me its last six games. ... The As have scored 60 runs thei

TROON, Scotland -- When the likes of Tom Morris, James Braid and various other designers laid out their courses along the sea in places all over Great Britain and Ireland, there is no way they could foresee the game that exists today, one fraught with technological advances that allow players to hit a golf ball short-hop plane distances.Of course, there were no airplanes back when they laid out these links, mostly by shaping the existing land with the help of horses, mules and rudimentary tools. Morris, who won The Open four times using an early gutta percha ball (he was a ball maker as well as champion golfer and course designer) would trip over his wooden-shafted clubs at the sight of a Dustin Johnson tee shot.And somehow these courses of a bygone era have withstood the test of time. Sure, theyve been tweaked and lengthened and some would say tricked-up, but a place such as Royal Troon has been around for more than 100 years and will undoubtedly give players fits when the 145th edition of The Open begins Thursday.The likes of Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson -- each in the top 3 in the PGA Tours strokes gained off the tee statistic -- might well have their issues, even though the 7,190-yard course might be considered short by todays standards.You do have to know how to navigate and kind of plot your way around these courses, especially when its dry, said Zach Johnson, who won The Open at St. Andrews last year. I just think the beauty of this tournament and this style of links golf is youve got to have everything. Youve got to hit your driver higher. Youve got to hit it low. Youve got to hit it left. Youve got to hit it right. And that goes with every club in your bag.Youve got to hold it. Youve got to use the wind. Youve got to do everything. ... This tournament, more than anything, I think its purity.Zach Johnson is a perfect example of a player who can excel on such a layout without the length that the likes of Jason Day or McIlroy or U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson have.It was Dustin Johnson who led The Open through 36 holes last year at St. Andrews, only to post 75-75 and fall out of contention over the final 36.I love coming over and playing links golf, said Jordan Spieth, who missed a playoff by a shot last year at St. Andrews. I think my game in general over the course of the next 20 to 30 years out here will show that this style of golf plays to my strengths. I feel comfortable playing this style of golf.Links is a term often tossed around haphazardly, almost generically, to describe any golf course -- and it is done so incorrectly. Links is not interchangeable with any golf course. There are various definitions, sometimes not easily explained, but Golf Digests description is simple: A course on oceanside sand dunes that were formed by a receding sea and covered by fertile soil from a river estuary.Each of the venues used for The Open -- now officially nine -- has those aspects. Royal Troon hugs the Firth of Clyde, and while that body of water is not visible from every part of the course, it has an impact, whether it be wind or rain. And the hard ground, even in wet conditions, typically drains to allow for more bounce and roll.The Open was first played at Royal Troon in 1923, and this will be the ninth time it is staged here. The place hasnt changed a great deal over that time. When Todd Hamilton won here 12 years ago in a playoff over Ernie Els, the winning score was 10 under par. Just 15 yards have been added to the course since then. When Arnold Palmer won here in 1962, the length was 7,045 yards, just 145 yards shorter than today.Their defense is the bunkers, so for me its all about just navigating the bunkers, Dustin Johnson said. In spots its very playable, so just knowing where to hit it and not driving it in a bunker, thats the biggest key. If you can stay out of the bunkers this week, I think youre going to do pretty well.Johnson should be able to fly a good number of them, especially on the downwind holes. The first seven holes, typically, come with a helping wind, and Johnson is able to get his tee shot near or on par-4 greens at the first and third holes. Hell have short irons into the others before the links turns back home and a strong headwind becomes a big factor.I think the beauty of a links golf course is the weather makes a massive difference, said Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A, which conducts The Open. The way the ball moves on the fairways, depending on how firm it is, the ability to control that. The ability to make sure where you want to put the ball versus where the ball has to finish on the green. I think that protection, and then you add in the weather is what makes links golf so difficult and so different and provides more than enough challenge for the players.I find