Meister der Farbe » the 18th time in 21 games and dropped a seaso

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- The top five players on the PGA Tour this season should be plenty rested going into the FedEx Cup playoffs.Most of them havent played since the PGA Championship three weeks ago.Thats because most of them didnt go to the Olympics.Jason Day is the No. 1 player in the world and No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, narrowly moving past U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson on the strength of his runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. They are followed by Adam Scott, Russell Knox and Jordan Spieth.Knox won the Travelers Championship a week after the PGA Championship, but with a chance to earn Ryder Cup points last week, the Scot decided he needed a rest.The playoffs begin Thursday at The Barclays, which returns to Bethpage Black.At the end of this five-week bonanza is a $10 million bonus to the winner. Thats still a long way off. For now, there is plenty to keep their attention.RYDER CUP QUALIFYING: The Barclays is the final week for American players to earn points -- one point for every $1,000 in PGA Tour earnings -- toward getting one of the eight automatic spots on the Ryder Cup team.Five already have been decided -- Johnson, Spieth, Phil Mickelson, PGA champion Jimmy Walker and Brooks Koepka. Brandt Snedeker tied for third last week to move up to No. 6 and would appear to be safe. He is ahead of Zach Johnson and Patrick Reed, the lone Olympian from that group.The purse at The Barclays is $8.5 million, so nothing is set except for whos not going to make it. Charley Hoffman at No. 22 is the last player who has a mathematical shot, and its a long shot at that.As for Rickie Fowler? He would have to finish no worse than a two-way tie for fourth.THE POINTS: The PGA Tour made a slight tweak to the points system for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Points are quadrupled for the next three weeks, instead of being five times their normal value in previous years.The hope is that it allows for volatility in these big events, without someone far down in the pack having one good week and being locked in for the Tour Championship.The top 125 qualify for the playoffs, and then its a matter of attrition.The top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings advance to the second playoff event next week at the Deutsche Bank Championship; the top 70 advance to the BMW Championship the following week at Crooked Stick outside Indianapolis. The top 30 move on to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.THE COURSE: Bethpage Black rose to prominence when the public golf course hosted the U.S. Open in 2002, and Tiger Woods held off Sergio Garcia and Mickelson to win his second U.S. Open. It hosted another U.S. Open in 2009, when Lucas Glover won in a rain-delayed finish.Now its on the rotation for the FedEx Cup playoffs, with Nick Watney winning The Barclays in 2012.The course is famous for its warning sign on the first tee: The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.It should say its a risk even for really good players, Spieth said. The course Ive played the last two days is up there with the hardest, probably top-five courses Ive ever played in my life. And its Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, and its soft.THE BUBBLE: Jim Furyk (No. 94) and Steve Stricker (No. 98) did well to make it to the playoffs because of their limited schedules -- Stricker only plays a dozen times a year, and Furyk started late because of wrist surgery.All it takes is one good week to keep advancing. If they miss the cut, odds are they wont stay in the top 100.Among those outside the top 100 are Keegan Bradley at No. 106. Happy to be here is Shawn Stefani, who tied for 14th last week to move into the top 125 (at No. 123) and even have a chance.PLAYER OF THE YEAR: The FedEx Cup figures to sort out who will be the front-runner for PGA Tour player of the year.Major champions typically get the vote from the players, but there are four of them this year -- Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Jimmy Walker. Jason Day won The Players Championship and leads the tour with three victories, so he cant be ruled out.Day believes he only has to win two events to be voted player of the year.Jamal Crawford Jersey . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Eddie Griffin Jersey . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. https://www.cheaptimberwolves.com/130j-kevin-love-jersey-timberwolves.html . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Karl-Anthony Towns Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Rashad McCants Jersey . