OAKVILLE, Ont. -- National opens always put pressure on the home-grown players, but the expectations are particularly high this week at Glen Abbey Golf Club. There are 18 Canadians in the field for the 2013 RBC Canadian Open -- one of the largest home-country turnouts in the modern history of the tournament -- and theyre all looking to end a 59-year drought. No Canadian has won the event since Pat Fletcher of Vancouver in 1954. If anyone can understand the high expectations its former Masters champion Mike Weir. "There is that added feel and pressure, no question," Brights Grove, Ont., native said Wednesday. "It can be a good thing though to get the crowd behind you," he added. "Get some momentum going, and you can feed off the crowd." Weir is joined by fellow Ontarians David Hearn from Brantford, Mackenzie Hughes from Dundas, Torontos Albin Choi, Ottawas Brad Fritsch, Peter Laws from Milton, Brian Hadley from Sarnia and amateur Corey Conners of Listowel. British Columbia is also well represented at Glen Abbey with Abbotsfords Adam Hadwin, Victorias Kevin Carrigan, Merritts Roger Sloan, Comoxs Riley Wheeldon, as well as North Vancouvers Bryn Parry and Eugene Wong and amateur Adam Svensson from Surrey in the field. Calgarys Stephen Ames, Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., will also tee off Thursday on the 7,253-yard, par-72 course. The added burden on the 18 Canadians has not gone unnoticed by others in the 156-player field. Hunter Mahan, from Dallas, feels that Canadians are under more pressure to win the Canadian Open than Americans are to win the U.S. Open, one of golfs major tournaments. "I dont feel like there is a pride factor (in the U.S.) like there is in Canada . . . I mean, being an American, you want to win the U.S. Open. Its obviously a great tournament -- but I dont think there is that same connection between the Canadian Open and Canada," said Mahan. "You know, when you have a drought that long, I think you have to start really wanting it and start hoping. It becomes a focus of everyone this week, so I think they have a great chance." Englands Luke Donald compared the experience to playing in another major: the British Open, where he missed the cut last week. "The one tournament I would love to win the most would be the Open Championship, the British Open," said Donald. "Growing up there, having watched it, watched some of my idols throughout the years, (Nick) Faldo, and Seve (Ballesteros) win that great tournament, Id dearly love to hold the Claret Jug one of these days, not just because its a major, but because it is your home event in a way. "I think there is a little bit more pressure that comes with that. The expectation and almost the pressure you put on yourself wanting to win it. Youre thinking too much results oriented instead of just going through the process of playing each hole as it comes." Added Donald: "I think sometimes it can make it more difficult when it is your national open, but its also fun. Its great to enjoy the home support, the crowd, the family support, all that goes along with that makes the event special." Mahan compared the pressure of playing in your home country to that of being one of the biggest names in golf. "I guess you would feel like Tiger (Woods) every single week when you have so many people following you and critiquing every single shot you have," said Mahan, laughing. "But its probably different because I think you can see the support that all the Canadians get when theyre here is great." "I remember playing on the Canadian Tour and this is pretty much the lone PGA Tour event I would play," said Weir. "Its a big purse, and youre used to playing for this amount of money and all of a sudden I make the cut, I can really make some headway, so youre thinking about all those kind of things when youre a young man out here." That focus on money is something that frustrates Northern Irelands Graeme McDowell, who believes that national opens are prestigious events that should be held with higher regard. "We play for so much money around the world, events kind of lose their identity and their prestige," said McDowell. The purse for the Canadian Open is US$5.6 million with the winner taking home a cool million. Scott Piercy was the big winner last year. National opens have been good to McDowell though, so he could be walking away with some cash Sunday. "I won the Scottish Open, the Welsh Open, the Italian Open, the U.S. Open, the Korean Open, the French Open a few weeks ago," he said. "National championships are very, very special and we should never forget the prestige . . . and history and tradition, names on a trophy. Its great to come to a tournament like this one which has such a strong sense of identity. Itd be a great one to add your name to." South Africas Ernie Els believes national opens produce some of the best storylines in golf. "Youll see this week, one of the Canadian guys maybe the mainstream media hasnt heard from will probably play well and hell probably be right there until Sunday," said Els. "Those are the nice stories that normally come out of these national opens events that we play around the world and all of them are like that. "You play the Italian Open or the Scottish, some kind of nice story comes out of it." Air Max 97 Factory Outlet . Sulaiman, 44, was chosen unanimously Tuesday in a vote by the leadership, the World Boxing Council said. Sulaiman becomes the sixth president of the organization. China Wholesale Nike Air Max 90 . