SAN DIEGO -- The best score belonged to Stewart Cink. Wholesale Air Jordan . The best round belonged to Pat Perez. Tiger Woods didnt come close to claiming either Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open, where the seven-time champion failed to break par in the opening round for first time in his career. Cink ran off three straight birdies late in his round on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines for an 8-under 64. That gave him a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland, who also was on the North, which is more than 600 yards shorter. Perez was on the South Course, host of the 2008 U.S. Open and with greens so firm this year that it felt like a major. Perez had a 67, the best score on the South by two shots, and even more astounding is that he played bogey-free. The South played nearly four shots harder than the North. Woods, making his 2014 debut, failed to birdie any of the par 5s and had to settle for a 72. "Even par is not too bad, but I didnt play the par 5s worth a darn today," Woods said. "Obviously, thats (tantamount) to try to get any kind of scoring on the South Course. Youve got to take care of the par 5s because theres not a lot of holes you can make birdie here. Subsequently, I didnt finish under par." Even at eight shots behind, he wasnt worried about a chance to win at Torrey for the ninth time -- including a U.S. Open. The courses are so different than its difficult to gauge where anyone stands until everyone has had a crack at both courses. The weekend rounds are on the South. "Im going to have to go out there and get it a little bit tomorrow to not be so far behind come Saturday or Sunday," Woods said. Cink did what he was supposed to do. The rough is up on the North, too, so it was important to get the ball in play. He did that, allowing him to take on some pins. "You want to really take advantage of the North Course because it will yield to you a little bit, and the South Course will not," Cink said. "I did a great job of going out there, just playing shot-by-shot, not really getting too caught up in, I have to birdie these holes. As a consequence, I actually made a few birdies and it felt great." Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, felt awful. He was coping with a back locked up on him, unusual for Mickelson because he doesnt have a history of back pain. It got so bad at one point that Mickelson thought about withdrawing from his hometown event, especially after his 4-iron on the par-5 18th at the North Course nearly went out-of-bounds. Mickelson used his short game to make birdie, and then made another birdie on the next hole and he scratched out a 69. "Never thought about not starting, but around the turn I thought about maybe taking this week off and seeing if I could get a little bit better," he said. "I kind of fought through the back nine and gave myself a chance." He described it as a muscular problem and was hopeful treatment would help. Mickelson swung easy on the North. Players have to swing for the fences on the 7,698-yard South Course, where the average score Thursday 74.45. Not many would have predicted a 67 on the South, though Woods wasnt surprised when he heard who did it. "Why? He grew up here," Woods said. "This was his home course. Hes playing it more times than any tour pro certainly." Perez has such a history at Torrey that his father, Tony, continues to announce the players on the first tee at the South Course. And heres even better history -- Perez won a Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines, by beating some Orange County kid named Tiger Woods. "Best day of my life," Perez said. "Ive known him forever. Hes always been great to me. He gives me advice here and there, but to beat him that year was fantastic. ... Ive got to hold onto that, so thats about all that I got over him. But it hurts him. Ill you tell, it hurts him." Perez was joking. He is full of bluster and always fun, a favourite among the players. Thats what made Thursday so enjoyable. The weather was close to perfect, with hang gliders filling the sky left of the fourth fairway on the South. Perez had no bogeys on his card, and he cant remember if that ever happened since the South was stretched out to prepare for the U.S. Open. It was only one round, but it was a great for Perez -- and for Cink, who hasnt won since his British Open title at Turnberry in 2009. The test for Cink is Friday on the South, especially considering that only three players broke 70 on the South -- Perez, Charley Hoffman (another San Diego native) and rookie Kevin Tway, whose father (former PGA champion Bob Tway) won this event in 1986. Ottawas Brad Fritsch opened with a 3-under 69. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., carded a 70. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot an even par 72. Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C, who qualified on Monday, signed for a 4-over 76. