Pirate Galaxy » after the accident instead of calm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- They were always close as friends. They used to be just as close as golfers.Russell Knox and Duncan Stewart grew up 30 miles apart in the Scottish Highlands and spent four years as teammates at Jacksonville University. Their careers went in wildly different directions since they last played in the same tournament at the Atlantic Sun Conference championship.That was more than nine years ago.Neither could have imagined the circumstances for such a dream reunion.Knox is No. 18 in the world, the winner of a World Golf Championship and a sympathetic figure this summer for being left off the Ryder Cup team.Stewart, who worked in a slaughterhouse and drove a delivery van to help pay the bills, took out a bank loan to give his golf career one last shot, and he made it pay off. He won a Challenge Tour event in Spain on a sponsors exemption in April, moved up nearly 1,000 spots in the world ranking to No. 315 and finally earned a European Tour card.Knox never forgot his friend.As the highest-ranked player in Scotland, Knox was allowed to pick his partner for the World Cup next week at Kingston Heath in Australia, provided his teammate was among the top 500 in the world. He picked Stewart.It was a surprising choice for some because three other Scots are ranked ahead of Stewart.It was an easy choice for Knox.Were going to talk about this forever, the rest of our lives, Knox said. Were going to have the best time. Its going to be epic.Knox first raised the prospect in May, and Stewart figured he was joking. But after Knox won his second PGA Tour title at the Travelers Championship, he sent Stewart a text asking him his plans the week of the World Cup.The last thing he said was, `Lets go win this, Stewart said.Paul Lawrie was among the first to raise questions about the pick, saying on Twitter, Is Duncan Stewart the second highest-ranked Scot? The former British Open champion believes the two best players available should have represented Scotland. Then again, only Knox and Martin Laird have earned more ranking points than Stewart this year.Besides, the World Cup is as much about team as simply two players from the same country.Ever since I picked Duncan, hes only played awesome, Knox said. He was better than I was in college. Our paths have gone in slightly different directions. It could have easily been the other way around. If the roles were reversed, he would have picked me.Knox used a recruiting company to help find a college in the U.S., and while Jacksonville was not a golf powerhouse, the weather there was a wee bit better than in Inverness. His late coach, Mike Fleming, was looking to fill out Jacksonvilles roster and Knox mentioned his friend from home.Knox had a slightly better scoring average over their four years. Stewart won more tournaments and was the Atlantic Sun player of the year as a sophomore. Stewart made more birdies. Knox was more consistent. They even worked at the same country club in the cart barn to pocket spare cash for the mini-tours when they graduated.Thats when it changed.Knox has joint citizenship (his father is American) and had a stronger financial backing. Stewart said he would stay until he could no longer afford it, and the money ran out about the time the engine blew up in his $600 car. He headed home to Scotland where he could stay with his parents and pay less in entry fees to small tournaments.If he would have stayed, I know he would have made it to the tour, Knox said.Stewart took a hard road. He played the EuroPro Tour, one year missing his Challenge Tour card by 300 pounds. He tried to change his swing to get more distance and figures that cost him two years. He took whatever jobs he could find and stopped playing for eight months out of frustration.Knox, meanwhile, made his way onto the Web.com Tour as a Monday qualifier, won a tournament, graduated to the PGA Tour and steadily improved each year until he broke through in a big way by winning the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.It was fantastic to see on the one hand, Stewart said. And it motivated me on the other.Stewart worked harder than ever, and then decided to take out the bank loan to give himself a proper chance. He missed his Challenge Tour card by one spot on the money list but saw enough progress to keep going. He started this year with no status on the Challenge Tour and wound up with his European Tour card.If you had told me at the start of the year I would finish 10th on the Challenge Tour and play in the World Cup with Russell, I would have laughed, he said. Were both really excited. Aaron Rodgers Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Clay Matthews Youth Jersey . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. http://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Bart-Starr-Jersey/ . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Dave Robinson Womens Jersey . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Aaron Rodgers Packers Jersey . