TROON, Scotland -- Ten years ago this week, Patrick Reed fell in love with links golf.He won the 2006 Junior Open Championship in this corner of the world at Heswall Golf Club, quickly figuring out how to hit various shots in different conditions than hed been accustomed to back home in the United States.The ball never seemed to stop, he said with a laugh Thursday after posting an opening-round 5-under 66 to put himself in contention for the lead at The Open.But if that love for links golf was stoked while he played, it was set ablaze just days later.Before he returned home, Reed attended a practice round and the first round of The Open, held that week at Royal Liverpool. An unabashed Tiger Woods fan, Reed followed the eventual champion around the course, marveling at his ability to hit shots the 15-year-old had never before witnessed in person.I was in awe of how he was hitting golf shots, seeing this 2-iron somehow staying that low for 240 yards in the air, recalled Reed, who turns 26 next month. Im thinking, How is that ball going that far? And the kind of control he had, Im just like, Man, this guy is really good.Some players, especially some American players, have to learn to love this type of golf. First they endure it, then they embrace it. Thats when success usually happens.For Reed, there was no transition period. It was love at first sight.I always thought it would be fun because I love to create shots and hit the funny things, he said. At home, we cant do that. Its too soft. So you cant hit the stinger 2-iron and let it run, or the low hook chip shot and watch it bounce up a hill and kind of trickle over. Those arent things we can do at home. Its more thick rough, take the ball in the air and try to stop it. So I feel like my creative side has been able to come out.Reeds opening round consisted of an eagle hole-out on the third hole and five birdies against just two bogeys. It tied the lowest first-round score in Royal Troons tournament history (although that mark was bested later Thursday by?Phil Mickelsons 63).That wasnt the only thing that should have Reed confident about the next three days, though.He played the Scottish Open last week; five of the past six Open champions played that event the week before. Hes American; each of the previous six champions at Troon has been American. He posted a sub-70 score; 10 of the past 11 Open winners opened with rounds in the 60s.Reed doesnt just like playing golf here, though. He likes everything here.The simplicity, he said. Last week when I was over, when we were driving from the golf course to the hotel, theres just a lot of farmland, a lot of scenery. You see the water to the left, the farms to the right. Its just a two-lane road going in and out. So you literally just have that kind of relaxed feeling that you have golf and then relaxing time. At home, its golf, sit in traffic, traffic lights, a thousand cars, people honking at you, and then you get home and youre trying to go through a busy hotel, so its still stressful off the golf course. Here it seems like its just golf and then just kind of relax, have some fun.Its definitely a way different pace than back home. Its nice. Its a great change of pace.Perhaps this gives new meaning to the actions of a guy who two years ago playfully shushed the home crowd at the European-based Ryder Cup.Hed love to stay quiet this week, flying under the radar of the bigger names on the leaderboard. That might not be possible, but his attitude -- an attitude born a decade ago -- should serve him well.I think the key is just to have fun with it, he explained. You know youre going to get some bad breaks here and there, but at the same time youre going to get some good breaks, and you just have to know how to handle it mentally. Air Max Plus Australia Sale . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. Air Max Plus Australia Cheap . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. http://www.airmaxplusaustralia.com/ . 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. Discount Air Max Plus Australia . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Air Max Plus Australia Online .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Danny Duffy didnt pitch quite as well as he did in his previous start -- that wouldve been hard to match. He did plenty, though, to stop Aaron Sanchez and the Blue Jays.Duffy and the Kansas City Royals ended a 10-game winning streak by Sanchez, topping Toronto 4-2 Saturday night.Duffy (8-1) struck out a team-record 16 and permitted just one hit over eight innings at Tampa Bay in his last start. He won his seventh straight decision, holding the Blue Jays to two runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings.I think the last start was probably the best start of my career, Duffy said. On days like that, I had everything working. Today not so much. Today, I didnt have what I had the last time out, but I had enough. It wasnt as good as the last one, but it was good enough.Sanchez (11-2) hadnt lost since April 22 against Oakland. He allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings.Sanchez still leads the AL with a 2.85 ERA.The Blue Jays opted earlier this week to go with a six-man rotation instead of putting the 24-year-old Sanchez in the bullpen to limit his innings.Its not like I thought he was out there distracted or rattled or anything, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. They just beat him. Nobodys invincible.Devon Travis led off the game with a home run for the second straight night. He also had an RBI single in the fifth after Kevin Pillar doubled.It was a minor frustration, leaving a changeup up after Ive been so good with my changeup this entire season, Duffy said of Travis leadoff homer. It was frustrating, but you dont let it affect the next hitter and I didnt, just kind of moved on.Eric Hoosmer hit a two-out, two-run single in a three-run fifth that made it 3-2.ddddddddddddWe had four hits that inning and three of them were infield hits, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Hos came through. It was a big two-out hit.Sanchez pitched only 102 innings last year, including 9 2/3 in the minors on a rehab assignment after a shoulder injury. The All-Star righty has thrown 145 1/3 innings this season.Alcides Escobars infield single scored Kansas Citys first run.Raul Mondesi had an RBI triple in the sixth for his first extra-base hit in his 11th game in the majors.The Royals scored more than three runs in a game for the first time in 10 games.Kelvin Herrera picked up his fourth save in six chances, working a perfect ninth.LEADING OFFTravis became the first Blue Jays player to hit a leadoff home run in back-to-back game since Jose Cruz Jr. on April 22-23, 2000, against the Yankees. Mookie Betts of the Red Sox was the last to accomplish that feat in the majors, doing it last month.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: LHP Mike Minor (recovery from labrum surgery) is slated to throw five or six innings, up to 80 pitches, in a Sunday rehab start for Triple-A Omaha. In his prior two rehab starts, he has allowed no earned runs and struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings.UP NEXTBlue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman, who struck out a career-best 13 Astros on Monday, starts the series finale.Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura is looking for his first victory since June 17. He is 0-5 with a 5.40 ERA in his past seven starts. ' ' '