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-max-90-shoes.html . 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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- With Maryland playing shaky and facing a possible first loss, freshmen Destiny Slocum and Kaila Charles steadied matters with poised contributions that got the fifth-ranked Terrapins past Louisville.Charles scored the go-ahead basket with 2:20 remaining, and Slocum followed with seven points to help Maryland beat Louisville 78-72 on Thursday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.The Terrapins (7-0) seemed in control with a 62-53 lead entering the fourth quarter before Louisville rallied to lead twice, including 67-65 with 3:15 left. Charles followed Brionna Jones game-tying layup with another before Slocums three-point play provided a 72-67 edge that she added to with four more free throws in finishing with 13 points. Charles scored all eight points after halftime.You know, its just playing basketball, said Slocum, who made six of her final seven free throws after missing her first two. I mean, Ive been in this moment before. I have two veteran players on our team that really led us. We knew what to do because they told us what to do. ... And in that moment we needed to lock in, play defense, have good offense, and I think thats what we did.Indeed, those newcomers followed good examples set by Marylands upperclassmen.Senior guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (26 points) made two free throws with 4 seconds left to seal Marylands victory in the first regular-season meeting between the schools. Jones, another senior, added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Terps, who made 23 of 28 from the foul line.I thought our vets, Shatori and Bri, really led us in the first half so we could settle in and see all these new players from game to game, Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. Kaila Charles took until about the third quarter to be able to step up. Kristen Confroy (six points) gave us great minutes, her boards. ... Youre going to see that with our depth all season where different players (are) ready when their number is called.Asia Durr scored 20 points and Myisha Hines-Allen 16 for Louisville (6-2), which lost its second game in five days against a Top 5 team. They also fell for the third time in four games against Maryland.The sad thing about it is we came up with like six stops, seven stops in a row, starting the fourth quarter, said Louisville coach Jeff Walz, a former Maryland aassistant.dddddddddddd But then when it becomes crunch time, you take a two-point lead and God forbid, thats when you have to get one. And we just refuse. Its our upperclassmen, unfortunately.THE BIG PICTUREMaryland: The Terrapins shot at least 50 percent in the first three quarters before cooling off to 31 percent in the fourth and allowing Louisville to rally. They still finished at 48 percent. Walker-Kimbrough and Brionna Jones combined for 10 unanswered points during a game-changing run in the second quarter and led by as many as 10 twice in the second half. The Terps offset 18 turnovers by owning the boards 48-35 and keeping their main players in the game despite foul trouble.Louisville: The Cardinals stayed close by forcing 10 Maryland turnovers in the first half, but fouls were a concern with four having at least two at the break. Mariya Moore eventually fouled out after scoring 13 points. The Cardinals shot 39 percent overall and just 36 percent in the final quarter. Their lone bright spots were a 44-32 edge in the paint and 20 points off turnovers.POLL IMPLICATIONSMaryland figures to stay near the top five, while Louisville could take a tumble out of the top 10. The Cardinals still have to face No. 17 Kentucky on Sunday.MORE TO SAYWalzs postgame comments about his players resolve evolved into a rant in which he blasted what he considers an entitled culture.Right now, the generation of kids that are coming through, everybody gets a damn trophy, OK? Walz said. You finish last? You come home with a trophy. You kidding me? Whats that teaching kids? ... Its OK to lose. And, unfortunately, its our society. Its what were building. And its not just in basketball; its in life.Everybody thinks they should get a job. Everybody thinks they should get a good job. Thats not the way it works. But unfortunately, thats what we are preparing for.UP NEXTMaryland: Returns home from its four-game road swing for an intrastate meeting against UMBC on Sunday.Louisville: The Cardinals challenging stretch continues Sunday at home against in-state rival and No. 17 Kentucky, which has won the last five in the series.---More AP College Basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '