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ously said if a player is not under par at the turn, he might as well keep walking to Prestwick and have lunch in the clubhouse
Has some of the shine come off of Ronald Koemans start as Everton manager?The Dutchman was pushing all the right buttons early in the season, but now faces a challenge to get his side back to their winning ways. His next opportunity to do so comes Sunday when the Toffees welcome West Ham United to Goodison Park.After starting the campaign unbeaten in their first five matches, the wheels have fallen off a bit on the blue half of Merseyside with the club winless in four straight. Everton (4-3-2) havent claimed a full three points since a 3-1 win over promoted side Middlesbrough back on Sept. 17.The Toffees enter the weekend sixth in the table with 15 points.Its not about our last five games, its not about the first six, its not about winning or losing, its an overview of what has happened and that we want to change, Koeman added. Of course, we know if you dont win in the Premier League then every time you play you come closer to a must-win game.I think we need to turn it around but it happens in football. Im prepared to get in tough times and also prepared for how we started the season, because thats football.Last weeks 2-1 defeat at the hands of Burnley materialised in the worst possible fashion. After the hosts opened the scoring in the 39th minute at Turf Moor, Yannick Bolasie equalised in the 58th. Everton dominated play most of the second half, but Scott Arfield fired home the stoppage-time winner, thus sending Koemans boys home shockingly disappointed.Koeman, though, believed the final score was an unfair reflection of the game.I mentioned to the players that we had a good start, he said. Maybe we dropped a little bit too much in the last 20 minutes of the first half, but it was an unlucky goal to concede.We had a good reaction in the second half. It was with much more intensity, we created more and were more dangerous. We scored a good goal and you expect to win the game, but then what happened in the last minute was hard to take. It was unfair with what happened on the pitch.Despite the recent dip in form, striker Romelu Lukaku continues to be a bright spot. Entering this weekends action, the Belgian international has netted six goals -- second only to Chelseas Diego Costa.On the injury front, left-back Leighton Baines and midfielder James McCarthy have been ruled out. Baines has missed the last five matches with a hamstring issue while McCarthy has picked up a similar problem.After starting the season with five defeats in their first six Premier League fixtures, West Ham United (3-1-5) have done well to bounce back a bit. Theyve found themselves unbeaten in three straight, including consecutive 1-0 wins over Crystal Palace and Sunderland each of the past two weeks.Winston Red netted the stoppage-time winner against Sunderland last weekend, and the Hammers were able to continue their form in midweek with an impressive 2-1 win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup. Theyll face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the quarterfinals next month.Goalkeeper Darren Randolph believes West Ham proved they are a match for anyone.We never seem to get the easy route in cup competitions, but its another trip to Old Trafford, where we went last season and put in some good performances, Randolph said.It was a good display for the whole game. Obviously to beat Chelsea as well was great. Everyone who came in did their jobs and it was a good win, and a good game for the neutral as well. Everybodys happy.The Hammers will need all hands on deck if they are to take points away from Goodison. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic believes he should have a full squad.Its a big game, Bilic said. We played a very demanding game physically and psychologically on (against Chelsea) and we have a few knocks and all that.replica jerseys china . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. fake jerseys china . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. https://www.chinajerseysreplica.us/ . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. china jerseys .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. cheap china jerseys .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift.TROON, Scotland -- The Latest on the British Open (all times local):---7 p.m.Phil Mickelson is heartbroken, even after one of the greatest rounds in major championship history.Lefty shot an 8-under 63 in the opening round of the British Open on Thursday, but hell long remember the lipped-out putt at the 18th hole that cost him a chance at history.Mickelson couldve become the first player to shoot 62 at a major championship. Instead, he joins 25 other players whove managed a 63.Mickelson puts it this way: All those highlights and I feel like crying. Indeed, his 16-foot putt looked like it was right in the cup with a foot to do, only to veer off to the right, catch the edge of the cup, and stay out.The 46-year-old American knows these sorts of chances dont come along very often. At his age, especially, the odds are against Mickelson ever coming that close again. Thats why he describes it as heartbreaking.---6:45 p.m.Chris Wood of England has withdrawn from the British Open because of a recurrence of a neck injury.Wood withdrew after the 12th hole of his first round. He was 3 over par.---6:20 p.m.Phil Mickelson has become the 26th player in major championship history to shoot a 63.And he had reason to be disappointed.His 16-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Royal Troon caught the right lip and rode the edge of the cup without dropping. Mickelson stooped over and grabbed his knees in disbelief.It was the 28th round of 63 in the majors -- Greg Norman and Vijay Singh have done it twice -- and the ninth at the British Open. As a small consolation, Mickelson has the course record at Royal Troon. And he likely will have the lead.---5 p.m.Americans occupy seven of the top eight spots on the leaderboard at Royal Troon, not surprising because they have won the British Open the last six times on this links.One name stands out, however.Phil Mickelson joined Patrick Reed at 5-under par with a long birdie putt on the 10th hole, and he remains bogey-free through 12 holes. Mickelson hasnt won since he captured the claret jug at Muirfield three years ago.Some of the other Americans: Billy Horschel and Tony Finau both finished at 67 and were one shot behind, along with Justin Thomas and Steve Stricker. And not to be overlooked is Zach Johnson, the defending champion, who was 4 under through 10 holes.