Die Macht » Those calls surprised me at the time they were made

WATERLOO, Ont. -- The course was dry but the greens remained soft at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic on Saturday. Players aimed straight at the pins for a third straight day and the scoreboard was loaded with low scores as a result. South Koreas Hee Young Park shot a career-low 61 to move into sole possession of top spot at Grey Silo Golf Course. Her 20-under-par 193 total left her one shot up on American Angela Stanford and two strokes ahead of Scotlands Catriona Matthew. With 21 players already in double digits at 10 under or better and course conditions likely to stay the same, expect a shootout on Sunday. "When you see everybody going low, you have to go with them or youre going to get left behind," Stanford said. Parks three-round score was the best 54-hole total on tour this year and it was just the 11th time a play has shot 61 in tour history. She almost went one better -- nearly chipping in for eagle on the 18th before tapping in a short putt for her sixth birdie on the back nine alone. "I finished really well, finished (with) the birdie, so its going to be fun tomorrow," she said. Matthew (68) started the day with a three-shot lead on Stanford (64) but fell back with a double-bogey on the par-3 12th hole. She followed with a birdie and got another stroke back with a birdie on the final hole. "Yeah, didnt maybe click quite as well today, didnt hit it quite as close," Matthew said. "Had a lot of chances but just kind of left a few, and then a silly double on 12, kind of getting a bit greedy going for the hole and just pulled it. "Nice to come back with a couple birdies." Meena Lee of South Korea was three shots off the lead after a 65, while Swedens Anna Nordqvist shot a 67 and was five shots off the pace. South Koreas Inbee Park remained in contention after a 67, good for a ninth-place tie at 13 under. Park has won her last three tournaments. "I had a lot of opportunities today but missed a lot of putts," she said. "I mean I hit the ball the way I wanted to, thats the positive part to take away. Hopefully the putts will go in tomorrow." Lorena Ochoa was the last player to win four straight LPGA tournaments, accomplishing the feat in 2008. Nancy Lopez holds the tour record with five consecutive wins in 1978, a mark equalled by Annika Sorenstam over the 2004-05 seasons. The sunny, warm and breezy conditions held steady throughout the day on the 6,330-yard par-71 course. American Gerina Piller got things started early in the afternoon with a 62, taking a stroke off the competitive course record. Her mark lasted for about two hours. Park hit a slick four-foot tester for the 61 as the gallery roared its approval. She smiled, waved and tossed the souvenir ball into the grandstand. "Its anyones game," Piller said. "Like today if you get someone that gets hot with their putter and I mean, its a free for all. The course is in great condition. "Like I said the greens are soft, so thats kind of a green light for us as pros that we can just kind of throw darts and it makes it a whole lot easier." Jennifer Kirby (69) of Paris, Ont., was the top Canadian at 7 under. Charlottetowns Lorie Kane (70) and Brooke Henderson (71) of Smiths Falls, Ont., were next at 6 under and Hamiltons Alena Sharp (69) was at 5 under. Matthew said she believed anyone within seven strokes of the lead might have a chance on Sunday. Stanford, meanwhile, had predicted earlier in the tournament that the winning score would be in the 20-under range. Now she thinks 25 strokes under par might be needed. "We see a couple courses throughout the year that give up some birdies, but theyre the best players in the world and if you give them soft greens, its like letting, what, the kid go after candy," she said. Notes: The tournament purse is US$1.3 million. ... Sorenstam became the first LPGA Tour player to shoot 59 back in 2001 at a tour event in Phoenix. A score of 60 has been recorded on only four occasions, according to a tour spokesman. ... Nordqvist shot a 61 earlier this season at the LPGA Mobile Bay Classic last May. ... Warm and mostly sunny conditions are expected again Sunday although there is a chance of thunderstorms. Nike Vapormax Plus Suomi . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Vapormax 97 Suomi . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. http://www.vapormaxsuomi.com/ .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Vapormax 2019 Suomi . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Vapormax Ale . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca! Hey Kerry, would love to hear your explanation that distinguishes Andrew Shaws goalie interference in Game 3 (not enough to warrant a penalty, just enough to erase the goal?) from the entire body of work of Tomas Holmstroms career scoring goals in the blue paint. Not to mention the nudge Shaw gets from the Detroit defenceman and he still doesnt even contact Howard!?! That was a real momentum swinger in the game. How do you see it? Campbell Mayer Kerry, Was the disallowed Blackhawks goal that would have tied the game the right call or do you see it more as a makeup call for blowing a possible boarding call on the Patrick Kane goal? Thanks man. Keep it up! Ryan Morrill Campbell and Ryan: The Referees decision to disallow Andrew Shaws goal could be supported under the "letter of the law/rule"! As I looked at this play (video link), the only contact between Jimmy Howard and Shaw was initiated by the Wings goalkeeper when he chopped at Shaws skates a couple of times once the Hawk ventured into the top of the blue paint and in advance of the shot on goal. It is also true that there was minor contact between Shaw and the Detroit defenceman as the two players entered the goal crease. It might be worth noting that the Detroit defenceman sealed off any backdoor exit potential for Shaw if the Hawk considered this as an option; which is likely a reach for us to consider but none the less remotely plausible. Since no contact was initiated or resulted from Andrew Shaw on Jimmy Howard, the single thread under which goalie interference could be determined (again the letter of the rule) is found in 69.3—If an attacking player establishes a significant position within the goal crease, so as to obstruct the goalkeepers vision and impairs his ability to defend his goal, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed. For this purpose, a player "establishes a significant position within the crease" when, in the Referees judgment, his body, or a substantial portion thereof, is with the goal crease for more than an instantaneous period of time. I dont really believe that Jimmy Howards vision was obstructed but it could be said that Andrew Shaw did establish a significant position within the crease. SSince you mentioned Tomas Holmstrom, once he was flagged and put on the Refs radar screen, I have seen more than one goal disallowed when Tomas had his skates clearly outside the blue paint but established a significant portion of his rear end inside the crease and stuck in the face of the goalkeeper! Those calls surprised me at the time they were made.dddddddddddd I felt they were an overreaction to the spirit and intent of the interference on the goalkeeper rule. I was likewise surprised by the decision last night to disallow Andrew Shaws goal last night when Jimmy Howard made the initial save and the rebound deflected off Shaw and into the net. I wont speculate as to whether the Referee was still thinking about a potential boarding call against Niklas Hjalmarsson nor whether the whistle could possibly have been blown prior to Patrick Kanes goal as Johan Franzen lay on the ice in a heap in the Chicago end zone until well after Kanes goal. Those potential questions could only be answered in the private thought process of the Referee. What I will offer is that when Niklas Hjalmarsson struck Johan Franzen directly on the numbers of his back from close proximity to the end boards, a boarding infraction occurred. Since Franzen was able to put his hands up as protection against a full face-plant into the boards only a minor penalty for boarding was deserved. This series is certainly turning nasty. Several battles in front of and behind the net resulted in hard slashes, cross-checks and punches to the head between combatants. Sometimes unsportsmanlike conduct penalties even resulted. Holding on the other hand was always called whenever a player used his free-hand to gain an advantage or momentarily detain his opponent! I cite the last game played in the San Jose—Los Angeles series as one that was very well officiated. The game had great intensity throughout with hard hits being allowed throughout and a consistent standard of enforcement was adopted. The players were allowed to play on the edge throughout the entire game but when infractions occurred there was no reluctance to call them. The two penalties called in the dying minutes of regulation with the score tied were "must call" infractions that were not avoid by the Referee. That standard, my friends, is the model that I hope all the Refs will follow throughout the balance of these playoffs. ' ' '