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TROON, Scotland -- Jason Day went through four pairs of gloves, trying desperately to stay dry in the pounding rain. At one hole, he accounted for the howling wind by aiming his shot toward the Irish Sea.Call it the luck of the draw at the British Open.For those who teed off Friday morning, the stormy weather hung off in the distance, giving them a chance to put up some low numbers before things turned nasty at Royal Troon. For those going off later in the day, well, there wasnt much to do except try to limit the damage.Youve got to understand that some people get lucky, some people get unlucky, said Day, the worlds top-ranked player and one of only four golfers to break par in the afternoon. Youve got to take what you get and roll with it and try to do the best job you can.One after another, those who endured the worst of it tried to describe what they had just been through, a dazed look in many of their eyes.Having barely made the cut, Jordan Spieth moaned about sheets of water moving sideways as he stood at the 16th tee. Rory McIlroy, one of the biggest hitters in the world, had a drive that went only 230 yards after getting caught up in the gusts. Day didnt even bother trying to reach the green in two shots at No. 15, the longest par 4 on the course.By the end of the day, the leaderboard revealed a striking divide.Paced by Phil Mickelson, the top 14 all had morning tee times. Of the 20 players who broke par in the second round, only four started in the afternoon -- Marc Leishman (69), Day (70), Byeong Hun An (70) and Patton Kizzire (70).It was ridiculous, said Justin Rose, who struggled to a 77 after shooting 68 the first day. You know when you see such a disparity between the draw and you see no name from this side of the draw popping up, its just frustrating.Rose managed to make it to the weekend with a couple of shots to spare. Spieth barely got through, finishing right on the cut line after a 75 left him 14 shots behind Mickelson, any hope of a third major title all but snuffed out for the 22-year-old Texan.Spieth was already looking ahead to the last major of the year, the PGA Championship in two weeks.I know my chances here are likely finished, he said.Steve Stricker ripped off 14 straight pars until the rain and wind caught up with the 49-year-old American.His tee shot at the 15th wound up in thick grass left of the fairway. He hit a provisional, but couldnt find that ball, either, at least not right away. Finally, just before he headed back to tee it up again, he found his second ball. But all he could do was hack it into the fairway. He wound up with the dreaded snowman -- a quadruple-bogey 8.You want to throw a pity party, said Stricker, who finished with a 75. But you know (about the weather) when you come over here.Henrik Stenson was among those who took advantage of fortuitous timing. He teed off at 9:14 a.m. and shot a 65, the best round of the day. That pushed the Swede within one shot of the lead.Stenson knew he caught a break when he looked out his window first thing in the morning.I timed it quite well, he said. You were expecting possibly a downpour when you pulled the curtains up in the morning, and it wasnt. You always felt like it was going to start at some point, but it was nice to ... have a couple of birdies before it started to rain.The forecast Saturday looked fairly dry until the evening, but winds expected to whip up to 20 mph figure to make things challenging again.McIlroy, who complained about links golf after playing in story weather at Royal St. Georges five years ago, has come to grips with the capriciousness of the British Open.Some draws go your way and some draws dont, he said, remembering how fortuitous he was during his victory at Hoylake in 2014. I got the good end of the draw and good things happened that week. Then this year, its not so much. But I just said out there, `Im not going to let being on the wrong side ruin my mood or ruin my week.During the worst of the weather, McIlroy dropped four shots in a five-hole stretch. He still managed to shoot 71, leaving him eight shots back but still feeling like hes got a shot at reclaiming the claret jug.Ive played very well and that gives me optimism going into the weekend, he said.It would help even more to get the luck of the draw.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . Brooks Robinson Jersey Large . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Eddie Murray Jersey Large . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. http://www.customoriolesjersey.com/ . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Cheap Orioles Jerseys . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Custom Roberto Alomar Jersey . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Since it debuted in 2005, The Ultimate Fighter has allowed dozens of mixed martial artists to realize their dreams. The reality show launched the careers of future UFC champions Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping and T.J. Dillashaw.In May, the UFC announced a new format for its latest season: The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions, or TUF 24, invited flyweight champions from promotions around the world to enter a 16-man tournament. The winner would get a shot at UFC pound-for-pound king Demetrious Johnson (24-2) and his belt.Johnsons title defense, his ninth, headlines the TUF 24 Finale on Saturday in Las Vegas. Former flyweight title challengers Joseph Benavidez (24-4) and Henry Cejudo (10-1), coaches of respective teams, serve as the co-main event.The season hasnt been characterized by initial opportunities for the TUF 24 class as in years past, but by the second chances it has provided. Tim Elliott (13-6), drafted first overall, was one of two former UFC fighters in the field and made the most of this unique moment in his career.I saw the opportunity and felt like it was maybe my last chance to get back in the UFC, so I jumped on it, said Elliott, ranked the No. 3 overall seed.After a three-year stint in the UFC, Elliott was cut in the summer of 2015. Losses to title challengers Benavidez, Ali Bagautinov and John Dodson dotted a 2-4 record with the promotion. Seven weeks after his release, Elliott debuted with Titan FC and won its flyweight belt from Iliard Santos (30-11-1, 1 NC), another UFC vet. He made two successful title defenses before joining the Ultimate Fighter cast.When I got signed to the UFC, I wasnt ready, Elliott said. I was green. I was just getting started. I was hired by the UFC and fired by the UFC before I ever even had any punching technique.After a pair of first-round submission wins to start the TUF tournament, Elliott reached the semifinals. There he beat dark horse Eric Shelton by majority decision, a fight that aired Nov. 23, to earn a berth in the championship. Hell face No. 5 seed Hiromasa Ogikubo (15-3), Shootos bantamweight champion (that promotions 125-pound weight class), for the right to take on Mighty Mouse. The title eliminator between Elliott and Hiro, which took place in August, airs for the first time Wednesday night on FS1.I think my competition in Titan was as good as a lot of my competition in the UFC, Elliott said. I think any of those guys couldve been on the show and couldve won some fights.I expected everybody in the house to be top-notch, and a lot of the guys really were.There may not be a title opportunity on the line, but Brandon Morenos fight on Saturday represents his dedication and passion to the craft. Moreno will make his second UFC appearance, this time on a full camp, opposite Ryan Benoit (9-4) on the undercard of Saturdays TUF 24 Finale.Moreno (12-3) had never experienced the Octagon before his invitation to join the TUF season. The WWorld Fighting Federation flyweight champ was seeded dead last in the field at No.dddddddddddd 16. That meant he had to face No. 1-ranked Alexandre Pantoja (16-2) of Brazil in the opening round. Moreno lost via rear-naked choke in the second round.I felt horrible when I lost that fight. My heart was broken, Moreno said. In the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter, I lost my chance. It was horrible for me. But I continued training, continued to learn with Benavidez and the other coaches: Danny Castillo, Robert Drysdale, Juan Archuleta. I continued with my experience on the show. I learned a lot.The 22-year-old demonstrated flashes of potential, both in the loss to Pantoja and in those subsequent training sessions, but he was asked to fill in on eight days notice to debut Oct. 1 opposite heralded prospect Louis Smolka (11-2). The widely held assumption was Smolka would roll through a comparatively inexperienced Moreno en route to padding his own title-contention résumé, but Moreno showed no signs of stage fright, tapping the 6-to-1 favorite in the first round with a guillotine choke.When I won the fight ... I dont have words for that moment, said Moreno, who has nine submission wins. I feel really, really comfortable with chokes, with my guillotine, especially.I actually put on my Twitter account that I put $500 on him, Elliott added. If my wife wouldve let me, I wouldve bet $10,000. I knew Brandon was going to win that fight. Brandon was one of the best guys in the house. ... I told my father as soon as I got home from the show, This guy is liable to be UFC champion someday.The upset not only secured Moreno another bout in the promotion but vaulted The Assassin Baby to No. 12 in the UFC flyweight rankings.I know my next fight will be [a] really, really hard challenge, Moreno said.Selection to any TUF season speaks to a fighters potential. Nonetheless, longevity at mixed martial arts highest level is determined by how that platform is utilized. Subjective factors like marketability may affect title shots or getting your headshot on a promotional poster, but MMA is a meritocracy at its core. With very few exceptions, wins mean stability.To this point -- Elliott in exhibitions and Moreno in an official fight -- these two contestants have capitalized. Fighters in their position understand the hunger of regaining an opportunity lost. Redemption, it seems, motivates more than mere possibility.Ive gone to different countries, different places to learn more, Moreno said. This opportunity is unique in the world. Ill take the opportunity.Elliott agrees.I had success in the UFC in the sense that I came in and I made fights close, he said I just didnt have the technique to really do damage. Ive had those big fights. Ive faced adversity. I went through the TUF house, and I feel like Im ready now. ' ' '