---3:30 p.m.Steve Stricker was nervous when he teed off at Royal Troon, and it showed. He had to scramble for par on the first hole and took bogey on the next hole. But the 49-year-old American settled down and shot 67, one shot off the lead.So why the nerves? Stricker said maybe it was because its been a while since he played in a major. This is his first major since the PGA Championship last year, and his first British Open since 2012.And it might be his last major. He currently is not eligible for the PGA Championship. Stricker says his agent, brother-in-law Mario Tiziani, has been asking him if Stricker wants to request an exemption. Stricker says he wont do it. He wants to earn it.This is the final event to qualify, and a top 10 might be enough to get in.---2:30 p.m.Three-quarters of golfs Big Four are back in the clubhouse on the first day at Royal Troon -- and Rory McIlroy has fared better than Jordan Spieth and Jason Day.McIlroy, who won the British Open in 2014 and missed the defense of the claret jug last year because of injury, shot a 2-under 69 and was three strokes off early leader Patrick Reed.Spieth bogeyed the last hole after an errant tee shot and had an even-par 71, while top-ranked Day shot 73.The other member of the Big Four is U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, who had an afternoon start. He bogeyed the first hole after hitting his driver a long way right.---1 p.m.Americans are impressing once again at a British Open at Royal Troon.The last six Open champions at Troon have come from the United States, and Patrick Reed and Justin Thomas are extending the countrys dominance after shooting the best two early rounds Thursday.Reed eagled the par-4 third, had three birdies in the following four holes, and picked up another shot at the last for a 5-under 66 and the early clubhouse lead.Thomas birdied his first four holes and recovered from a double-bogey 6 at No. 15 by also making a birdie at No. 18 for a 67.Another American, Bubba Watson, was alongside Reed and Thomas atop the leaderboard until he triple-bogeyed No. 8 -- the testing par-3 nicknamed the Postage Stamp -- and then made bogey at Nos. 10 and 11. He is level par through 13 holes.Rory McIlroy is 4 under through 12 holes on his first round at the British Open since lifting the claret jug in 2014. He missed last years tournament because of injury.---12:30 p.m.Louis Oosthuizen has made the first hole-in-one at the British Open.The 2010 champion from South Africa aced thee par-3 No.dddddddddddd 14 from 167 yards, his ball pitching in front of the hole and curling into the cup. He threw his arms up in celebration for what was his second hole-in-one at a major this year, after acing the 16th in the final round of the Masters.---11:45 a.m.With his ball buried and up against the face of a pot bunker, Colin Montgomerie feared the worst after just two shots of his first round at the British Open.Montgomerie was given the honor of hitting the first tee shot at Royal Troon, his home club, in what likely will be his last Open. It was a proud moment for the 53-year-old Scotsman but things quickly turned sour.His second shot landed in him in such trouble that it took two shots to get out of the bunker. An up-and-down later, Monty was walking off with a double-bogey 6 from one of the easiest holes at Troon.No wonder Montgomerie was happy to finish with an even-par 71. He says Im very proud of myself for hanging on in there. It would have been easy to score 78 there, simple.Montgomerie was 3 under for the front nine and 3 over for the back nine.---10:45 a.m.Colin Montgomerie has started what could be his final British Open with an even-par 71 at Royal Troon.The 53-year-old Scotsman was given the honor of hitting the opening tee shot at his home club Thursday, and he was greeted with a packed grandstand on a sunny morning.Montgomerie took a double-bogey at the first hole, but birdied five of the next eight to make the turn with a 3-under 33. He couldnt keep it going, settling for three bogeys on the tougher inward nine to fall off the leaderboard.Bubba Watson, Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed are tied for the lead at 4 under.---10:15 a.m.Its a morning for going low at Royal Troon. Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed are leading the way.The Americans took advantage of the sunny weather Thursday to shoot 5-under 31 on the front nine at the British Open.That puts them a couple of strokes ahead of Kevin Chappell and Jimmy Walker.Given the conditions, its not surprising there are so many red numbers on the board. But the scores figure to rise during the day as the wind picks up. Also, the front nine at Troon is much easier that than the return leg, so its imperative to put up a low score early in the round.Colin Montgomerie found that out. Given the honor of hitting the first stroke of the tournament at his home club, he made the turn with a 3-under 33 even after opening with a double-bogey. Alas, Monty couldnt keep it going. Hes back to even par with two holes to play after three bogeys.---8:30 a.m.Colin Montgomerie has recovered brilliantly from his double bogey to start the British Open.The 53-year-old Scot, playing in perhaps his last Open, caught a buried lie in pot bunker and began with a double bogey. But the scowl soon turned into a smile when Montgomerie ran off five birdies in seven holes to make the turn at 3-under par.Justin Thomas made his British Open debut with birdies on his opening three holes and also was at 3 under.Luke Donald, playing alongside Montgomerie in the first group, was at 2 under.Most encouraging of all: The lead threesome took just under two hours to complete the front nine.---7:25 a.m.The Irish Sea was blue from abundant sunshine. The British Open leaderboard already was filled with red scores.With virtually no wind to start the 145th Open, the gentle outward nine at Royal Troon was living up to its reputation as the time to get birdies. There already were eight birdies in the first 21 holes completed, with Sanghee Lee of South Korea making birdie on the opening two holes.Colin Montgomerie started with a buried lie in a pot bunker on No. 1 and made double bogey. He might want to heed his own advice. Speaking of how easy the front nine is at Royal Troon, the Scot once famously said if a player is not under par at the turn, he might as well keep walking to Prestwick and have lunch in the clubhouse.Prestwick, site of the first 12 British Opens, is adjacent to Royal Troon.---6:45 a.m.The British Open began Thursday with Colin Montgomerie hitting the opening tee shot on the Royal Troon links where his father once was club secretary.Montgomerie, widely considered the best player to have never won a major, qualified at age 53 for what likely will be his last Open. The R&A chose him to be the first player to hit a shot on a gorgeous morning along the Irish Sea.There wasnt an empty seat in the grandstand next to the first tee, where the silver claret jug was on a podium. Five dogs were on the beach.There was no wind, allowing the early starters to take aim at one of the shorter courses on the Open rotation. Montgomerie teed off with Marc Leishman and Luke Donald. ' ' '