NAPLES, Fla.
Curtis Martin Jersey . -- If an American wins
the CME Group Tour Championship, it will be an upset.As another LPGA seasons
ends this week at Tiburon Golf Club, thats not an insult but a fact.Whether
someone from the United States has her hands on a trophy late on Sunday
afternoon, it has been a historically weak season for American women golfers on
a tour founded and based in this country. Only two Americans have won LPGA
events during 2016, Lexi Thompson at the Honda LPGA Thailand and Brittany Lang
at the U.S. Womens Open. The fewest LPGA titles claimed in a season by Americans
was four in 2011.We are outnumbered out here, says 39-year-old American Cristie
Kerr, the defending CME defending champion, and thats what people seem to lose
sight of a lot. We do our best and carry the whole country on our backs, and
hopefully people can realize that.That the LPGA arguably is sports best melting
pot -- there are 127 players from 28 countries other than the United States on
tour in 2016 -- is no news flash. As long ago as the late 1990s, there were
dozens of international LPGA members, and Stacy Lewis (2012, 2014) is the only
American to win Rolex Player of the Year in two decades.Yes, the United States
won the 2015 Solheim Cup over Europe and won the 2016 UL International Crown in
a field that included teams from Asia, the hotbed of womens golf. But the
paucity of American individual success is still jarring. Ranked fifth in the
world, Thompson, 21, is the only American in the top 10, with Lewis (13th) and
Gerina Piller (18th) the only other U.S. golfers in the top 20.I find it a
little scary, says Golf Channel analyst Judy Rankin, a star player in the 1960s
and 1970s. I almost hate to say anything to put more pressure on the American
players, because I think they feel it. There is no doubt its a sticking point. I
am really hopeful that there are big crops of juniors coming up in the U.S. that
might be the next wave.Efforts to boost youth participation in the United States
are underway and growing, with 60,000 girls now involved in the USGA-LPGA Girls
Golf program. The PGA of Americas Junior Golf Leagues are popular too, with
36,000 participants. The same goes for the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, a
skills initiative from the Masters Tournament, USGA and PGA of America in which
finalists compete at Augusta National Golf Club.But growing the game, to use the
biz-speak term that has filled so many conversations in the golf industry in
recent years, doesnt necessarily translate into emerging elite American young
women who can compete toe-to-toe with international competitors.There is very
little depth in America right now in the womens game, not a big pool, says
veteran instructor David Leadbetter, who coaches world No. 1 Lydia Ko, the
Korea-born New Zealander. Whether pros or amateurs, if you took the 10 best
18-year-olds from the U.S. and South Korea and had a competition, I guarantee
you it would be a complete whitewash. Thats just the fact of the matter.Talented
female golfers in other parts of the world frequently are immersed in golf at
younger ages through organized channels of a national scope -- federations or
associations charged with developing and supporting young talent. No existing
American entity has that responsibility.It really is a missing link here, says
Hall of Famer and 31-time LPGA winner Juli Inkster. Places are trying to grow
the game but not really grow individuals. We dont have a federation to push our
young athletic girls into golf, and weve come to a point where we need a
federation to really grow top-level golfers. Im not saying our girls arent good,
because they are. But theyve grown up in a different type of golf
atmosphere.That overseas atmosphere, particularly in Asia, often is an intense
and focused approach.Theyre starting earlier and working harder, veteran
instructor Jim McLean says. Youve got to give the South Koreans credit -- they
start the girls early and they train. Its P.C. in America to say you want a
well-rounded child, you want them to do a little bit of this and a little bit of
that. But if you look at the greatest people in the world, the greatest
achievers, theyre not well-rounded, theyre laser-focused.None of the women in
the current top 10 of the world rankings went to college (although several have
or are taking online courses). Many players overseas look at it from an
occupation standpoint, a jobs standpoint, Leadbetter says, Look at Lydia: When
she was 5, her mother decided that she was going to be a golfer. Theyre almost
pros when theyre 16, and theyre fully mature tour players when theyre 18 or 19.
Im not belittling anyone who goes to college, but whether college prepares them
for the tour is another question.The globalization is well underway on American
campuses. The University of Washington won the 2016 NCAA womens golf
championship with two players from New Zealand, one from England, one from China
and one from the United States. This year, longtime coach Mary Lou Mulflurs team
has a similar international makeup with a majority of players from abroad.We
have certain things we look for in a kid, and it just so happens of late people
we bring in are international kids, Mulflur says. Its a combination of things,
but if you put us coaches in a room, we would probably say there is more
appreciation for the opportunity. Most other countries, you either turn pro and
become a golfer or you go to school and become a doctor, accountant or whatever.
It takes a lot of nerve to move 5,000 miles from home to where you dont know
anybody. The sacrifices people make are quite great.Neil Coulson is the director
of golf at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where aspiring athletes in nine
sports go to school and train. Approximately 80 percent of the female junior
golfers are from outside the United States. A native of England, Coulson spent
15 years as a senior executive for IMG Golf in Asia before taking his current
position.I think there is a different work ethic in Asia, Coulson says of youth
golfers in that part of the world. There is less of a need for instant feedback
than required in the West. If juniors over there can understand the goal, they
will try to achieve the goal even if it takes a long time. They are willing to
work longer to achieve a goal than a Western child generally would.Overseas,
developing players also tend to experience less than ideal conditions, things
that can contribute to toughness and creativity.When you look at the way other
countries train, Mulflur says, they dont always have the most perfect practice
facility or every blade of grass cut perfectly, and greens that roll at 12 [on
the Stimpmeter] all the time. They just learn to play the game.All one has to do
is glance at Thompsons Instagram feed to see her strong work ethic. There are
frequently workout pictures. The other day she posted an image of her hands,
calloused and blistered, after a long practice session.I dont think its a lack
of effort, Rankin says. You have a bunch of players from around the world who
are very talented, who are very work-driven and seem to have a very special
mental attitude for the game. I think that plays well for them, many from the
Far East, for the long haul.At age 21, Thompson, who won her first LPGA event at
16, has seven career wins, including a major. Rarely, though, is her putting as
good as her powerful ball-striking. Thompson is ranked 61st in putts per green
in regulation for 2016.Inkster laughed when informed that, at age 56, she is the
only American in the top 10 in that important statistical category.Lexi and
Gerina, too, theyre good putters but not great putters, Inkster says. You can
say what you want about hitting the ball, but if youre not putting well, youre
not going to win. When Lexi wins, she putts well. Thats the bottom line. Most of
the Asian players can roll the rock. Thats where you make your living.Whether
the formation of new programs to mold elite female golfers would help their
short games is an unknown. But there is growing consensus that unless some type
of coordinated approach is developed in America in which kids of all financial
backgrounds take part, the LPGA landscape of 2016 might be the long-term future
despite Kerrs contention that the lack of wins is just a blip.Theres no reason
why it shouldnt happen, Coulson says. Whether you could get everybody around the
table to come up with an aligned strategy and make it happen is probably a
different discussion. There are a lot of stakeholders, and they all have their
own interests. Its quite easy to produce participation, but that doesnt mean
youre going to produce elite players.Can a bad year lead to good things?Golf is
a global game, and people are coming from all over to the LPGA because its the
best tour, Mulflur says. They want to succeed at the highest level, just like
the American players do. Good for them. They are pushing us to be better. You
either step up or fall behind.
Keyshawn Johnson Jets Jersey . Following a
lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean
told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and
theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels
of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the
Prudential Center and addressing the players himself.
Dennis
Byrd Jets Jersey .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and
again in the shootout as the St.
http://www.shopnyjets.us/dennis-byrd-jersey/
. -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats.
EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes will each be
looking to get bad tastes out of their mouths when they meet Tuesday at Rogers
Place.The Hurricanes have played two games so far this season. In each of them,
theyve held leads of at least three goals. They ended up losing to both the Jets
and Canucks in overtime.Meanwhile, the Oilers practiced Monday, despite it
originally being scheduled as an off-day as mandated by the Collective
Bargaining Agreement. But, after a 6-2 stinker of a loss to Buffalo on Sunday,
the players voted to practice rather than rest, and the CBA-required rest day
was moved to Wednesday.Judging by the noise coming from the Oilers, youd never
know the team won two of its first three games of the season. The Oilers have
scored 14 times in three games, but have given up 13 goals.And while goalie Cam
Talbot has given up all 13 of those goals, the man bearing the brunt of the
criticism is right winger Benoit Pouliot. Even though he scored in first period
of Sundays game, he was benched after a couple of needless minor penalties.
Pouliot has already been assessed six minors in the first three games.Will
Pouliot play Tuesday? His coach, Todd McLellan, has clearly had enough.He took
three penalties in a 15-minute span in Calgary and he took two (against Buffalo)
in about a 12-minute span, said McLellan. If Im a penalty killer, I dont want to
be out there blocking shots all the time for him for stupid penalties. So he can
sit and watch, plain and simple. We have some foundational or fabric things we
need to continue to fix as an organization, and stupidity is one of them.But
Pouliot hopes he can use the game to turn the page.Its unfortunate, he said of
his penalty issues. I put myself in a bad situation and in a bad position, and I
paid for it the last two games. We play tomorrow again, its good..
Curtis Martin Youth Jersey. On Sunday, the
Sabres got six power plays. The Oilers had the man advantage just once -- and
that came late in the third when the result was a foregone conclusion.While
unwise penalties plague the Oilers, the Canes have struggled to hold leads. This
is a team that had a three-goal lead over Vancouver in the second period -- and
lost. It had a three-goal lead over Winnipeg in the third period -- and
lost.Weve scored some goals, coach Bill Peters told the teams website. Certain
guys are doing the right things in order to score, and other guys are a little
late to the party in that regard. Now well be able to make a couple changes to
the lineup to make our team better.With a young group it can be tough to stay
calm through games like that, Jordan Staal told the teams website. Including
myself, it seemed like everyone was kind of off the page in the third period
there.Expect left winger Phillip Di Giuseppe, right winger Martin Frk and
defenseman Jakub Nakladal to all make their season debuts against the Oilers.
Nakladal played 27 games with the Flames last season and had been waiting for
his immigration paperwork to clear. Frk was claimed on waivers last week from
the Detroit Red Wings organization.Oilers center Connor McDavid was named the
NHLs first star of the week Monday. McDavid had three goals and three assists in
the Oilers first three games of the season.The Oilers confirmed Monday that
back-up goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who came in for Talbot on Sunday but then had
to leave the game with a head injury, wont be available for the Carolina game.
The team called up net minder Laurent Brossoit from its AHL affiliate in
Stockton, Cal. Brossoit has an 0-5-1 career record and a 3.34. GAA in NHL play.
Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic
Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
The Wall