Inland Waterways » lot harder to stay there

HONOLULU -- Ryo Ishikawa and Hideki Matsuyama are separated by five months on earth, and five years in professional golf. The two biggest golfing stars are members of the PGA Tour this year. They were to play in the Sony Open, the first full event of the year on the PGA Tour, until Matsuyama withdrew on the eve of Thursdays opening round with a wrist injury. How they arrived could not be any more different. One year after their paths first crossed in junior golf, Ishikawa became the youngest player to win on any of the major tours in the world. He was a 15-year-old amateur when he won the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup. The "Bashful Prince" received rock-star treatment in Japan and had the largest entourage of photographers. Some players said the hype over the kid reminded them of Tiger Woods when he first turned pro. He turned pro at 16 and kept piling up the wins on the Japan Golf Tour. He first played in the Masters when he was 17. He played in the Presidents Cup when he was 18. And he shot 58 in the final round to win The Crowns in Japan when he was 19. All this time, Matsuyama was moving along at his own pace without hardly anyone noticing. "I was never tempted to turn pro," Matsuyama said in an interview last fall. "Ryo did and its been good for him. For me, I was glad I went the college route. Back when I was 16 or 17, I didnt have enough confidence in my game. As it turned out, now was the right time." Matsuyama is strong and sturdy, and to see him throw a baseball in a hotel parking lot is to appreciate his athleticism. He first received attention when he won the Asia Pacific Amateur and earned a spot in the Masters. He made the cut. He repeated at the Asia Pacific the following year, won his first professional tournament Taiheiyo Masters) and made another cut at Augusta National the following year. When he finally turned pro last April, he was on the fast track. His four wins on the Japan Golf Tour enabled him to be the first rookie to win the Order of Merit. He qualified for the U.S. Open and tied for 10th at Merion. He qualified for the British Open at tied for sixth. His worst finish in a major was a tie for 19th at the PGA Championship. If there was a rivalry based on performance alone, a case could be made for Matsuyama and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, the PGA Tours rookie of the year. Spieth (John Deere Classic winner, No. 7 in the FedEx Cup) ended last year at No. 22 in the world. Matsuyama was No. 23. Ishikawa was simply trying to get his card. Whether it was a back injury, relentless attention from the Japanese media and the pressure to play more at home, or simply a steady diet of the toughest competition, Ishikawa failed to keep his PGA Tour card last year. He fell out of the top 100. And he had to go through the Web.com Tour Finals just to get his card back. "My back was no good," said Ishikawa, who speaks English with ease these days. "I had a little back injury since last January and February. It was good since July. I can practice more. That was a great experience to play the Web.com Tour Finals. That was huge to have three top 10s in a row. That was a good moment for me." He was not bashful about taking a step down if it meant getting back to the top. A runner-up finish in Las Vegas should secure him a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs this year. A runner-up finish in Japan enabled him to return to the top 100 (No. 83 going into the Sony Open). But hes still a long way from catching up to Matsuyama. "He was a good player when he was a junior golfer. I met him a lot in junior tournaments," Ishikawa said. "Its just timing, you now? I was faster than him. But now were in the same place." Theyre at least on the same tour. Matsuyama is fully exempt and has a spot in the four majors. Ishikawa, having gone back to the Web.com Tour Finals to get his card, is not guaranteed a spot in The Players Championship, much less the four majors. He has to perform to get those spots. They remain friends, and Matsuyama hopes to lean on Ishikawa this year. It can be lonely on the PGA Tour, especially with a language barrier. Matsuyama needs a translator to conduct interviews. The Japanese media tend to favour Ishikawa, who carried Japanese golf for much of the last decade and enjoys a more engaging personality. "I havent been able to make much friends yet, but luckily Ryo from Japan is on this tour with me, so Id like to make friends along with him," Matsuyama said. Matsuyama keeps his head down and doesnt smile as much. Thats just the way hes built. But its been a successful formula, even if he chose to take longer to get to places he always wanted to be. And he is looking forward to another trip to Augusta National as a top-50 player. "Im ecstatic I qualified for the Masters through my play this year," he said. "Im happy to be in the top 50. Now the real test from now on is whether I can stay in the top 50. Its a lot easier to get there, a lot harder to stay there." Michael Dickson Seahawks Jersey .Y. - DeMarre Carroll felt as though he couldnt miss in the second quarter as he outscored the Brooklyn Nets 14-13 all by himself. D.J. Fluker Seahawks Jersey . A rainy day saw the former champion Djokovic handle 14th-seeded Frenchman Jo- Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) under the roof on the famed Centre Court. http://www.seahawksfansofficial.com/rashaad-penny-jersey/ . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday. Sebastian Janikowski Seahawks Jersey . -- David Price didnt think he would be in Port Charlotte this spring. Will Dissly Jersey . As each game passes (each has played close with the exception of last night) it becomes clearer just how evenly matched these two teams are and how one mistake, or one bad inning, is likely to sway the result. Troy Tulowitzki just hopes no one will hold any grudges when he picks the National League participants for the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game. The Colorado Rockies shortstop will serve as captain of the NL side and select the four other members for the derby. Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays is in charge of the American League. "To be the captain, I dont know if thats something Im looking forward to because of how tough the decisions are going to be," Tulowitzki said Monday before the Rockies played the St. Louis Cardinals. "You cant put everybody that wants to participate on your team. So with that, you open yourself up. "But, at the same time, Im honoured to be the National League captain." The event will be held July 14 at Target Field, the night before the showcase game in Minneapolis. Bautista is a two-time major league home run champion. Tulowitzki has hit at least 25 homers in three of the past four seasons. Although the honour was just recently bestowed on Tulowitzki, hes already mulling over his options. Giancarlo Stanton of Miami is high on his list, especially since he leads the league in homers with 20. Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers is also a consideration. Tulowitzki may even select teammate Justin Morneau, especially since the first baseman came up in the Twins organization and it would be a homecoming. "That would be neat for him," said Tulowitzki, who has 18 homers this season.dddddddddddd. "Obviously, hes a guy I have a relationship with." Given Tulowitzkis relationship with St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday, he could be a pick, too. Tulowitzki spent some time catching up with his former teammate before Mondays game. Did Holliday lobby to be included? "I dont think so," Tulowitzki said, smiling. "Holliday is just a good friend of mine, someone that I have a great deal of respect for. "If he wanted to participate, hed definitely be someone on the list, but he wasnt (lobbying)." Tulowitzki is hoping players around the NL reach out to him. Rockies pitcher Brett Anderson, whos currently on the disabled list, wrote on his Twitter account: "Fingers crossed Tulo picks me for the home run derby!" Hes listening -- and doesnt want to hear excuses about how the derby may mess up a batters stroke. "You take a look during (batting practice), sometimes Ill go out there and try to hit a home run on every single pitch," Tulowitzki explained. "Its no different from being in the Home Run Derby. "Those are my thoughts. I dont really want to entertain that thought, either. You get back on track. And if youre not doing good, you put some (work in the cage). Its not because of a Home Run Derby." 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