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., was another shot back. DIVOTS: Jordan Spieth, who missed the cut at Torrey Pines last year as a 19-year-old making his pro debut, played with Woods and Jimmy Walker and shot 71. ... Fifty of the 62 rounds under par were on the North Course. ... The worst score on the North Course was a 77 by Brandt Snedeker and Derek Ernst. Cheap Jordan From China . None of them was better than playing with LeBron James again. Wholesale Air Jordan From China . -- Phil Mickelson will be watching the final two rounds of the Masters from home for the first time in 17 years. http://www.wholesaleairjordanfromchina.com/ . Jesus Navas bookended yet another huge home win for City by scoring after 14 seconds and again in second-half stoppage time, with Sergio Aguero also netting in each half to add to an own goal by Sandro and a brilliant strike by Alvaro Negredo.Bruins forward Shawn Thornton will be appealing his 15-game suspension handed down by the National Hockey League. The NHL suspended Thornton for his attack on Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik. After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. Orpik suffered a concussion and was taken to hospital. The Appeal Process As a first step, Thornton will appeal the suspension to Commissioner Gary Bettman. He hears all appeals on league discipline. Since the suspension exceeds five games, Bettman is required to have an in-person hearing for Thornton. Since Thornton was at the NHL office last week for his disciplinary hearing, he should know his way around by now. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) provides that "the Commissioner shall endeavor to hear all appeals on an expedited basis and will determine whether the decision" is supported by clear and convincing evidence. So Bettman will get this done quickly and will assess whether the suspension makes sense based on the circumstances. Thornton should expect to fail on appeal to Bettman. The suspension was handed down by the Director of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan. However, given the complex legal implications of this case, particularly in light of the concussion lawsuits, the suspension was very likely a group effort. So the suspension wasnt a Shanahan decision as much as it was a league decision issued through Shanahan. As a result, its unlikely Bettman will reduce the suspension. Frankly, reductions by Bettman are unlikely in most circumstances. He runs the league so he wont contradict himself. Indeed, the NHLPA has probably told Thornton the prospects of success are bleak. And this brings us to the next stage in the appeal process. Appeal Number 2 It doesnt end with Bettman. Since the suspension exceeds five games, the CBA gives Thornton the right to appeal Bettmans decision to an independent arbitrator. This wasnt around in the old CBA and is brand new, thanks to the NHLPAs negotiations during the lockout. Thornton will have seven days to appeal Bettmans decision to the arbitrator (who is described as a "Neutral Discipline Arbitrator" in the CBA). There will once again be an in-person hearing, and while the CBA doesnt say when it must occur, the arbitrator needss to hear it on an "expedited basis".dddddddddddd. So again, relatively quickly. The arbitrator will consider the length of the suspension and whether its appropriate. That determination will be made by examining things like the incident, the leagues past practice, the evidence and the surrounding circumstances. The arbitrator has broad powers. The CBA gives the arbitrator "full remedial authority", which means he can reduce the suspension, leave it as is, or even increase it. Its unlikely, though, the suspension would ever be increased. If Thornton is unhappy with the decision of the arbitrator, his only recourse would be to challenge the ruling in court. However, a judge will not interfere with the arbitrators decision unless its completely outrageous. Effectively, then, you should consider the arbitrators decision final. To be clear, Thornton doesnt have to appeal Bettmans ruling to the arbitrator. If he wants, after the Commissioner rules on his case, he can decide to stop the appeal process and serve out what is left of his suspension. As I wrote here, Thorntons prospects of success on appeal are low, given the NHLs past practice when it comes to these types of incidents. As well, the NHL may be able to make a compelling case that this type of suspension represents an important deterrent for on-ice behaviour that puts players at risk for concussions and the irreversible brain damage that may flow from head shots. However, merits aside, I also noted that we could still see an appeal. Since independent arbitrators are new, the NHLPA may want to start building precedents to help guide them in future cases. As well, the NHLPA needs to show that it wont roll over when it comes to defending its players and that it is prepared to dig in and fight. So while this case does not present a high likelihood of success for Thornton, the NHLPA sees value in taking a stand. And as it should. As for Brooks Orpik, he may not be too happy with the NHLPA defending his attacker. Still, the NHLPA may draw the fine distinction that the appeal is not adverse to Orpik, but rather adverse to the NHL and its decision. So the Union isnt technically acting against one of its own, but instead acting on behalf of one of its own. That is a distinction that may not sit well with Orpik. However, thats the nature of the NHLPA beast. ' ' '