HOYLAKE, England -- Justin Rose played the first two holes at the British Open without a driver on Thursday after it was mistakenly removed from his golf bag and shipped nearly 300 kilometres south of Royal Liverpool. Roses caddie, Mark Fulcher, had arranged to send two drivers to a couple of his friends in the south of England. Unfortunately, one of the drivers he gave away belonged to Rose. "It was a bit of a comedic start to the day, no doubt," said Rose, who managed to get the driver returned -- but only after he started his first round in Hoylake. The 2013 U.S. Open champion shot an even-par 72, leaving him six strokes behind leader Rory McIlroy, but said he hadnt been affected by his club troubles in the morning. "I knew I would have it by the time I really, really needed it out there, toward the 7th and the back nine," he said. "The way the course was playing I knew I wasnt going to require the driver for a good couple of hours." It wasnt quite on a par with the costly blunder made by Ian Woosnams caddie at the British Open at Royal Lytham in 2001. Woosnam was in a share of the lead after one hole of his final round when he was informed that he had 15 clubs in his bag, one more than permitted. The Welshman was given a two-shot penalty and he threw a spare driver -- the club that took his allocation over the limit -- into the rough near the second tee. Rose is one of the favourites for the claret jug after winning his last two tournaments -- the Quicken Loans National at Congressional and the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen -- but already has ground to make up. The afternoon starters encountered the toughest conditions of the day, with the wind picking up off the Irish Sea, and Rose said he "ran out of a little bit of steam" on a back nine that he played in 1 over. "Even par always feels like a waste of five hours, really," Rose said. "I felt like there was a lot of good stuff today. Really felt comfortable with my game early on. "You dont always get off to a flying start and keep it going. Its a platform for which I can build for the rest of the week." Indians Oscar Mercado Jersey . Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes, the bandleader of the beard brigade during Bostons run to the 2013 World Series title, said he will be shaving his off before spring training so that he can file it "in the archive" with his memories of the teams improbable championship. Indians Yonder Alonso Jersey . Sources tell TSN that union executives travelled to select CFL cities Monday to open dialogue with players and answer questions. After the tentative deal was reached Saturday night, several players posted messages of frustration and disappointment on social media - and that carried over into Sunday on both the web and the field. http://www.cheapindiansjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=indians-neil-ramirez-jersey . General Manager Sam Presti said the three-time All-Star had knee swelling that would not subside, and the procedure was intended to solve the problem. He said doctors determined that a loose stitch was to blame for the swelling, that Westbrooks lateral meniscus has healed properly and the procedure was successful. Indians Josh Tomlin Jersey . Sweeting scored two in the first and three in the second before Strong (4-4) got two back in the fourth. Sweeting then scored three in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to grab a commanding 9-2 lead. Indians Tyler Olson Jersey . Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was also taken to three sets but emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 win over Tobias Kamke of Germany, while second-seeded David Ferrer joined Murray in making an early exit after a 6-4, 7-5 loss to Daniel Brands of Germany.ORLANDO, Fla. - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver. Speaking publicly for the first time since cutting Smith two weeks ago, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday they had to "move on eventually." "He didnt lose his speed," Rivera said at the NFLs annual meetings. "He lost his top end. Steve still fought and would still find ways to make plays. But as far as the football decision goes, we have to move on eventually. This was an opportunity to do it." Smith wasnt unemployed for very long. He signed a three-year contract with Baltimore about 24 hours after the Panthers released him. Rivera said the desire to give young receivers Marvin McNutt, Tavarres King, Brenton Bersin, Kealoha Pilares and Toney Clemons opportunities factored into the decision. "With Steve around, they may never get that chance to develop," Rivera said. Rivera also made it clear the Panthers intend to select a receiver in the NFL draft in May — and hopefully replace Smith. "The thing we have to all understand is that eventually its going to happen; its inevitable," Rivera said. "In this game, its inevitable. A lot of great ones have moved on and gone on and played a couple of more years somewhere else. For us (Rivera and GM Dave Gettleman), this is a very hard decision. I know Dave anguished over it for several days before the decision was made, and we had a lot of discussions about it. Its one of those things that you have to, at some point, make the move to go forward." The decision was not popular among Carolina fans. A third-round draft pick out of Utah in 2001, Smith made an immediate impact as a rookie, returning the opening kickoff of the season for a touchdown against Minnesota. He became the first Panthers rookie selected to the Pro Bowl, earning that honour as a return specialist. Known for his feisty behaviour on the field, Smith became a dominant receiver over the next 12 seasons. He ranks 19th in the NFL in career receptions. He caught 64 passes for 746 yards and four touchdowns in 2013. Smith is Carolinas leader in receptions (836), yards receiving (12,197) and touchdowns (67).dddddddddddd As productive as Smith was, his fiery personality often rubbed people the wrong way, and some viewed him as a distraction in the locker room. Smith had run-ins with teammates on at least two occasions. He punched out fellow wide receiver Anthony Bright in a film room fight and later socked cornerback Ken Lucas on the field during a practice at training camp in Spartanburg, S.C. On both occasions, Smith was suspended by the team. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said they had few reservations about bringing in the 34-year-old Smith, even with his history and his age. "Chemistry is really important, and its something that I think every team should be working really hard to try it build," Harbaugh said in Orlando. "It starts with the type of person that you bring in as a coach and then as a player. But through our investigations, I guess you can call it, we came away feeling really good about the impact Steve is going to have on our team that way. "Hes a tough competitor. Hes a mature, grown man. Hes a family man. Hes a man of faith. I think the world of him." The Panthers signed veteran Jerricho Cotchery to a two-year contract, giving them some experience at the position after releasing Smith and seeing Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon leave in free agency. Rivera insisted the team will miss Smith, even though hes not the player he was in his prime. "Hes got a lot of football left," Rivera said. "Hes still explosive. ... He practices so hard. He competes so hard. I think hes at the point now where he has to manage himself and know that, Hey, I cant practice every day like that. "Steve has a lot to prove. Hes got that chip on his shoulder going forward. I know hes going to be 35, but I still know hes going to be a very competitive guy. Hes going to will himself to do some things. But I think as the season wears on, if he hasnt taken the time that hes needed off between the games, he might slow down. But he still has some gas in the tank." ___ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFLCheap Nike NFL JerseysCheap Adidas Hockey JerseysWholesale Nike Baseball JerseysWholesale Jerseys From ChinaWholesale Jerseys ChinaWholesale NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free ShippingCheap Nike NBA Jerseys AuthenticCheap NHL Jerseys CanadaCheap Nike MLB JerseysCheap Soccer Jerseys ChinaNCAA Jerseys CheapNike NHL Jerseys ChinaWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys StoreCheap Football Jerseys StoreWholesale Soccer JerseysJerseys NCAA ChinaJerseys NFL CheapCheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '