Phil Mickelson's career seemed to be on vacation.Last week,he didn't even make the cut at The Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.Before that,he only tied for 65th place at the U.S. Open and had withdrawn from the Memorial Tournament because of fatigue,a reason that was mocked by TV commentators.On Friday,however,the 42-year old Arizona State alumnus launched an eight under par 64 at the Scottish Open on the Castle Stuart links course at Inverness.Mickelson made an eagle and six birdies on the British style golf course.It's not to the level I would like yet,Mickelson admitted,but I get closer each day.
Mickelson's eagle two was from 60 yards out on his first hole.This level of play was in stark relief to his previous eight rounds over par-the worst stretch in his career.I'm really glad I added this tournament,the popular San Diegan remarked on the European Tour website,and it's very helpful to see my game progress so quickly.Mickelson is preparing for next weekend's British Open,the third major tournament on the PGA Tour calendar.
Swede Alexander Noren topped the leaderboard at Inverness,followed by Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez.Mickelson was tied for 19th position after Friday's round in the overcast but dry conditions,seven under par for the tournament and five strokes off the lead.
Update:Phil Mickelson had another sharp round on Saturday at the Scottish Open,shooting a seven under par 65,including eight birdies,and moving up to a tie for fifth place on the leaderboard from 19th.Italy's Francesco Molinari took the lead at -17.Mickelson is now -14 for the tournament and three strokes behind Molinari.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Brown Bear Conservation
Tonight I am commemorating the brown bear,Ursus arctos,the species of bear with the widest distribution,which was just featured by National Geographic in its Photo of the Day feature.In its various subspecies,this large animal is found from North America to Siberia.In North America,there have been some brown bear attacks on humans and livestock.Nonetheless,conservation efforts have been strong and have brought the species back to healthy numbers there.Their situation is worst in Western Europe,where,outside of Scandinavia,they are only few in number in the face of such a heavy human presence.Russia is the brown bear capital of the world,with a population in excess of 100,000.
The beauty of bears is their range of colouration.There are even blond and grizzled brown bears with white-tipped guard hairs,the grizzly bear,in North America.Rare blue and white variants of the black bear,Ursus americanus,also occur and are often mistakenly labeled brown bears.
International in range,the brown bear is a powerful image for the wildlife conservation movement wherever it still survives.
The beauty of bears is their range of colouration.There are even blond and grizzled brown bears with white-tipped guard hairs,the grizzly bear,in North America.Rare blue and white variants of the black bear,Ursus americanus,also occur and are often mistakenly labeled brown bears.
International in range,the brown bear is a powerful image for the wildlife conservation movement wherever it still survives.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Washington,DC Area Pounded By Heat,Derecho Storms
After a day of triple digit heat,the Washington,DC area is being pounded by ferocious derecho thunderstorms,with straightline winds ranging from 70-80 mph and massive lightning strikes.The high winds ripped the roof off a seven storey apartment building in Prince George's County,Maryland,leaving more than 500 people homeless.About 1.5 million residents have lost power,raising health concerns with the air conditioning being shut down in the brutal temperatures.Several jurisdictions set up cooling centers for those in need of a haven.
Roads were strewn with traffic barrels and trees,hindering motorists.In Springfield,Virginia,a tree fell on a car,killing one person and injuring three others.Also in Northern Virginia,another tree fell on a home,killing an elderly woman inside.Flash flood warnings were issued in Maryland.The storms began moving east from the Midwest earlier in the day.Hail up to an inch in diameter was observed.Another round of storms was reportedly on the way from the Ohio Valley,and it was feared it would hit the area before sunrise,but thankfully that did not occur.WTOP radio reporter Hillary Howard saw rare cloud to cloud lightning in the initial line of storms.
A PEPCO power company spokeswoman said it would be very safe to say that it would be days before power could be restored.A good assessment wouldn't be possible till morning light.On the National Mall,tents for the Independence Day celebration sustained damage.
The big heat wave followed a few days of pleasant,dry weather likened to that of California.
A derecho-pronouced "deraycho"- is a huge,protracted straightline windstorm preceding a squall line of swift and severe thunderstorms,typically moving from west to east across the continent.
Roads were strewn with traffic barrels and trees,hindering motorists.In Springfield,Virginia,a tree fell on a car,killing one person and injuring three others.Also in Northern Virginia,another tree fell on a home,killing an elderly woman inside.Flash flood warnings were issued in Maryland.The storms began moving east from the Midwest earlier in the day.Hail up to an inch in diameter was observed.Another round of storms was reportedly on the way from the Ohio Valley,and it was feared it would hit the area before sunrise,but thankfully that did not occur.WTOP radio reporter Hillary Howard saw rare cloud to cloud lightning in the initial line of storms.
A PEPCO power company spokeswoman said it would be very safe to say that it would be days before power could be restored.A good assessment wouldn't be possible till morning light.On the National Mall,tents for the Independence Day celebration sustained damage.
The big heat wave followed a few days of pleasant,dry weather likened to that of California.
A derecho-pronouced "deraycho"- is a huge,protracted straightline windstorm preceding a squall line of swift and severe thunderstorms,typically moving from west to east across the continent.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Commentary:A Baseball Hero Helps Out
Hearing that Johnny Bench had a brush with skin cancer brought back summertime memories of being a baseball fan in the 1970s.At that time,baseball cards were unbelievably popular among boys,and Johnny Bench's card was one you held onto.He was the greatest catcher of his era,excelling in both the offensive and defensive aspects of the game.Finding out he'd been ill was concerning to his many fans;but it was a relief to learn he'd been effectively treated for basal cell carcinoma.
It's potentially a teachable moment when a celebrity is sick.Many of them,such as Johnny Bench, go on to use their fame to help combat the illness,alerting the public to ways it may be prevented,detected or healed,if prevention fails.
Greater meaning is given to their entire experience of the health problem,and people they never met may be aided by their sharing.This is the case for Johnny Bench as he participates in the Major League Baseball/American Academy of Dermatology Play Sun Smart skin cancer awareness program
It's potentially a teachable moment when a celebrity is sick.Many of them,such as Johnny Bench, go on to use their fame to help combat the illness,alerting the public to ways it may be prevented,detected or healed,if prevention fails.
Greater meaning is given to their entire experience of the health problem,and people they never met may be aided by their sharing.This is the case for Johnny Bench as he participates in the Major League Baseball/American Academy of Dermatology Play Sun Smart skin cancer awareness program
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