead
Fort Worth, Texas — Zach Johnson shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Colonial on Thursday.
Off we go: Ryo Ishikawa watches his tee shot on the 11th hole at the Colonial on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas. KYODOJohnson opened his round with a 40-foot birdie putt on his first hole, No. 10. After blasting from a greenside bunker at No. 12 to save par, he had four birdies in a row on a day when gusty wind whipped through the big oaks lining the fairways at Hogan's Alley.Even though he has made the cut in all 12 tournaments he has played this season, Johnson hasn't won since the Colonial two years ago.Jason Dufner was a stroke back along with U.S. PGA Tour rookie Harris English, Tom Gillis and Kyle Reifers."Today was great. I got off to a good start, just hit some quality shots. I didn't put myself ever in a position that was too worrisome," Johnson said. "I kept the golf course in front me. I attacked when I could attack. I had a couple of nice saves when I needed it. ... I've got zero complaints."Dufner won the Byron Nelson Championship last week, and both of his PGA Tour victories have come in the last four weeks. He started at Colonial with three consecutive birdies, was 5 under after a 10-foot birdie putt at the 174-yard eighth hole, then overcame two bogeys in a three-hole stretch.Johnson opened with the big birdie putt at the 396-yard 10th hole on way to his 13th consecutive under-par round at Hogan's Alley. He set the Colonial tournament scoring record with his 21-under 259 in 2010, when he had a pair of 64s in his last PGA Tour victory.After hitting into a greenside bunker at the 435-yard 12th, he blasted to 9 feet to save par."The big putt that got me going," he said. He then had four consecutive birdies, a span that included two par 3s and all the putts between 14-21 feet.Sergio Garcia, the 2001 Colonial champ in the same group as Johnson, shot a 66 to match Chris DiMarco, Tommy Gainey and Andres Romero.The 22-year-old English had never played a full round at Colonial until Thursday. That came three days after he shot rounds of 60 and 63 during a British Open qualifier at Gleneagles. That is a much more wide-open layout about an hour from Colonial."Three bogey-free rounds I have had in a row, which I've never done," English said. "I'm playing solid golf and not really getting out of position. I'm getting my putter going. I'm hitting it to 15 or 20 feet a lot and seemed to be making a good many of those. It's just been good."English, a winner last year on the Nationwide Tour as an amateur, has made 11 of 14 cuts in his first season on the PGA Tour.Garcia had an eagle-3 at the 558-yard No. 1, getting him to 5 under through 10 holes. His only bogey came after hitting his tee shot at the dogleg-left third hole into a greenside bunker, and he saved par out of bunkers his last two holes. He hasn't won on the PGA Tour in four years.Defending champion David Toms, in the group with Johnson and Garcia, had only one birdie in an opening 74. Last year, the 45-year-old Toms started with consecutive rounds of 62 to match the PGA Tour scoring record for the first 36 holes of a tournament.Dufner's approach at No. 9 was just off the back fringe, and he chipped to 6 feet before his par putt circled the cup without falling. A 25-foot birdie attempt at No. 10 rolled over the right edge of the cup, then he bogeyed the 635-yard 11th hole when his third shot went in a greenside bunker and he then two-putted from 9 feet.Dufner was playing with Matt Kuchar, who two weeks ago won The Players Championship, and Rickie Fowler, The Players runner-up who the week before that got his first PGA Tour victory at Quail Hollow.
Off we go: Ryo Ishikawa watches his tee shot on the 11th hole at the Colonial on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas. KYODOJohnson opened his round with a 40-foot birdie putt on his first hole, No. 10. After blasting from a greenside bunker at No. 12 to save par, he had four birdies in a row on a day when gusty wind whipped through the big oaks lining the fairways at Hogan's Alley.Even though he has made the cut in all 12 tournaments he has played this season, Johnson hasn't won since the Colonial two years ago.Jason Dufner was a stroke back along with U.S. PGA Tour rookie Harris English, Tom Gillis and Kyle Reifers."Today was great. I got off to a good start, just hit some quality shots. I didn't put myself ever in a position that was too worrisome," Johnson said. "I kept the golf course in front me. I attacked when I could attack. I had a couple of nice saves when I needed it. ... I've got zero complaints."Dufner won the Byron Nelson Championship last week, and both of his PGA Tour victories have come in the last four weeks. He started at Colonial with three consecutive birdies, was 5 under after a 10-foot birdie putt at the 174-yard eighth hole, then overcame two bogeys in a three-hole stretch.Johnson opened with the big birdie putt at the 396-yard 10th hole on way to his 13th consecutive under-par round at Hogan's Alley. He set the Colonial tournament scoring record with his 21-under 259 in 2010, when he had a pair of 64s in his last PGA Tour victory.After hitting into a greenside bunker at the 435-yard 12th, he blasted to 9 feet to save par."The big putt that got me going," he said. He then had four consecutive birdies, a span that included two par 3s and all the putts between 14-21 feet.Sergio Garcia, the 2001 Colonial champ in the same group as Johnson, shot a 66 to match Chris DiMarco, Tommy Gainey and Andres Romero.The 22-year-old English had never played a full round at Colonial until Thursday. That came three days after he shot rounds of 60 and 63 during a British Open qualifier at Gleneagles. That is a much more wide-open layout about an hour from Colonial."Three bogey-free rounds I have had in a row, which I've never done," English said. "I'm playing solid golf and not really getting out of position. I'm getting my putter going. I'm hitting it to 15 or 20 feet a lot and seemed to be making a good many of those. It's just been good."English, a winner last year on the Nationwide Tour as an amateur, has made 11 of 14 cuts in his first season on the PGA Tour.Garcia had an eagle-3 at the 558-yard No. 1, getting him to 5 under through 10 holes. His only bogey came after hitting his tee shot at the dogleg-left third hole into a greenside bunker, and he saved par out of bunkers his last two holes. He hasn't won on the PGA Tour in four years.Defending champion David Toms, in the group with Johnson and Garcia, had only one birdie in an opening 74. Last year, the 45-year-old Toms started with consecutive rounds of 62 to match the PGA Tour scoring record for the first 36 holes of a tournament.Dufner's approach at No. 9 was just off the back fringe, and he chipped to 6 feet before his par putt circled the cup without falling. A 25-foot birdie attempt at No. 10 rolled over the right edge of the cup, then he bogeyed the 635-yard 11th hole when his third shot went in a greenside bunker and he then two-putted from 9 feet.Dufner was playing with Matt Kuchar, who two weeks ago won The Players Championship, and Rickie Fowler, The Players runner-up who the week before that got his first PGA Tour victory at Quail Hollow.Saturday, May 21, 2011
Kawai, trio share early lead
Hamamatsu Shizuoka Pref. — Four days after ending a career-long winless streak, Hiroo Kawai shot a sizzling 8-under 64 Thursday to sit in a four-way tie for the first-round lead at the Totoumi Hamamatsu Open.Ryo Ishikawa was in a tie for 29th after a 68 in the inaugural tournament at Grandee Hamanako Golf Club.Kawai, who last week won the season's first major, the Japan PGA Championship, was joined atop the leaderboard by Hidemasa Hoshino, New Zealander David Smail and little-known Masafumi Kawase.The 39-year-old Kawai holed out from about 90 yards for eagle on the par-4 eighth hole.He also reeled off seven birdies, including with a putt from 20 feet downhill on the ninth, while limiting himself to one bogey. Smail made eight birdies without a bogey.?
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