RIO DE JANEIRO -- British Open champion Henrik Stenson is close enough to think about adding an Olympic gold medal to his silver claret jug.It just required a long and wild route to get himself into contention on Friday.Marcus Fraser of Australia got off to a quick start, stretched his lead to four shots at one point and wound up with a 2-under 69 for the 36-hole lead in the first Olympic golf competition since 1904. He had a one-shot lead over Thomas Pieters of Belgium, a former NCAA champion who closed with three straight birdies.Still, it was the sight of Stenson on the leaderboard that was so hard to ignore.Only a month ago, the 40-year-old Swede won his first major and got his name on the claret jug at Royal Troon with the lowest score in major championship history. On Friday, he had a 68 to go into the weekend at Olympic Golf Course just two shots behind and in the final group.But this was hardly a masterpiece.In the wind and a hard rain, Stenson had to hit 4-wood to reach the green on the second hole and made a 60-foot birdie putt. He hit into the water on the next hole and still had a full 4-wood just to reach the front part of the green. Stenson made a par putt from 108 feet.Youre just standing there, praying for a two-putt bogey. Before I know it, it found the bottom of the cup, Stenson said. Thats the longest putt Ive made in my career. First of all, its hard to get a putt that long on any green in the world.He followed by duffing a tee shot and making bogey, and it was a relief to play what he called ordinary golf until another wild finish.Stenson had a three-putt bogey, followed by two birdies, and then a tee shot he missed so badly that it came up 30 yards short and into a bunker for a bogey on the par-3 17th. He finished his round with a delicate pitch from a drop area, but only after his caddie had to ask Brazilian fans in the bleachers around the 18th green to move 20 feet because their shadows were dancing around his golf ball.Three under is not a bad score out there, especially not with that first five or six holes in those conditions, Stenson said. All in all, happy with that. I didnt play as solid as I did yesterday, but were still in the race and still in good position halfway through the tournament.None of these players grew up dreaming about an Olympic medal because golf hasnt been part of the games in 112 years. For someone like Stenson, the highest-ranked player in the 60-man field, consider this getting through the preliminary heats in a traditional Olympic sport.Then again, not even he knows what to expect out of his game. No other Olympic sport has so many contenders.Its not like some of the other sports where if you jump a certain distance or swim at a certain time, you can pretty much figure out who is going to win and finish second and third, Stenson said earlier this week. Ours is a bit more down to the form for the week and on any given day.At the halfway point, Olympic golf was starting to take shape.Fraser was at 10-under 132 -- another day, another Olympic record. Of course, considering how long the sport has been absent, new marks get set every day. The Australian caught only a little of the nasty weather, and it didnt last long before the sun came out. Fraser built a four-shot lead until dropping two shots, including the reachable par-4 16th when it took two chips to reach the green.Playing with Stenson on Saturday could be intimidating, through Fraser saw it a different way.Any time you play with Stenson on the weekend, you know youre doing something right.Pieters made up a lot of ground in a hurry by driving just through the green on the 16th for a two-putt birdie from 75 feet, holing a 15-foot birdie on the 17th and then two-putting from just off the green on the par-5 18th.Justin Rose of Britain and Gregory Bourdy of France each shot 69 and were four shots behind.The Americans, the only country with four players, were still lingering. Matt Kuchar had a 70 and was seven shots behind, following by Bubba Watson (67) at 2-under 140 and Patrick Reed (69) nine shots back.Rickie Fowler was still near the bottom. Even with actor Matthew McConaughey following along, Fowler made three bogeys on the back nine and had to settle for a 71, leaving him 14 shots out of the lead. Barring a low round Saturday, he likely will leave Rio with plenty of selfies, just no medals. Air Max 90 Sale Outlet . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Nike Air Max 90 Cheap Sale . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. http://www.nikeairmax90outlet.com/ . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. Air Max 90 Cheap Online . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Cheap Nike Air Max 90 Free Shipping . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. SAN FRANCISCO -- Johnny Cueto intends to pitch in next weeks All-Star Game after not getting to play in his first appearance there two years ago.If Giants manager Bruce Bochy has any say in the matter, Cueto will start in the Midsummer Classic.Cueto pitched a five-hitter to become the NLs first 13-game winner, and San Francisco beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 on Wednesday night to move atop the major league standings.He has made an enormous case of starting that game, Bochy said following Cuetos fourth complete game this season. You look at his record, his numbers, what a great first half hes had. Its obvious were pulling for it to happen.With the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw on the disabled list and Jake Arrieta of the Cubs stumbling in recent weeks, the door is wide open for the Giants right-hander to become the second Giants pitcher in five years to start the All-Star Game, following Matt Cain in 2012.It would be big, Cueto said through an interpreter. It would mean a lot because it would be the first time that I would ever pitch in an All-Star Game. And I want to pitch.Cueto (13-1) allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk while going the distance for the fourth time this season. He also became the first Giants pitcher since John Burkett in 1993 to win 13 games before the All-Star break.The performance gave San Franciscos slumping bullpen a much-needed break.Whenever hes hitting spots, its tough, Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez said. Hes going to keep you off balance with all the different moves that he has. I like him because whenever you are trying to get big hes hard to hit.San Francisco (54-33) passed the Chicago Cubs (52-32) for the majors best record and has won five of seven. Buster Posey homered for the second time in three days, Brandon Belt doubled and tripled and Brandon Crawford drove in two runs for San Francisco.Posey struck out looking with a runner on third in the first inning beforee hitting his 11th home run of the season off Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa (5-7) in the sixth.ddddddddddddDe La Rosa allowed three runs over seven innings with five strikeouts and one walk. The Colorado lefty has lost two straight since his four-game winning streak.Grant Green walked and scored on Belts RBI triple in the first. Belt scored on Crawfords two-out single.Green also scored on a wild pitch in the eighth and Crawford added a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.Rookie sensation Trevor Story drove in Colorados lone run in the fourth on a fielders choice grounder with the bases loaded.CUETO AT THE PLATESan Franciscos starter wasnt as dominant at the plate as he was on the mound, but Cueto still managed to end an 0-for-26 slump when he singled off De La Rosa in the second inning.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: Bochy said he hopes to know by this weekend when OF Hunter Pence (right hamstring surgery) will begin a rehab assignment. Pence has been taking batting practice and running. Hes coming along great, right on pace, Bochy said. ... RHP Matt Cain (strained right hamstring) is scheduled to throw 65 pitches in a rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday. ... 3B Matt Duffy (strained right Achilles tendon) has been running on a treadmill. ... RHP Cory Gearrin was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder. ... RHP Albert Suarez was called up from Sacramento to take Gearrins place on the roster.UP NEXTRockies: Right-hander Chad Bettis (6-6) pitches Thursday in the opener of a four-game home series with Philadelphia. Bettis has a 6.58 ERA over his previous five starts.Giants: Jeff Samardzija (8-5) makes his third start against the Diamondbacks this season in Arizona on Friday. In his other two appearances combined the right-hander allowed five earned runs in 15 1/3 innings. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '