With an eye toward the future, the Sixers

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Masters champion Adam Scott was feeling ill when he arrived at Bay Hill. One majestic round with the putter Thursday made him feel a lot better. Scott made five putts from about 20 feet or longer, two of them for eagle and one of them from off the green for birdie, and matched the course record with a 10-under 62 to build a three-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The conditions were close to perfect. So was his work on the greens. "I made a lot of putts today, and a lot of putts from considerable length," Scott said. "I hit a lot of nice shots, too, but it wasnt like I was hitting it 4 feet. I had a round like this in Australia at the end of last year -- in the first six holes, I didnt hit it outside 5 feet. Theres a lot of different ways to get the ball in the hole. But its good for the confidence. Its what I wanted. I sat in here yesterday and said Id like to make some birdies and build the confidence. And today is a good start to that." Ryo Ishikawa, who uses Bay Hill as his home course on the East Coast, birdied the 18th for a 65. John Merrick celebrated his 32nd birthday by reaching 8 under until a late bogey. He also shot 65. Both were 10 shots behind before they hit their first shot of the tournament. "That took the pressure off," Merrick said. "Youre already 10 shots behind, so its not like youre protecting anything. But this isnt the Bay Hill I remember. I dont usually play golf in Florida without 20 mph wind." Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano had his best round of the year with a 66. Brandt Snedeker and Paul Casey were among those at 67. They were all but forgotten with Scotts 62 on the board. Scott walked from the ninth green across the practice range to the scoring trailer as one player after another turned his head and asked how low Scott went on the day. One caddie quipped, "Is there a 10-shot rule when you havent teed off?" It was the lowest round in 30 years at Bay Hill, and it was good enough to make a large gallery following Scott forget for a moment that defending champion Tiger Woods is not here this week because of a back injury. Andy Bean in 1981 and Greg Norman in 1984 are the only other players with a 62 at Bay Hill. After watching Scott make another putt -- this one from 20 feet for eagle on No. 4 -- U.S. Open champion Justin Rose asked if Scott could get to No. 1 if he were to win at Bay Hill. The answer: no and yes. He couldnt overtake Woods this week, but likely would go to No. 1 over the next few weeks if neither played. Scott had reason to be mildly surprised by this round. For one thing, he had not been to Bay Hill in five years. Scott typically plays Innisbrook, but decided to mix it up. And he does have some experience on the bag. His caddie is Steve Williams, who worked for Woods in six of the eight Bay Hill wins. Even more surprising, though, is that Scott said he was coping with flu-like symptoms, and still doesnt feel completely healthy. "Its hard to say that Im sick," Scott said with a smile. "I feel actually better now than when I woke up. Just a bit under the weather. I cant complain." Scott is a believer in the adage, "Beware the injured golfer." He lowered his expectations, concerned himself only with the next shot and was more concerned with his energy than feeling any nerves. It didnt take long for him to realize it was going to be a special day, starting with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 10th to start his round. He got up and down from a bunker on the par-5 12th for birdie, made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 14th, and then rolled one in from 30 feet on the 15th from a collection area right of the green. Scott drilled a 7-iron into 35 feet on the par-5 16th and made that birdie. On the front nine, he hit a pure 3-wood into 20 feet on the par-5 fourth for birdie, and then hit a tough bunker from some 35 yards away to 8 feet for birdie on the par-5 sixth. It was the sixth time Scott has had a 62 on the PGA Tour, the most recent in 2011 at Firestone the year he won. But he didnt want to look at it as anything more than just a great start, especially with half of the field still to play in the afternoon. "Hopefully, with a solid round tomorrow I keep myself right in this golf tournament," he said. "Like at any event, you want to start and put yourself right in it from the get-go and Ive done that here." DIVOTS: Bubba Watson hit three tee shot into the water on the par-5 sixth and made an 11. He shot 83 and withdrew. ... Snedeker had not broken 70 in the first round all year until Thursday. ... Pat Perez opened with a 70, ending his streak of nine straight tournaments in which he shot in the 60s the first round. Xavi Hernandez Jersey . "Its embarrassing what were doing here," leading scorer Phil Kessel said Wednesday. The most recent failed