PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Olympic gold and silver medalists Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson were among the first to sign up for the PGA Tours first team event since 1981.The Zurich Classic outside New Orleans will feature 80 two-man teams, and both players will receive credit for an official victory, the tour said Monday.Rose outlasted Stenson in the final round at Rio to capture the gold medal. They also have gone 4-2 as partners in the last two Ryder Cups.The addition of a team format adds a new, incredibly exciting element to the event, said Rose, who has a sponsorship deal with Zurich. Henrik and I are very excited to tee it up together in April, and hopefully we can continue our longstanding chemistry and success in team formats.Jason Day, the worlds No. 1 player, and Rickie Fowler also announced plans to compete as a team.The Zurich Classic is April 27-30 at the TPC Louisiana. It will feature two rounds of foursomes (Thursday and Saturday) and two rounds of fourballs. Tour officials felt it was important to have foursomes (alternate shot) as part of the format so that both players contributed.The winning team will each get credit for an official PGA Tour victory and be exempt into the Tournament of Champions and the PGA Championship, just like a regular PGA Tour event. It does not include an exemption to the Masters, which is held three weeks before the Zurich Classic.Prize money and FedEx Cup points will be distributed based on sharing points for two positions. Using last years prize money, first place ($1,260,000) and second place ($756,000) would be combined and then split, awarding each player $1,008,000. The runner-ups would split third- and fourth-place money. For the FedEx Cup, because first place is worth 500 points and second place is worth 300 points, each winner would get 400 points.The last official team event was the Walt Disney World Team Championship in 1981.Players can pick their own partners, provided they have PGA Tour status or receive a sponsors exemption.That creates a field of 160 players, with a cut after the second round to the top 35 ties. In case of a tie, a playoff would be determined using fourballs.The tour hopes to create more interest and to complement the team format used in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and World Cup. The PGA Tour now has stroke play, match play, modified Stableford scoring (Barracuda Championship) and now a team format. Bill Lee Jersey . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Carl Yastrzemski Jersey . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. http://www.theredsoxteamshop.com/Red-Sox-Blake-Swihart-Kids-Jersey/ . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. Roger Clemens Jersey . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Bobby Doerr Jersey . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- When Mario Balotelli puts his mind to it, he can be unstoppable. His winning goal in Italys 2-1 victory over Mexico at the Confederations Cup proved his class, though he needs to maintain his focus even after scoring such goals. In the 78th minute Sunday, Balotelli collected a perfectly lobbed pass from Emanuele Giaccherini and muscled his way between two defenders to break a deadlock in the first official match at the Maracana Stadium. Much like at last years European Championship, when he scored both goals in a 2-1 semifinal win over Germany and pulled off his shirt after one of them, Balotelli reacted by stripping off his jersey to show his muscular physique, earning an automatic yellow card. If Balotelli picks up another yellow card in Italys next match, against Japan, hell miss the final group game against host Brazil. "I didnt know about this rule with the two yellows," Balotelli said. "Next time I wont do it." Perhaps worried that he might pick up a second yellow, as in last weeks match against the Czech Republic, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli replaced Balotelli in the 85th with Alberto Gilardino. "Mario has to stop showing off his muscles. The yellow cards count," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "Anyhow, well done." Celebrating his 100th appearance with the national team, Andrea Pirlo had given Italy the lead with one of his trademark free kicks in the 27th. Mexico equalized in the 34th minute, when Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez converted a penalty kick after Andrea Barzagli tripped Giovani Dos Santos. "I was dreaming of a free-kick goal," Pirlo said. "It was important to win the first match and now we have three days to recuperate. Its nice to be applauded in a legendary stadium like this." In an entertaining Group A match, Italy dominated possession while Mexico relied on counterattacks, coming close when Andres Guardado hit the crossbar in the 11th. "We knew we had to contain them and try to control the ball in the midfield," Mexico coach Jose Manuel De la Torre said. "But they were in better physical condition and ultimately that made the difference."; Italy moved level with Brazil on three points in the group after the hosts beat Japan 3-0 in the tournament opener Saturday.dddddddddddd The Azzurri had not impressed in their last two matches, drawing with both the Czech Republic in a World Cup qualifier and with Haiti upon arriving in Brazil earlier this week, but Pirlo and Balotelli made the difference this time. For his 13th goal for Italy, Pirlo curled a spinning shot over Mexicos wall into the top left corner after Balotelli earned the foul that set up the dead-ball shot from 30 metres (yards) out. Mexicos equalizer came after Barzagli let Dos Santos get by him to set up Hernandezs 33rd goal in 51 appearances for Mexico. The 25-year-old Hernandez, who plays for Manchester United, is on course to better the Mexico record of 42 goals held by former great Jared Borgetti. As usual, the temperamental Balotelli by turn misbehaved and by turn proved unstoppable. At one point midway through the second half, Balotelli kicked his boot across the area after being thwarted by Mexicos stubborn defence. But the AC Milan striker finally broke through as the match appeared headed for a draw, holding off Mexico captain Francisco Rodriguez then powering past another defender, Hiram Mier, to slot the ball in as he skidded across the grass. It was Balotellis ninth goal in 23 appearances. Prandelli had nothing but praise for Pirlo. "No words are needed for Andrea, just big applause," the manager said. "Hes a model for everyone." For Mexico, which entered amid a stuttering World Cup qualifying campaign, the loss will extend pressure on coach Jose Manuel De la Torre. However, the Mexican side showed promise and came close to taking the lead in the second half. Mexico has won only one of six qualifiers with three goals scored, and failed to find the target at all in its last two drawn matches against Panama and Costa Rica. Despite their squads recent troubles, Mexican fans, many of them wearing their customary sombreros, hugely outnumbered blue-clad Italian supporters on a warm afternoon. In the next round of Group A matches Wednesday, Italy next faces Japan in Recife and Mexico plays Brazil in Fortaleza. ' ' '
