Lustiges und Witziges! » Diamondbacks on Saturday night

Zach Johnson has admitted it was a bittersweet moment when the time came to hand the Claret Jug back to the R&A ahead of The 145th Open at Royal Troon. The defending champion parted company with the most coveted trophy in golf shortly before his noon news conference on Monday, although he will consider himself the Champion Golfer of the Year until Sunday evening. Get a Sky Sports Pass Dont miss The Open. Watch live on NOW TV for ￡10.99. No contract. Johnson, who edged out Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a play-off at windswept St Andrews last year, has enjoyed taking the Claret Jug to various places in his native Iowa, and he revealed he and his friends drank wine from the trophy at their guest house in Ayrshire. After handing the silverware back to R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, Johnson said: It was something Ill never forget.I kind of parted ways emotionally with it at home, so once I got to the formalities of it, it really wasnt that difficult. Here are all the ways to watch The Open with Sky Sports But it was bittersweet. Bittersweet. More sweet, but the fact that youve got to give it back, you know its coming. I guess a portion of that sweetness is you still have an opportunity to get it back yourself.My thoughts now are 100 per cent positive in the sense that, technically, Im still Champion Golfer of the Year. Ive got to get the Claret Jug back, which I did. It was not pleasant, but theres still an opportunity to go out there and play. Thats what it is. Last year was last year, and now were moving on, shifting on mentally and excited for the week. Open on Sky Ways to watch The Open this week Asked when he last took a drink from the Claret Jug, he added: Im staying in a house with some buddies and we had a glass of wine out of it. Well, we didnt have a glass of wine; we had wine out of it. It is a Claret decanter, so it serves its purpose in that regard!Johnson was famously photographed using the Jug to hold an ear of corn when he returned to Iowa, and he then showed the trophy off at Kinnick Stadium - home of the Iowa University Hawkeyes football team. Johnson jokes about how he used the Claret Jug as a decanter Its been on the football field of Kinnick Stadium in my home state, on the 50-yard line, he added. Thats probably not normal. My guess is, unless Im lucky enough to do it again, it probably wont ever happen certainly in my lifetime. Hopefully that happens again, but thats a rare viewing, if you will.I probably had the thing for three months, but Ive probably been around it for a lot longer than that because Ive been with it as far as where its been. But at home, it just hasnt been on St Simons Island that long, although when it was there, it was put to great use. Johnson won his second major after a play-off at St Andrews last season Just seeing family and friends and sponsors and fans of golf embrace it has been pretty awesome. That thing has a lot of, well, weight to it in the sense that it represents golf and sports, as far as Im concerned.The stories Ive been getting with the individuals that Ive entrusted it with, its been awesome to receive it, but its been even better to give it back because of the responsibility that comes along with it. And I get it. That makes complete sense. So theyve said that, but theyve also said, Yeah, Ill take it back. Its just so much fun having the ability to have that Claret Jug for a portion of your life.Johnson played in his first Open at Royal Troon in 2004, and he is looking forward to the challenge of defending the trophy on a course in which Americans have triumphed on the last six visits to the Ayrshire links. R&A chief Martin Slumbers takes custody of the Claret Jug from the defending champion The memories were brief because I only played two days, he said. I dont remember every hole, I certainly remember the Postage Stamp and 17 and 18 coming in, and a couple of other shots I remember.I think this tournament magnifies my weaknesses more than any other tournament, but it also magnifies your strengths. And I say that because you have to have every shot. Clearly youve got to hit it low in links golf, but youve got to hit high, too. Youve got to use the wind, and youve got to fight the wind depending on the situation. Also See: Latest Open news First round tee times Ways to watch Get Sky Sports Custom New Orleans Saints Jerseys . The United States clinched the final berth into the Ford Worlds, March 28-April 6 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, on Saturday in Blaine, Minn. Custom Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . Toronto has lost six of its last eight games but is coming off Thursdays 7-3 victory at Kansas City. Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus both went deep for the Blue Jays, who are second in the American League with 34 home runs on the season. http://www.footballcustomjerseys.com/cus...eys-308c.html.Y. - Phil Varone was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Rochester Americans edged the Toronto Marlies 3-2 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. Custom New York Jets Jerseys . As Valanciunas was whistled for a rare technical toward the end of the third quarter - a result of waving his hand at an official after being called for a foul - Lowry pulled the Raptors sophomore aside, corralling him by his jersey and patting him on the back. Custom Houston Texans Jerseys . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle.PHOENIX -- The ball bounced in the dirt and away from Carlos Ruiz, a play the Philadelphia catcher could have easily given up on. Instead, he pounced on the ball, threw to second and -- with the help of a replay and a heads-up tag by Chase Utley -- retired Martin Prado to help preserve the Phillies comeback victory. Pinch hitter Cody Asche hit a two-run double in Philadelphias four-run eighth inning and Ruiz kept Arizona from getting a runner in scoring position with his hustle play in the ninth, leading the Phillies to a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night. "It was a hustling play," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He could have very easily put it in his pocket there, but he made it fairly close and ended up with a big play just with the hustle." The Phillies had to rally after ace Cliff Lee allowed five runs in the first three innings. Philadelphia fought back by scoring two runs off Bronson Arroyo in the seventh and four more in the eighth against Joe Thatcher and Trevor Cahill (1-5). Jeff Manship (1-0) allowed a hit and two walks in an inning for his first win since Sept 6, 2010, with Minnesota and Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his seventh save -- with an assist from Ruiz and a replay. The inning started with a single by Prado, who then was called safe on the close play at second. Sandberg checked the teams internal replay and called for a challenge, arguing Utley had tagged Prado after he came off the bag on the slide. Following a lengthy review by the umpires, Prado was called out. Papelbon then struck out Paul Goldschmidt looking, and Miguel Montero grounded out to end it. Ruiz also had three of Philadelphias 13 hits and drove in a run. The Phillies have won five of seven. "We were down by five heading into the seventh inning and to pull that off was definitely big," Lee said. Arizona had bounced back from a difficult start to the season behind its starting pitching and got a decent outing from Bronson Arroyo, who extended the rotations scoreless innings streak to 18 2-3 innings by pitching into the seventh. But Arroyo gave up two runs in the seventh and the bullpen couldnt hold the lead after he left, leading to the Diamondbacks ninth loss in 10 home games. Cody Ross had three RBIs and twwo hits for Arizona, which had three errors, including a dropped popup by Prado at third to start the eighth inning.dddddddddddd "We should have had enough pitching to get through that game," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "We just didnt play well." Lee had been superb against Arizona in six previous starts, going 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 43 innings. The left-hander has been dialed into the strike zone against everyone so far this season, entering Saturday nights start with 38 strikeouts and two walks. Lees control wasnt quite the same against the Diamondbacks. Arizona scored two runs off Lee in the first, including an RBI single by Ross that ended a 1-for-22 slump since returning from the disabled list with a dislocated hip. A.J. Pollock added a run-scoring triple in the second inning and Ross made it 5-0 in the third with a two-run single to left. Lee allowed three earned runs and eight hits in six innings. He also walked two to double his season total. "They were getting hits. I was missing on the plate a little bit, but they got their fair share of hits on decent pitches, too. Those things happen," Lee said. "I just feel good about keeping it where it was at after the third and continuing to put up a few zeroes there to give us a chance and definitely did that in the last three innings." Arroyo did his part, allowing two runs and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings, but Arizonas bullpen let it slip away. Thatcher allowed two runs before being lifted and Cahill laboured for the first time since moving to the bullpen. Asches big double hit first base umpire Bob Davidson before caroming toward the stands, and Ben Revere followed with a run-scoring single that made it 6-5. "It is embarrassing," Cahill said. "Bronson threw a great game. I should be able to come in and get three outs without letting them take the lead back especially with a three-run lead." NOTES: Phillies 3B Freddy Galvis is hitless in 21 at-bats after going 0 for 4. ... RHP A.J. Burnett, Philadelphias starter in Sundays series finale, has yet to win this season in five starts despite a 2.73 ERA. ... RHP Brandon McCarthy, Arizonas starter on Sunday, tossed eight scoreless innings against the Phillies last season, but did not figure in the decision. 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