season came with even more pain than the six that preceded it. There was no hint of an impending implosion when the Leafs came roaring out of the all-star break with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh -- a 5-4 shootout loss followed by a 1-0 win the next night. Paco Alcacer Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. http://www.barcelonasoccerpro.com/Authe ... rsey/.Fiji striker Roy Krishna scored in the 14th minute to give Wellington its fourth win, along with a draw, from its past five matches, putting the Phoenix fourth but only a point behind third-placed Adelaide. Sandro Ramirez Jersey . -- Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale searched more than three quarters for five guys who would play well together. Douglas Jersey . According to a report from ESPN, the Green Bay Packers have re-signed the cornerback to a four-year, $39 million deal with a $12.PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Carter-Williams has something to show for being a bright spot in a dismal season for the Philadelphia 76ers. Carter-Williams won the NBAs Rookie of the Year Award on Monday after becoming only the third player since 1950-51 to lead all rookies in scoring (16.7), rebounding (6.3) and assists (6.2). Oscar Robertson (1960-61) and Alvan Adams (1975-76) were the others. Despite the performance of their dynamic guard, the Sixers were awful this season. They were 19-73 and tied an NBA record by losing 26 straight games. "Id definitely trade this award to be in the playoffs in a second," Carter-Williams said. "Coaches tell me to watch the playoffs to look at how different the game is and I do see it. Its a whole different season. This game is about winning. I hope I set a positive example about leading your team in a good way no matter what. I hope guys that come in know the core of this team takes things seriously and we want to build something special." Carter-Williams received 104 of a possible 124 first-place votes. The Orlando Magics Victor Oladipo finished second and Trey Burke of the Utah Jazz was third. "Michael made an immediate impact on the court this season, but his dedication, professionalism and contributions to both the organization and the Philadelphia community make him all the more deserving of this award," Sixers owner Josh Harris said in a statement. "This is an incredibly proud moment for the 76ers and one we are thrilled to share with him, the city and our fans." Allen Iverson is the only other player in Sixers history to win the award. The 11th overall pick from Syracuse in last years draft, Carter-Williams is the first player picked 10th or lower to win since Mark Jackson did it in 1987 for New York. "Michael performed and represented the Sixers organization this past season in a manner befittting of the 2013-14 NBA Rookie of the Year," said co-managing owner David Blitzer.dddddddddddd "He never stopped working from the moment he burst onto the national scene in our home opener through the final horn at last game of the season, and we are proud to congratulate him on this well-deserved award." Carter-Williams had a spectacular debut, posting 22 points, 12 assists and nine steals to lead the Sixers to a stunning 114-110 victory over the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. He was the second rookie after Shaquille ONeill to be the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in his first week in the NBA. "By opening night, it was clear to us that Michael belonged," Sixers President Sam Hinkie said. "This award marks a lifetime of hard work. ... We congratulate him on this unique achievement and look forward to helping him put in the work necessary to garner even greater success in the future." First-year coach Brett Brown had enough confidence in Carter-Williams to give him the responsibility of leading the team on the court. They traded away All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday to clear the way for Carter-Williams. With an eye toward the future, the Sixers traded Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen in February. They have a 19.9 per cent chance at getting the No. 1 pick in this years draft and are also owed New Orleans lottery pick -- unless the Pelicans win a top-3 pick. With possibly two first-round selections, Carter-Williams and 2013 lottery pick Nerlens Noel returning from a knee injury, the Sixers could be a contender soon. "When I first got here, I really didnt know what to expect," Carter-Williams said. "I am not a person that trusts a lot of people. My circle is really close, especially when it comes to basketball, because everyone has an opinion. But I have a lot of trust in coach Brown." Cheap Stitched Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Discount Jerseys Wholesale NFL Hoodies Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys China Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Throwback Jerseys ' ' '