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Graham DeLaet was out on the practice range working on his game on Monday morning, preparing for his first U.S. Open. Its almost hard to believe that the player ranked 32nd in the world, who has earned more than $2 million this year, dazzled at last years Presidents Cup and has 16 top-10 finishes in the last three years, is just now completing the career slam - in terms of playing them, that is. Sometimes we forget that as good as he is, hes still relatively young in terms of being at the elite level. His talent exceeds his experience at this point of his career, which isnt necessarily a bad thing. Still, he does know a good course when he sees one. Having toured around the back nine at the famed No. 2 course here at Pinehurst, DeLaet quickly pronounced it to be a favourite. "It automatically went into my top 10 of all time," said the lone Canadian entrant in the American championship this year. "Its a great test, its an awesome old-style golf course and its going to be a lot of fun." Fun? The U.S. Open? Yep, this is definitely his maiden voyage in this tournament. While he hasnt been playing it, DeLaet, of course, has been an avid viewer of the American championship, and he knows that unlike most of the past, oh, 50 or 60, U.S. Opens, this year there is no long, punishing rough lining the fairways. Instead, Pinehurst has been returned to its original design, thanks to Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, with scruffy waste areas full of wiregrass bushes on the borders of the short grass. Its something that DeLaet says could prove to be a bit of a lottery for those who stray from the fairway. "This is my first U.S. Open but Ive watched in on TV for years," he said, "and its always been the deep rough and this year there is no rough at all. But the waste area or whatever you call it, sometimes you can get in there and have a pretty clear shot and get a lot of club on it and you can get in there and have a lot of bad breaks as well." DeLaet believes that hitting it into the scruffy section - officially, native areas - will give you about a 50 per cent chance of having a good lie. You might be able to play the shot like a fairway bunker or you might end up behind a tuft of grass that will mean chipping out sideways. The frustration levels could rise significantly if a player gets enough of the bad lies. DeLaet knows that too will be a big part of surviving the week, keeping his patience at an even level and trying to survive the mental test that is a big part of this event. Along with the predicted high temperatures, it will be a tough task for any player to keep their minds focused at all times. While DeLaet is working on his mental side, his physical appears to be in order. He was forced to miss the Memorial two weeks ago with a sore leg, something he now feels is on the mend. "I just kind of had a strained tendon on the outside of my right foot," he stated. "It wasnt extremely painful or anything like that but I just knew if I kept playing - and walking on uneven slopes is the worst for it. And Memorial unfortunately is up and down. I mean thats one of my favourite golf courses and I love that tournament and I have good vibes going in there. It killed me to miss that tournament but I knew for the rest of the year I had to be smart and I just didnt make it worse and over the last couple of weeks with some rest, it has gotten a lot better." While this has been a good year for the Saskatchewan native, he has been in search of more consistency on the greens. In the second round of the Players, he switched to a left-hand-low putting grip that he was practicing with on Monday, under the watchful eye of short game coach Gabriel Hjertstedt. Its just one more little thing he hopes will unlock the mystery that is putting. DeLaet is also hoping that he can bring his game around in a big event. While hes posted six top-10s this year, including consecutive runner-up finishes at Torrey Pines and Phoenix, he missed the cut in both the Masters and the Players. Its understandable as he adjusts to tougher set-ups and deeper fields, but this is where he wants to perform, this is where he wants to be contending. Hell get that opportunity starting at 1:36 on Thursday afternoon. Kevin Faulk Patriots Jersey . Ribery terrorized the Schalke defence throughout and put the home side ahead in the 36th minute when he chipped the goalkeeper before stroking the ball into the empty net. The French winger struck again after the interval, combining with Thomas Mueller on the left before firing a deflected shot beyond the helpless Timo Hildebrand in the 55th, as Bayern bounced back from Wednesdays 1-0 loss at FC Basel in the Champions League. Rob Gronkowski Womens Jersey . PAUL, Minn. http://www.patriotsjerseysauthentic.com/Irving-Fryar-Super-Bowl-Jersey/ . Last years runner-up, Sara Errani, also reached the last eight in straight sets. Flipkens converted all four of her break points against Meusburger, and the third-seeded Errani broke Karin Knapps serve five times to win their all-Italian match 6-4, 6-3. Stephon Gilmore Youth Jersey . Sami Salo scored two goals as the Canucks overcame a hat-trick from Edmonton Oiler rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to win 4-3 in NHL action Saturday. Tom Brady Patriots Jersey . The question is how many minutes will be