PITTSBURGH -- Fred Couples roared through his first 11 holes in the second round of the Senior Players Championship on Friday, ripping off seven birdies at water-logged Fox Chapel to take the lead. Then the weather managed to do what the defenceless course could not, stopping the Hall of Famer with a sudden downpour that suspended play for the day with most of the field still on the course. The stoppage came just after Couples hit his tee shot on the par-3 third. The sky cleared in about an hour, but with fairways and bunkers resembling ponds and the threat of more storms looming, officials decided to send players home rather than wait out a lengthy delay to squeeze in a few more holes. Couples understood the decision but allowed he was in the middle of something special when play was stopped. "Rounds like this dont happen very often," Couples said. Instead Couples was left to mull the 60-foot birdie putt that awaits when he and the 65 other players whose rounds were interrupted return to the course at 8 a.m. Saturday. "I was hitting the ball well," Couples said. "But you can look at the bright side tomorrow and hope to get it going again." He was 11 under. First-round leader John Huston was two shots back at 9 under after making an eagle from the rough on the par-4 15th hole just before the horn sounded. It was Hustons second eagle in two days on a par 4. He eagled No. 7 on Thursday when he drove the green and made a 25-footer. This one was a bit more unexpected after Huston pushed his tee shot to the right and it sailed into thick rough that bore more than a passing resemblance to soggy cabbage. His sand wedge from 100 yards caught the ball clean and it dropped into the hole on the fly, no roll required. "It was pretty shocking because it flew in the hole and stayed there," Huston said. Couples stressed he wont be getting ahead of himself as he searches for his second win at Senior Players, one of the Champions Tour five majors. He led at the halfway point on the same course last year, shooting a second-round 63 only to slip on the weekend and finish fourth behind winner Joe Daley. With the forecast calling for more rain over the weekend, Couples knows the rolling course a few miles north of downtown Pittsburgh wont be able to put up much of a fight. It certainly didnt Friday thanks to a steady stream of showers that have turned what is supposed to be one of the better tests on the tour into target practice. Officials allowed players to lift, clean and place their golf balls and, with the greens welcoming shots of all shapes, low scores were plentiful. Over half the field was even par or better for the day when the thunderstorm arrived. Though the conditions favoured longer hitters like Couples and Huston, the accommodating greens allowed short-hitting Jeff Hart to rise into contention. The 53-year-old shot a season-best 5-under 65 and was the leader in the clubhouse at 7 under. Not bad for a player who was hitting fairway woods and long irons onto some of the lengthier par 4s. He hit a 3-wood to 5 feet on the 475-yard eighth hole and made the putt, then knocked a 4-iron within a foot on the 422-yard 16th. Hart hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. The 53-year-old grinder has never finished in the top 10 in a Champions Tour event but is coming off a solid 15th-place finish at the Encompass Championship last week. He pointed to a change in mindset to the uptick in his play. "Im finally learning to try less and less," he said. "I think thats the key for me. I think were all conditioned to try harder and in all sports youre told to get in there, try harder and certainly golf is no different. But Im just kind of letting it go right now and thats the key." Duffy Waldorf was also 7 under with four holes remaining in his second round. Fred Funk, Mike Goodes and Michael Allen were 6 under, with points leader David Frost and Russ Cochran one shot back at 5 under. Colin Montgomerie, making his Champions Tour debut, moved into a tie for 10th with Corey Pavin and Mark Calcavecchia at 4 under after rolling in birdies on his first five holes. Saucony Cruel World 2 . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. Saucony Jazz Original Clearance . 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. http://www.grid9000sale.com/saucony-shadow-5000-singapore.html . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Saucony Womens Shoes Clearance ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Saucony Grid 9000 Premium Blue .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.Earlier in the season, I thought there was no way the Blue Jays would or should trade Jose Bautista in the off-season. After all, hes an established slugger, a face of the franchise and though he may have slipped a bit in this department, is still a team leader. I may have to take a mulligan now on that line of thinking. I took a look at nine of the most prominent Blue Jays outfielders and how their careers diminished with age, and the stats were pretty sobering. Six of the nine were finished with baseball at 34 years of age or younger, one is still playing at 34 as a shadow of what he once was, and the other two stuck around until they were 38 years old. Well get to those players in a moment, but first Bautista. Jose is going to be 33 years old in October. This season and last, hes had to shut it down due to injuries and has missed September in 2012 and 2013. While his power numbers are still more than respectable, theyre nowhere close to the 54 he smacked in his club record-setting season. "Joey Bats" still has a very team-friendly contract, paying him $14 million for each of the next two seasons with a club option of $14 million for 2016. That would also make him attractive to other teams. This week, Argos CEO Chris Rudge confirmed on TSN Drive with Dave Naylor that the "Double Blue" basically had a new five-year lease agreement in place with Rogers Centre. That effectively means there will be no installation of natural grass over the duration of that agreement. Continuing to play on artificial turf isnt going to help Bautista either, considering the career longevity of some of the best outfielders ever to play for the Jays. Through the 80s the Blue Jays sported the "Million Dollar Outfield" of George Bell, Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield. Bell finished his career in 1993 with the Chicago White Sox; a wonky knee effectively forcing him out of the game. Moseby played his last major league game with Detroit and was done at 31, while Barfield - he of the "Golden Arm" and power bat - was finished at 32. It doesnt end there. Dial ahead two generations of Blue Jays outfielders after the World Series glory years. Shawn Green, who starred with the Blue Jays, was dealt to the Dodgers and bounced around to a couple of more clubs before seeing his career end at 34. Jose Crruz Jr.dddddddddddd run in the majors also ended at 34, as did that of speedy left fielder Shannon Stewart. Do you see a trend here? Vernon Wells is still playing in basically a platoon role now with the Yankees at 34. However, hes not anywhere near the player he was in his Blue Jays prime. There are two exceptions as far as long-time Blue Jays are concerned. Joe Carter left the Blue Jays after the 97 season at age 37, signing with Baltimore as a free agent. 1997 was his last 100 RBI season. He played one more season split between the Os and the Giants, batting a combined .260 with 18 homers and 63 runs batted in. The other who stretched his career out to 38 was speed flyhawk Devon White. He parted company with the Jays after the 95 season at age 32. He went to Florida and won a World Series with the Marlins in 1997 - his second year with the club - then moved around from Arizona to the L.A Dodgers and finally Milwaukee where he played his final season at 38 and batted .277 with 14 homers, 47 RBIs and stole 18 bases. Im not saying Jose Bautista cant bounce back but based on this unscientific study, the odds are better that his numbers will remain static or diminish further and he will continue to have physical issues. The Blue Jays need to upgrade their starting pitching. Bautista still has enough sock and caché to bring back a decent return. The old cliché in sports is that its better to trade a player a year too soon rather than a year too late. Regrettably, I think Jose Bautistas time has come. During his brief stint in Toronto, Eric Thames was one of my favourites. He was an engaging personality who seemed to have a lot of skills. He had his ups and down defensively in left field, but I always thought he was going to make it. On Thursday of this week, he was claimed on waivers by Houston from Baltimore. So in just over a year, Thames has been part of four organizations - the Blue Jays, Seattle (Steve Delabar trade), Baltimore and now the Astros. Heres hoping he finds a home in Houston. An unusual waiver pick-up the same day was Washington claiming long-time minor league slugger Mauro Gomez from the Blue Jays. Gomez had a solid year at Buffalo but seems more likely to wind up with the Nationals Syracuse farm club next year than with the big club. Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '