Plauderecke » d of the day after starting on the back nine —

OTTAWA -- With the Sochi Winter Olympics fast approaching, overseers of Canadas elite athletes are hoping to avoid a post-podium national embarrassment. In an effort to catch cheaters, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport launched an anonymous snitch line Tuesday where athletes and others connected to sport can report allegations of doping. The announcement comes on the heels of last weeks revelations by Victoria cyclist Ryder Hesjedal, who admitted to doping more than a decade ago. Canadians want to be reassured that every effort is being made to prevent an embarrassing spectacle in Sochi, centre president and CEO Paul Melia told a news conference in Ottawa. Melia cited the bitter memory of the moment Jamaican-born sprinter Ben Johnson was stripped of his Olympic gold medal after being disqualified for doping at the 1988 Summer Games. "No one wants to see a Canadian athlete receive a medal on Friday only to see it taken away on Saturday," he said. "We lived that once. We dont want to live it again." To aid in the anti-doping effort, the federal government and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees are contributing a combined $1 million toward the fight against illegal performance enhancements. The money will help boost testing of athletes in the four months prior to the Sochi Olympics, say organizers. It will also strengthen the investigative capacity of Canadas anti-doping program, said Bal Gosal, Canadas minister of state for sport. The announcement also comes in advance of an international anti-doping conference being held next week in South Africa, where a new code of standards is expected to be adopted by sports organizations and government around the world. A "Report Doping Hotline" (1-800-710-CCES) has been set up to encourage anyone with knowledge of doping in amateur sport to come forward. Its just one more step toward more fairness in sports, says Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut, who acknowledged Tuesday that his committee has done little until now to address the problem. "Fairness, clean play and integrity need to become prerequisites in international Competition," he said. "Competing against the worlds best in an equitable manner is what sport is all about." Its the first time the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and the Canadian Olympic Committee have formally collaborated to tackle an issue. Aubut said only became concerned about high-profile doping cases when he saw media coverage about it while waiting for a plane back home after travelling to Sochi in advance of the Games. Thats when he came to the realization that Canada is vulnerable to a doping scandal of its own, said Aubut. "I read about this, and it shocked me," he said. Nick Ritchie Ducks Jersey . 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On the day after Billy Horschel posted his 12th straight round in the 60s, won his second straight tournament against a world-class field and picked up an additional $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion, Watson was kicking back in his seat at a Kansas City Royals game.SYDNEY - Rory McIlroys defence of his Australian Open title began with a 2-under 69 on a cool, overcast and often drizzly morning at The Australian Golf Club.McIlroy, winner of back-to-back majors this year at the British Open and U.S. PGA, began play on the back nine and made the turn at even-par after a birdie and a bogey. He birdied the first hole of his second nine, added another at the par-5 fifth, but made bogey on the seventh.He finished strongly, hitting his approach on the ninth to less than two feet and making an easy birdie. McIlroy was a stroke behind Australian Aron Price, who was the best of the morning groupings with a 68.It was a day that almost made him feel at home in McIlroy said.It was cold, windy and a little bit of rain here and there, explained the Northern Irishman. When I think of playing golf in Australia, its not the kind of day I expected.McIlroy said the wind was ttricky and predicted it could get tougher for the afternoon starters.dddddddddddd.The wind was up early on, then it died, then got up again, he said.McIlroy missed a 10-foot putt for birdie on the 12th hole — his third of the day after starting on the back nine — and fought to save par on the 13th after putting his approach through the green.He birdied the short par-5 14th after a bunker shot to three feet, but gave the shot back on the next hole after a poor shot out of the sand on the par-3 15th on the revamped Jack Nicklaus layout.Three birdies on the back nine, a nice one at the end, he said. Ill take anything in the 60s. I thought was a good score and puts me right there for tomorrow.Adam Scott, who finished second in last years tournament at Royal Sydney when McIlroy birdied the 18th hole of the final round, was in an afternoon group that included American Jordan Spieth. ' ' '