bogeys.Hanse did his part with a clever layout in which four of the par 4s are at least 479 yards, and

CARSON, Calif. -- It was an eventful year for the U.S. womens national team off the field, with Hope Solos suspension after the Rio Olympics, lawsuits over the expiring collective bargaining agreement and Megan Rapinoes protest during the national anthem dominating the headlines.But in their final match of the year, the Americans offered a summary of how things played out on the field in equal parts fulfillment and disappointment, with Crystal Dunn, Christen Press, Morgan Brian and Samantha Mewis scoring to help the U.S. beat Romania 5-0 on Sunday nightThe U.S. blistered Romania with 31 shots and did not allow a shot, but U.S. coach Jill Ellis was not happy with the teams wastefulness.I think we left a lot to be said, Ellis said.The same could be said of a year in which the Americans went 22-0-3 in regulation play, scoring 92 goals and conceding 10, but failed to defend their Olympic gold medal after losing to Sweden on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals. Still, the U.S. ended on a largely positive note.I think we all reacted well to it and 2017 is going to be an intense year, Dunn said.An own goal in the 20th minute opened the scoring for the U.S. when Dunns cross was chested into the net by Teodora Meluta. Dunn scored her 14th goal this year in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, sprinting past two defenders to take a pass from Press and put a shot between Roxana Opreas legs.Press made it 3-0 in the 55th minute, connecting with Tobin Heath on a give-and-go and scoring for the fourth consecutive game. Press had a hat trick Thursday night in San Jose in the Americans 8-1 victory over Romania.Brian scored on a penalty kick in the 88th minute and Samantha Mewis added a goal in the first minute of additional time.Rapinoe wasnt included on the U.S. roster for the second consecutive match.Ellis is planning to hold camps for the national team and the Under-23s in January, operating on the assumption that they will be conducted under the current contractual structure. But Ellis did not know the status of negotiations between players and U.S. Soccer.I dont get involved in that, Ellis said. Thats between them and lawyers and all that good stuff. Cheap Marlins Jerseys . LOUIS -- St. Wholesale Marlins Jerseys . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Miami Marlins Gear . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Miami Marlins Store . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Five Americans were together on the Olympic Golf Course, checking out everything from the three types of sand in the bunkers to which side of the fairway allowed for the best angle to the green during a practice round Tuesday.The group included Gil Hanse, who was not in a team uniform, didnt have clubs and wont be competing for a medal. And yet he still has plenty at stake.Hanse designed the golf course. And he had more than just the best players in mind when he created it.We needed to build a golf course for the competition, which we knew was how the golf course ultimately would be judged, Hanse said Tuesday. But we also had to help grow the game in Brazil, and it had to be playable for the public.The result was a 7,128-yard course tucked into 240 acres with no trees and no rough, with humps and hollows along the fairways that resembles a links course, and with native areas that make it seem as though it belongs in the famed sand belt region of Melbourne.Only in Rio are players warned about the capybara (a large rodent) and the caiman (a small crocodile) as part of the wildlife on the course, along with the corujas, an owl that burrows in bunkers and could lead to some rulings.So far, the reviews have been positive. Then again, scores dont count until Thursday.Its a fun golf course to play, said Rickie Fowler, who arrived in time for the opening ceremony and has been playing the course since Sunday. Gil did a good job taking nothing and turning it into a great golf course without having time to make any changes or adjustments. Theres a lot of fun characteristics.Hanse, however, is just as interested in what becomes of his course.The way he measures success does not end with the Olympics; thats just the starting point. Brazil has next to no golf heritage, and theres plenty of skepticism that two weeks of Olympic golf will change that.The course will be turned over to the Brazilian Golf Federation for at least 20 years to be a public course. The International Golf Federation is trying to stoke interest over the next two weeks by offering an area where fans can get swing tips and hit into nets, simulators with a closest-to-the-flagg and long drive competition, and a six-hole putting course.ddddddddddddWhat happens during the Olympics is going to be the engine for what happens after the Olympics in the success of this golf course, Hanse said. They are inexorably linked. If we have a great champion and a great competition, thats going to bode well. The long-term success of his golf course is probably more important.Theres a chance these players -- 60 men this week, 60 women next week -- might never see this golf course again unless the PGA Tour stages a big event in South America down the road and picks Rio. This is the only continent where the Presidents Cup has not been played. So it would help for golf to put on a good show.That starts with more birdies than bogeys.Hanse did his part with a clever layout in which four of the par 4s are at least 479 yards, and the other par 4s are no more than 412 yards, including the 16th hole that measures 303 yards and can be reached off the tee.Thats the start of a three-hole finish designed to inject some excitement into an Olympic sport that takes four days to find a winner. The par-3 17th is a wedge, and the par-5 18th can be reached in two by every player in the field.We want it to be an exciting course, Hanse said. You look at the last three holes, those guys can go eagle-birdie-eagle to finish. If we wanted it to be difficult and impose our will on the field, we would have done something different. From our standpoint, we want to see scoring.Hanse wants a good winner, too. Most golf architects do, believing the quality of the champion is a reflection on the golf course. More than anything, he wants a finish that will be remembered for years to come -- for the sake of the sports future in the Olympics and the future of his golf course.I think its a success if we get a great winner, Hanse said. Its a home run if we get one of those iconic Olympic moments. If we get that image, that people think five to 10 years from now about Rio 2016 and its a golfer ... if we get one of those moments, its a great thing. ' ' '