available to them and can any of their defence or goaltending provide value? Top Picks: Following a down year in 2011-2012, Matt Duchene rebounded with his highest points-per-game (0.FONTANA, Calif. -- With tires and tempers blowing up all over the track for 400 crazy miles, Kyle Busch stayed calm and relied on his remarkable knack for big finishes at Fontana. Busch won on this 2-mile oval for the second straight year Sunday, holding off Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart and his older brother Kurt on a frantic two-lap sprint to the finish. Kyle Busch capably blocked Larson and outlasted a crowded field to win a race featuring a track-record 35 lead changes and numerous tire problems. Busch stayed out of trouble and roared up late for his second straight stunner in Southern California, following up the Las Vegas natives final-lap surge to victory a year ago. "Holy cow, what do you expect when youve got a green-white-checkered finish and everybody has to come down pit road and put four tires on?" Busch asked after his third career win at Fontana. "That was Days of Thunder right there. Unbelievable day." With his 29th career Sprint Cup victory in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Busch is NASCARs fifth winner in five races already this season. He led just five laps -- the fewest of his career in a win. Jimmie Johnson was comfortably in front when he blew a tire with seven laps left, precipitating the wild finish. Jeff Gordon moved in front until Clint Bowyer spun with two laps to go, setting up an overtime finish. Gordon was hoping to finish on old tires when Bowyer spun, but then elected to pit along with most of the leaders. Kurt Busch gambled with just two tires, allowing him to restart in second, but his younger brother came up from fifth in the final two laps to win. "I came off the fourth turn in disbelief that we won this thing, because we were mediocre all day," Kyle Busch said. "It was really weird for us, not a race that were typically used to. But now theres a load off your shoulders that you can go out the rest of the season and race the way you want to." He also got a thrill from outlasting Larson, the 21-year-old rookie who held him off Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race. "I guess you couldnt ask for more, but I was surprised to get up there late in the race," Larson said. "We were probably a 12th-place car for most of the day." He had to settle for the best finish of his Sprint Cup career in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing. Kyle Busch, who went to Larsons car Saturday to congratulate him on his Nationwide win, pointed out his window at Larson after Sundays finish, pumping his fist in approval. "What a shoe that boy is," Kyle Busch said of Larson. KKurt Busch finished third, with Matt Kenseth in fourth and 2012 champion Stewart in fifth.dddddddddddd Several teams had serious tire problems on this weathered track, with multiple flats and cautions for various problems throughout the hot afternoon. The problems likely were the latest effect of NASCARs new aero rules, which are producing higher speeds that lead to extra stress on the tires -- particularly on the bumpy asphalt on Fontanas back straightaway, which already wears out tires aggressively. Those problems might frustrate pit crews, but they can also lead to phenomenal racing, as the sellout crowd on its feet for the finish could attest. "By no means is this a problem for Goodyear," Kurt Busch said, referring to NASCARs tire manufacturer. "Its just a thumbs-up for NASCAR for allowing teams to get aggressive in all areas." The intrigue and weirdness started early on at Fontana -- which somehow seemed appropriate for a race in which the Muppets Gonzo told the drivers to start their engines. Several drivers complained during an early pit stop that the red light was on, indicating pit road was closed. Gordon, Bowyer and Brad Keselowski did not pit because of the red light, and all were adamant NASCAR needed to correct their position in the running order. Robin Pemberton, NASCARs vice-president of competition, was told that the official in charge of displaying the flag got his uniform caught in a hole in a fence and couldnt move, preventing him from flipping off the red light. Its the second consecutive week an issue with the caution light affected the race: At Bristol last Sunday, someone in the flagstand leaned on the button that turned the caution lights on right before Carl Edwards took the white flag. Rain then began to fall heavily, and the race could not be resumed, so Edwards won under caution. Edwards finished 10th at Fontana and stayed one point ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 12th, for the overall points lead. Fontana didnt get a repeat of last years exciting duel between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, the unfriendly rivals who crashed into each other on the final lap while racing for the win. Hamlin was a last-minute scratch with a sinus infection, depriving him of the self-described chance for redemption after getting airlifted away from the track last year with a broken vertebra. Sam Hornish Jr. took his place in the No. 11 JGR Toyota and finished 17th. Logano, in a backup car after a crash earlier in the week, had to go to the garage after 114 laps, knocking him out of contention. He finished 39th. ' ' '