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.Cheap Sneakers Wholesale China . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Air Max 90 Outlet Clearance . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision. http://www.outletsneakersclearance.com/fake-air-jordan.html . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Cyber Monday Vans Shoes .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Replica Sneakers For Sale . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field.SOUTHAMPTON, England -- Claude Puel ended his 17-year coaching stint in the French league on Thursday by taking over as manager of Southampton, ushering in a new era for the English Premier League club following the departure of Ronald Koeman.Southampton announced the hiring of the 54-year-old Puel on a three-year deal, making him the clubs third manager in barely two years. Puel led Nice to a fourth-place finish in the French league last month before leaving unexpectedly.Mauricio Pochettino and Koeman were poached from Southampton by Tottenham in 2014 and Everton last month, respectively, and many of the teams top players -- Nathaniel Clyne, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Morgan Schneiderlin among them -- have also left St. Marys Stadium over the past two years.Puel could be at the helm of another rebuilding job, with Southampton having already sold midfielder Victor Wanyama to Tottenham in the offseason and expecting interest in more of its players.Claude has a track record of improving the situations he has been presented with, Southampton executive director of football Les Reed said, and we are confident he can repeat this at Southampton.Before his four-year spell at Nice, Puel also coached French teams Monaco, Lille and Lyon, which he led to the Champions League semifinals in 2010.However, his three-year stint in charge of Lyon was a largely unhappy one and he often clashed with president Jean-Michel Aulas.Puel, who considered Aulas to be regularly interfering on team selection issues, was released before the end of his contract and the pair were embroiled in a bitter compensation dispute.As a tough-tackling midfielder, Puel spent 17 years at Monaco before starting his management career there and winning the French title in his first season as coach.As the proccess eliminated a number of excellent candidates, Claude clearly came out on top of a very impressive shortlist, Reed said, without naming any names.ddddddddddddn order to ensure we appointed a manager who would meet our needs as a club, feedback from the dressing room, as well as taking account of our culture, vision and values, was critical in drawing up our criteria for the appointment,Southampton has arguably the best youth system in English football and has earned a reputation for bringing through academy graduates to the first team. Among its best youth-team stars down the years have been Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.Puel worked early in his coaching career with a young Eden Hazard at Lille, while Nice says he launched the Ligue 1 careers of 16 players from the clubs academy. He also re-launched the career of winger Hatem Ben Arfa, who joined Nice following an unhappy end to his time in England with Newcastle and then Hull.Under Puels guidance last season, Ben Arfa enjoyed the best form of his career, scoring 17 league goals and coming close to earning a place in Frances European Championship squad. Ben Arfa is now reportedly joining French champion Paris Saint-Germain.Puels biggest task will be keeping his best players at Southampton, and ensure the club continues to overachieve in the Premier League.Southampton finished eighth, seventh and sixth in the last three years, and will play in the Europa League this coming season.Claude has a fantastic platform to work from, Reed said, and is aware that our ambition is to repeat and improve on our performances in the Premier League over the past three seasons. ' ' '