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. NEW ORLEANS -- Former Saints player Will Smith was accused of bringing about his own demise by the friend of Smiths accused killer, Cardell Hayes, during one of the most dramatic moments to date in Hayes murder trial.That friend, Kevin ONeal, testified for nearly four hours Thursday, stressing the point that Smith and others in his party were acting as the aggressors in an altercation that led up to Hayes shooting Smith eight times and Smiths wife, Racquel, being shot in the legs.ONeals statement came when he responded loudly to an assistant district attorney who was asking about Smith not being there anymore for Racquel and their children.Did her husband bring it by his own demise? ONeal said -- which elicited loud sobbing from the area of Racquel and other family and loved ones. Im just asking. He attacked this man (Hayes) from the beginning to the end of that situation. At no point in time did I ever see this man (Hayes) irate or aggressive with anyone out there. At no point in time, my Gods honest truth, did I ever see (Hayes) get angry.Hayes is claiming self-defense in the case, which has centered on whether Hayes felt in fear for his life when he opened fire on Smith and allegedly on Smiths wife. Other witnesses have testified that Smith and passenger Richard Hernandez were both acting aggressively during a shouting match with Hayes and ONeal and that they both had to be restrained by their wives.One witness stated that Hernandez was acting in a ridiculous fashion, with one eyewitness testifying Thursday that he shouted, Im gonna f---ing kill you, followed by a racial slur directed toward either ONeal or Hayes.However, the state has repeatedly stressed the points that Hayes was the only one armed with a loaded gun when everyone exited their vehicles after Hayes car crashed into Smiths car; that Smith was unarmed when he was shot; and that even if Hernandez was acting aggressively, no one seemed to be afraid of him, with multiple witnesses saying they found Hernandezs behavior almost comical.And homicide detective Bruce Brueggeman testified that the police never found any evidence that Smith was armed or said he was going to arm himself -- though Hayes defense team will try to show that Smith did.Another explosive moment that happened in court Thursday came when defense attorney John Fuller slammed down a legal pad and demanded a mistrial when the state asked ONeal about a recorded statement he had made criticizing Fuller as a sellout or a nobody who gets people off on technicalities even if theyre guilty. The judge denied Fullers request.Assistant District Attorney Laura Rodrigue began the day by focusing on multiple statements ONeal gave to both the media and a grand jury about how he felt as if he could handle the men trying to fight him and wasnt really in fear for his life until he heard the gunshots.The state referenced that ONeal said, How the f--- did it get from this to this? ONeal replied, however, that, Me having confidence in my ability to defend myself has nothing to do with the facts.And ONeal stressed that, Before anyone was shot, Mr. Hayes was under attack as well as myself. Point blank period.ONeal testified that five or six people were trying to restrain Smith at one point, including Saints running back Pierre Thomas -- thouggh no eyewitnesses have testified to seeing that other than ONeal.dddddddddddd And ONeal said he doesnt know where those five people went before the shooting, when only Racquel was trying to restrain Smith.Fuller drove home the point with ONeal, with two neutral eyewitnesses and with the homicide detective, Brueggeman, that Smith and Hernandez were the only ones who needed to be restrained by anyone during the altercation. Fuller also made the point that Hayes was not some stone-cold killer since he didnt shoot at anyone when they exited their vehicles or when people were charging at him or taking swings at him.Fuller suggested it was something Smith did that made Hayes act in fear of his life.Fuller said Smith had done some great things. But he asked ONeal, Was he acting like a great man that night? And ONeal said no.Then ONeal was asked if the two sides were reversed but the facts of the case stayed the same, would Smith be there on trial for murder. And ONeal replied, I doubt it.ONeal was one of many witnesses, however, who said he did not see or hear what happened between Smith and Hayes in the moment before the first shot was fired. ONeal said he didnt even know Hayes had a gun and didnt see him fire any shots, because ONeal was occupied trying to hold off Hernandez and Hernandezs brother-in-law Jonathan Whipple at the time.ONeal testified that he saw Smiths body slumped over the drivers seat after the shooting with his arm extended and the glove box open -- as if he might have been trying to retrieve a gun. But the state pointed out that ONeal said he retrieved his own gun after the shooting started -- and Smith might have been trying to do the exact same thing ONeal did.ONeal also testified that he and Hayes were following Smiths car at a normal rate of speed that night with the intent of getting Smiths license plate number after they felt as if Smith had bumped them from behind moments earlier, then drove off.ONeal said Hayes car accidentally crashed into Smiths car while they were trying to retrieve that license plate info and call 911. And ONeal testified that several members of Smiths party came rushing aggressively at them after the accident instead of calmly discussing what happened.The two neutral eyewitnesses that testified Thursday -- ?Justin Ross and Abby Levray -- agreed that Hernandez and Smith were acting more aggressively than Hayes and ONeal, with Hernandez definitely acting the most aggressive, though everyone was arguing. They both testified that Smiths and Hernandezs wives were trying to restrain them.Ross said Hernandez pushed his wife in the face to get her away. But Ross said Smith was not acting in the same manner toward his wife -- not at all. And in Ross viewpoint, Racquel had successfully restrained her husband and calmed him down before the shooting started.Ross testified that nothing he saw warranted Smiths being shot. And he said ONeal was the only one he heard mention a gun, saying something like, Back off, back down, I have a gun.Neither witness was looking at Smith and Hayes right before the shooting started, though, and neither could hear what was being said between Smith and Hayes. ' ' '