LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND -- Graham DeLaet was on the course on Monday, playing a dozen or so holes to see the course and shake off the jet lag. This is the fifth major for DeLaet and hes missed the cut in the previous three, admitting that while he likes the test of the biggest tournaments, his record isnt all that good. However, he attributed much of his performance to learning the nuances of major championship golf. DeLaet also said that last year at Muirfield, his wrist took a beating due to the firmness of the turf and the steepness of his swing. The ground here at Royal Liverpool is a bit more lush than a year earlier which may help the Canadian. -- Phil Mickelson handed over the Claret Jug on Monday, a tradition the defending champion goes through each year. As do most winners, the lefthander took the trophy to every clambake and family outing he could, sharing it with friends whove helped him along in his career. Mickleson arrives in Liverpool in the midst of what most would consider a down year. He has no wins and not even a top-10 finish to speak of. But, not surprisingly, hes upbeat. “Well, it obviously hasnt been a good year,” he said. “Normally I would be discouraged or frustrated, but Im just not. Im not frustrated and Im not discouraged. I feel like Ive had some good breakthroughs in some areas. I havent had the results, I know I havent played well. But the parts feel a lot better than the whole right now.” Mickelson has armed himself with a few new clubs in the bag this week. Hes added a two-iron as well as a 64-degree wedge that has almost no bounce. Its the only tournament where hell carry these weapons. -- On Monday, members of the International Golf Federation met with the media. Thats the group charged with running golf in the Olympics, among other things. Of course the hot topic is the golf course, which, as with many of the facilities in Rio, is behind schedule. Ian Andrew outlined some of the issues in the latest SCOREGolf Magazine. The powers that be seem to think it will be completed on time and Ty Votaw, who works for the PGA Tour but is also the IGFs vice-president, said there will be a test event prior to the Olympics although there wont be any time to make any changes of significance after that. He also said there is an emergency plan in place. “Well, as far as contingency plan,” he stated, “I think were in no different place than all the other sports in the Olympic games for Rio 2016 and the readiness and preparedness of Rio. “But, yes, we do have plans in place, but were not going to tell you what they are.” -- The weather outlook for the Open, always a concern, is calling for a nice opening day on Thursday with unseasonably warm temperatures (that means getting into the 20s). But the remaining three days arent so positive with thunderstorms in the forecast. Cheap Air Max 90 Womens China . -- Sonny Grays fastball wasnt as sharp as it usually is, and the Oakland Athletics young pitcher even had a quirky replay go against him. Cheap Air Max 90 White . - The Denver Broncos kept rookie wide receiver Tavarres King from joining the Green Bay Packers by promoting him to their active roster Tuesday. http://www.outletairmax90cheap.com/outle...-cheap-303.html. Josh Mazzola drove in five runs to lead the Goldeyes (20-12) past the Capitales 11-5 Friday night at Le Stade Municipal in Quebec City. Cheap Air Max 90 Ultra China .1 Sam Stosur will meet Germanys second-ranked player Andrea Petkovic in the opening match of the Fed Cup World Group semifinal. Air Max 90 Leather White . -- Another baseball tradition is about to largely disappear: a manager, with a crazed look in his eyes, charging the field and getting into a face-to-face shouting match with an umpire.IGLS, Austria -- Martins Dukurs of Latvia won his fourth consecutive World Cup skeleton race Saturday, moving closer to the seasonlong points title and remaining eligible for a huge bonus payday. Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta., who won Olympic gold four years ago, finished seventh in 1:47.67. John Fairbairn of Calgary followed in 13th at 1:47.87 while Eric Neilson of Kelowna, B.C., trailed in 17th at 1:48.01. The U.S. had three sleds in the top eight, with John Daly placing fifth, Matt Antoine finishing sixth and Kyle Tress taking eighth. By posting the fastest time in both heats, Martins Dukurs remained in the running for tthe FIBT "Triple Crown.dddddddddddd" If he is again the fastest in both heats in the World Cup season-finale at Konigssee next weekend, just as he also did at St. Moritz a week ago, he would win a bonus of about $135,000. Martins Dukurs also opened up an 80-point lead over Tretiakov in the seasonlong points chase. But Russian sliders are not expected to compete in the World Cup finale, and will head to the Sochi Olympic track for some additional training instead before other nations arrive early next month. That means all Martins Dukurs needs to wrap up no worse than a share of what would be his fifth consecutive overall World Cup title is a 12th-place finish next weekend. And hes finished at least 12th in each of his last 43 World Cup races dating back to early 2009. ' ' '