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup.SAN DIEGO - The Freak is back. Tim Lincecum tossed aside his recent struggles and pitched his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants 9-0 win over last-place San Diego on Saturday night. Lincecum has won two Cy Young Awards and two World Series rings. Now he has something really remarkable — a no-hitter in which he threw a whopping career-high 148 pitches. "Right now I think Im just kind of coming down and dont know where to be emotionally," a calm Lincecum said afterward. The slightly built right-hander was in control from his first pitch until his last, which settled into left fielder Gregor Blancos glove and set off a wild celebration in front of a pro-Giants crowd at Petco Park. Catcher Buster Posey wrapped Lincecum in a bear hug and lifted him off the ground. Lincecum was then mobbed by his teammates behind the mound and doused with water. Blanco, who caught Yonder Alonsos fly ball to end the game, found Lincecum in the mob and handed him the ball. Lincecum, who witnessed Jonathan Sanchezs no-hitter against San Diego in 2009 and Matt Cains perfect game last year, was given a champagne shower by his teammates in the clubhouse. "Its pretty surreal for me just to be part of that," Lincecum said. "Obviously I got to see a couple with Jonathans and Cains perfect game, but to be in the middle of it is a little different. I think Im still kind of pinching myself right now." Lincecum (5-9) struck out 13. He walked four and hit a batter. Still, he needed some help to preserve his no-no. Pence caught Alexi Amaristas sinking liner with a full dive to end the eighth. Lincecum pumped his fist as Pence excitedly jumped up and with the ball in his glove. Amarista put his hands to his helmet and pulled it off in disgust. "That was really special. To be honest with you, I thought that was a hit off the bat by Amarista," Lincecum said. "But Hunter comes flying out of nowhere and makes the Superman catch. That was awesome." Pence said he "just laid out and reached as far as I could and happened to just get there. I would say the whole game was one of the greatest feelings and greatest things to be a part of." Said Amarista: "He got to the ball." Lincecums 148 pitches were the second most thrown in a no-hitter since at least 1988, according to STATS. Edwin Jackson needed 149 pitches for his no-no for Arizona in 2010. Lincecum had 103 going into the seventh and mightve saved his shot at history with an 11-pitch inning. "You dont see a pitcher up over 140 pitches in a no-hitter often," Posey said. "You get fatigued." Posey noted that Lincecum threw more than 200 pitches all night, including 40 in the bullpen warming up pregame and then eight pitches before each inning. "It takes a toll on your body, so for him to be able to continue to execute pitches is remarkaable," the catcher said.dddddddddddd Manager Bruce Bochy said he had pitching coach Dave Righetti — who threw a no-hitter for the New York Yankees on July 4, 1983 — check on Lincecum the last few innings. "Im superstitious at that point," Bochy said. "Im not going to say anything. There was no way he was coming out. I was just praying he didnt hit the 150 mark. "He was just right on all night with all his pitches," Bochy said. Lincecum was in a season-long funk. He was the loser when Cincinnatis Homer Bailey no-hit the Giants on July 2. Pablo Sandoval did his part, too, when he made a nice backhanded play on pinch-hitter Jesus Guzmans grounder deep behind third base and threw him out for the third out of the seventh. Lincecum had been struggling coming in, losing his previous four decisions and hadnt won since June 4 against Toronto. He hadnt won on the road since April 3 at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then again, hed gotten only 12 runs of support in his last 10 starts. The crowd gave Lincecum a standing ovation as he headed to the mound for the ninth. Lincecum struck out Chase Headley and then retired Carlos Quentin and Alonso on fly balls to left. Lincecum tossed the 15th no-hitter in franchise history and seventh since the Giants moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season. Matt Cain was perfect last June. The Padres remain the only team without a no-hitter. Lincecum lost 15 games last year and ended the season as a reliever — and a reliable one at that. He cut his hair short in the off-season, a new look as he started anew. He worked out with a personal trainer during the winter to add about 10 pounds of strength, and tweaked his mechanics. Padres manager Bud Black said Lincecum was mixing his fastball, splitter, curve and cutter. "Hes evolved," Black said. "He knows how to pitch. He keeps his poise. He has us off-balance all night." The Padres lost for the 18th time in 21 games and dropped a season-high 12 games under .500. "We havent been swinging the bats like were capable," Black said. "Were not pitching. Theres a lot of things were not doing well. The last 2 1/2 weeks have been unacceptable. We just havent gotten it done." While Lincecum dominated the Padres, the Giants jumped all over San Diegos Edinson Volquez (6-8). Posey and Sandoval had three hits apiece. Pence hit a three-run double and finished with four RBIs against Volquez, and then homered off Joe Thatcher leading off the eighth. Brandon Belt hit a two-run home run an estimated 414 feet into the sandy play area beyond the fence in right-centre in the fourth inning. Volquez allowed eight runs and nine hits in five innings, struck out six and walked one. He threw 107 pitches. NOTES: The four-game series concludes Sunday with a matchup of lefties. Barry Zito, who went to high school in San Diego, is scheduled to start for San Francisco and Eric Stults is scheduled to start for the Padres. ' ' '