it fascinating going around this course, watching the different type of holes and the different way the guys are playing it. There isnt one way to play it. You can quite often see in a three-ball three different shots, completely different ways how theyve seen how they want to play it, and I think thats the beauty of links golf.None of this is to say that Dustin Johnson, or Day or McIlroy or Watson or any of the other games long hitters, cant succeed at Troon.Its a fantastic asset to have, said Colin Montgomerie, who noted that Dustin Johnson will have no problem carrying various hazards. Thats an advantage, theres no question. Id love to have played my career where he hits his drives; we all would.But at the same time, if that driver is slightly off and the pin positions are as theyre going to be, which are hidden and on slopes to protect the course, these links courses ... you can get into trouble, theres no question. Youve got to be very, very careful at the same time. I dont think its a bombers course as such.I think our motto here, Tam arte quam marte, as youre all aware of course as journalists and English scholars, you would know that its not just with strength but with skill. So you have to have both. This course demands both. Larry Johnson Jersey .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. 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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Joey Wendle led off the game with his first major league homer and the Oakland Athletics were off to a fast start in yet another victory over Yu Darvish.Marcus Semien added a three-run blast off the Texas Rangers ace who has long struggled against the AL West rival, and the As won 11-2 on Saturday night.I think it was more command with him. What, he walked three guys in a row? Just not really like him, As manager Bob Melvin said. It was just an off night for him command-wise.Raul Alcantara (1-1), among five As pitchers who have made their MLB debuts this season with a start, worked into the sixth. The right-hander allowed two runs, on Carlos Gomezs homer in the sixth, with three strikeouts and no walks in his third career start.He ran out of gas a little bit in the sixth, but he was getting some funky swings from some really good hitters. So its good to see, Melvin said. I know he feels good about the outing. It gives you a lot of confidence going forward knowing that you can pitch against a lineup like this and have some success. You could just see his confidence grow as the game went along.Darvish (5-5) allowed seven runs, matching his career high, over five innings. The right-hander struck out eight but also walked four, including three batters in a row to start the second, to fall to 2-9 in 13 career starts against the As. No other MLB team has beaten him more than four times.I noticed that early the fastball command wasnt there. So you get him looking in one spot, Semien said. Hes going to throw it in there. He throws a lot of offspeed too, so we were able to key in on one pitch and did a good job.When Darvish last faced Oakland -- a day after his 30th birthday exactly a month ago Saturday -- he struck out nine and walked one in seven innings in a 6-2 victory.ddddddddddddBefore that, he had gone 0-8 in 10 starts against time since winning against them more than four years earlier in his eighth game after coming from Japan.Wendle, a rookie second baseman in his 15th career game, hit a 1-1 pitch into the left-field seats for a 1-0 lead, and his sac fly in the second inning made it 4-0.After Darvish walked the bases loaded to start the second, Bruce Maxwell singled up the middle to drive home two runs. Wendle hit his sac fly after Brett Eibner struck out.Semiens 26th homer, with two outs in the fifth, put the As up 7-0.Ive been having good command throughout this year. Today I didnt have it, Darvish said through his translator. I think its because I wasnt getting a good feel for it physically, and a feel for the pitches. Im not talking about pain or anything, its just the feel. I just didnt pitch well today.SHORT HOPSOakland, already guaranteed consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 2007-09, won for the fifth time its last six games. ... The As have scored 60 runs their last six games, after only 41 runs the previously 15.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: Right-hander Sonny Gray, out since Aug. 7 with a strained right forearm, threw all of his pitches during a 31-pitch bullpen session. He will get a couple of days off before another bullpen, and could still potentially pitch in another game this season. ...UP NEXTAthletics: Since eight scoreless innings in his first start for Oakland, lefty Ross Detwiler is 1/3 with a 5.25 ERA his last seven games (six starts).Rangers: Colby Lewis (6-2, 3.31) makes his only his second start since a two-month stint on the DL with a strained right lat.