certainly more at ease with his place in golf

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Now that hes got that pesky major out of the way, Justin Rose is learning to savour the quest for his next big title. Hes not nearly as optimistic about Englands chances in the World Cup. Rose is the reigning champion heading into the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, a player who is certainly more at ease with his place in golf now that hes got one of those prestigious titles on his resume. "In the last few months, I sort of realized what I have achieved and its time to embrace it, enjoy it, and let that be the strength for me to go on and win more," Rose said Tuesday. Of course, theres another big sporting event beginning this week, one that will certainly have the attention of Rose and his fellow English players. Their soccer-mad nation has a huge opening match in the World Cup against Italy on Saturday, the soccer game scheduled to begin in Brazil about the time the third round of the Open is wrapping up in North Carolina. Reflecting the mood of his homeland, Rose is not very hopeful. Englands only World Cup title came in 1966 and expectations are low for this team, a youthful squad playing in one of the most difficult groups. "I would say theres probably more chance of one of us winning the major than England winning the World Cup," said Rose, among 11 English players in the Pinehurst field. "Sad to say." Roses primary focus will be on his bid to become the first repeat U.S. Open champion in a quarter-century. Last years triumph at Merion had been in the making for nearly that long, ever since Rose finished fourth as an 18-year-old amateur at the 1998 British Open. He spent the next 15 years trying to finish the job, chasing a major title that seemed increasingly elusive as the close calls began to pile up, the weight of expectations becoming almost too much to bear. Then, just when it seemed he might have a lifetime membership in the "Best Players Never To Win A Major" club, Rose won a duel with Phil Mickelson at the venerable club outside Philadelphia, clinching the title with a 4-iron into the demanding 18th hole that gave him the par he needed to hold off Lefty. "I havent been one of those guys who said, OK, well, Im going to win X amount of majors in my career," Rose said. "I really want to treat this major that Ive won now as a gift and let it give me the ability to sort of free-wheel for the rest of my career -- play free, play loose, just go after it. Ive really got no pressure on me from that perspective anymore." Not surprisingly, the U.S. Golf Association paired Rose and Mickelson in the first two rounds. Both hope theyll still be playing together in the final group on Sunday. "I enjoy playing golf with Phil," Rose said. "I enjoy the spirit in which he plays the games, how free he is out there. Hes got a great temperament for the game. Nothing seems to faze him. Thats something a lot of players can look up to him for." Curtis Strange, the last player to win consecutive Opens in 1988 and 89, is pulling for Rose to join the exclusive club. "If Justin would happen to do it this year, that would be the first phone call," Strange said. "That would be fantastic." Rose missed the cut in his last tournament, the Memorial, though he thinks that might turn out to be a good break because it gave him more time to get familiar with Pinehurst. Before that stumble, he had ripped off three straight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including a tie for fourth against a loaded field at The Players Championship. His biggest challenge this week might be keeping his mind on golf. During the 2010 World Cup, Rose held a three-shot lead going to the final round of the Travelers Championship. That morning, he watched Englands title hopes fade away with a 4-1 loss to Germany. Then he went out and shot a 75, finishing three shots behind winner Bubba Watson. "I never really calmed down," Rose recalled. "So maybe Ill be a little bit more careful about my emotions watching the football." After all, hes probably Englands best hope for a championship. China Shoes Free Shipping . -- New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has no concerns about the health of shortstop Derek Jeter, who was limited to 17 games last season due to leg injuries. China Shoes Nike . Cincinnati has lost back-to-back games in overtime, wasting a chance to take a commanding lead in their division. https://www.chinashoesshop.com/ . Got Jacks? Pulling off a comeback for the ages, feisty Stephen F. Austin became the latest No. 12 seed to pull off an upset, tying the game on Desmond Haymons did-that-just-happen four-point play with 3. China Shoes Wholesale . Didnt need any help this time. Wood beat Cincinnati for the first time in his career, repeatedly pitching out of threats for seven innings, and Chicago stalled the Reds week-long surge with a 2-0 victory Monday night. Cheap Shoes From China . -- Canadian mens rugby coach Kieran Crowley has made four changes to his starting roster for Saturdays Pacific Nations Cup clash against the United States.Las Vegas, NV (SportsNetwork.com) - Former foes from the Mountain West Conference battle in the 23rd annual Las Vegas Bowl, as the 23rd-ranked Utah Utes clash with the Colorado State Rams at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday. Utah, which left the MWC in favor of the Pac-12 Conference, finished the regular season with a record of 8-4 which was somewhat disappointing given the fact that the program opened the campaign with six wins in seven tries. Down the stretch the Utes lost three of five, while the two victories against Stanford and Colorado came by a combined seven points. The lackluster finish to the regular season still left the Utes among the nationally ranked and gave the team an opportunity to take the field one more time, which is something head coach Kyle Whittingham is certainly thankful for. Its great to be back playing in the postseason. One of the biggest benefits is the extra practice work for the younger players. Its almost like another spring camp. Having the seniors play in a bowl game is huge. Meanwhile, the Rams took the MWC by storm this season, at one point putting together a nine-game win streak which pushed them into the national rankings as well. Unfortunately, the success was a double-edged sword for Colorado State, as the team finished second in the Mountain Division of the MWC with a record of 6-2, because it also meant that head coach Jim McElwain was a hot commodity on the head coaching market. Turns out McElwain, who was the offensive coordinator at Alabama before taking the job in Fort Collins, was lured away by Florida and has agreed to become the next coach for the floundering Gators. As a result, offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin has stepped up on an interim basis to lead the Rams into battle this weekend. From a postseason perspective, the Rams are aiming to even out their bowl record as they take part in their 14th postseason affair. The teams very first bowl game was a 21-20 loss to Occidental in the 1949 Raisin Bowl, while the most recent was a hard-fought 48-45 triumph over Washington State in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl. Utah, which is 2-1 in this particular bowl, has won 10 of its last 11 bowl outings, with the lone setback coming against Boise State in the 2010 version of the Las Vegas Bowl. Overall, the Utes have a 13-4 bowl mark, dating back to a 26-0 win against New Mexico in the 1939 Sun Bowl. The most recent postseason victory for the program was a 30-27 overtime triumph versus Georgia Tech in the 2011 Sun Bowl. These squads have a long and storied history dating back more than a century, with Utah owning a 55-22-2 advantage. This will be the first neutral-site battle and the first meeting overall since the Utes, ranked ninth in the nation at the time, crushed CSU by a score of 59-6 on Oct. 23, 2010. Coach Whittinghams offense was rather pedestriann this season, placing 84th in the nation with just 374.dddddddddddd ypg. although that doesnt mean there were not standout performers on that side of the ball. Running back Devontae Booker made a name for himself as he carried the ball 266 times for 1,350 yards and nine touchdowns, while quarterback Travis Wilson registered an efficiency rating of 135.93 thanks to his 60.3 percent completions and his 17 touchdowns, against only four interceptions. Wilson had four different receivers who logged four touchdowns through the air, his favorite target being Kenneth Scott with his 42 grabs for 445 yards. Although he doesnt necessarily fit the profile of an offensive player, punter Tom Hackett was no less a valuable asset for the Utes when the offense stalled, as the All-American and Ray Guy Award winner placed second in the country with a punt average of 47.0 yards per kick and was first with punts inside the 20 (35) and 10 (19) yard lines. Utah leads the nation in total sacks with 52 and is also first in sacks per game with 4.33. Nate Orchard, who won the Ted Hendricks Award as the nations top defensive end, led the country with 1.46 sacks per outing and was second in total sacks with 17.5 to set a single-season record for Utah. The Rams have to be careful not to focus all their energy on stopping Orchard because Hunter Dimick can also disrupt plays in the backfield after posting 14.5 TFL and 10 sacks of his own. Orchard and Dimick will both be targeting CSU quarterback Garrett Grayson, the all-time leading passer in Rams history and the 2014 MWC Offensive Player of the Year. Grayson completed close to 65 percent of his passes for a fantastic 314.9 ypg and a total of 32 touchdowns, against just six interceptions on 386 attempts. Making the job that much easier for Grayson, as he led the eighth-best passing attack in the country, was the play of wide receiver Rashard Higgins. A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, Higgins led the nation with 149.1 ypg receiving and scored 17 touchdowns. He set a school record for consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving with seven, en route to being named the first AP All-American at CSU since 1995. Its a great honor for Colorado State football, and especially for Rashard, coach Baldwin said of his selection. Im very proud of him, and proud of what everybody in this entire program has worked to accomplish this season. The offense has claimed most of the headlines at Colorado State this season, but that doesnt mean the defense is completely void of star players. Aaron Davis led the team in tackles with 110, while Cory James stepped up to produce team highs in TFL (8.5) and sacks (6.5). Trent Matthews was not only responsible for 51 tackles, he was tied for the lead in interceptions with three and logged a pair of blocked kicks as well. ' ' '