CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The new greens at Quail Hollow proved to be a good tonic for Angel Cabrera, who made seven birdies in his round of 6-under 66 to take a two-shot lead among the early starters Thursday at the Wells Fargo Championship. The club changed over to Bermuda greens as it prepares to host the 2017 PGA Championship. Cabrera hasnt had a lot go right this year, making only two cuts in nine starts on the PGA Tour. But something worked in the opening round. Not only was it his best score of the year, it was only his fourth round in the 60s. "It was a very good first round, and we have a lot to go," the Argentine said through a translator. Jonathan Byrd and Stewart Cink each had a 68 in relatively calm, humid conditions in the morning. The wind began to pick up in the afternoon when Phil Mickelson played. Rory McIlroy had six birdies and had to settle for a 69 when he failed to convert two good birdie chances late in his round. Even so, he took advantage of the par 5s, which he failed to do at Augusta National last month, and was pleased to see adjustments in his putting stroke pay off. Others at 69 included Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Martin Kaymer, who had a wild finish to his round. Kaymer played his final four holes in 2 under without making a birdie or a par. After a bogey on the par-3 sixth, he made eagle on the par-5 seventh, chipped in for eagle from just short of the green on the par-4 eighth and then closed with a birdie. "Two eagles in a row, pretty rare. I dont think Ive ever done that before," Kaymer said. "I missed a lot of short putts today as well, so therefor, 3-under par is OK. I stayed in the tournament. But overall, it would have been nice to get a couple more shots here and there because it was possible." Quail Hollow is three years away from hosting its first major. Cabrera is acting as if its already here. He seems to show up only at the biggest events. His only two victories in America were at the 2009 Masters and the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont. He also lost to Adam Scott in a playoff at Augusta National last year. On this day, it was simply a matter of giving himself chances and making a few putts. He holed a birdie putt from 18 feet on No. 3, and knocked in a 40-footer from just off the green at No. 11. Cabrera made five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn, ending at No. 12 with an approach into 5 feet. Then, it was a matter of hanging on. He made tough par saves on the 16th and 17th, and appeared to be in trouble well right of the 18th fairway, blocked by trees. But he carved out a beautiful shot that reached the front of the green, and he two-putted from long range for par and his 66. "I was lucky," Cabrera said. Vans Old Skool White . FIFA said the suspension was requested by ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia, making Beckenbauer the first person to be punished as a result of the case. Beckenbauer refused "repeated requests for his assistance, including requests that he provide information during an in-person interview or in response to written questions provided in both English and German," FIFA said in a statement. Vans Old Skool Cheap . Minutes before the final whistle of Sporting Kansas Citys 3-0 victory over a shorthanded Montreal Impact squad on Saturday afternoon, Saputo tweeted: "Our fans deserve better. http://www.vansshoesclearancesale.com/. "Opinion: Womens World Cup is the best Soccer of the year," Hanks tweeted to his 8.73 million followers on Friday. "Hey FIFA, they deserve real grass. Put in sod. Vans Sk8-Hi Shoes For Sale . We wonder if the price of a Roberts rookie card has at least gone up a few cents? Tribute Tweets #Padres Tony Gwynn had 287 career plate appearances against #Braves trio of Maddux, Glavine, & Smoltz, he hit . Vans Sk8 Hi Clearance . LOUIS -- Russell Martin wanted a better fate for his starting pitcher and helped deliver a happier ending. The U.S. national basketball team has added Rudy Gay, who helped them win a gold medal four years ago and asked to rejoin the team following a series of player withdrawals. USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo received a call Thursday night, shortly after Kevin Durant pulled out, and was told that Gay was available if he and coach Mike Krzyzewski were interested. "We both felt he would be a valuable addition because of his outstanding skills and the fact that he is so familiar with USA Basketball and our national team program," Colangelo said Friday in a statement. "Rudy has been an integral member of USA Basketball since 2005 and was a tremendous contributor to our 2010 world championship team. He has a lot of equity in the USA Basketball national team." Gay, the Sacramento Kings forward, appeared in all nine ggames for the Americans in the 2010 world championship, averaging 7.dddddddddddd0 points off the bench. He also was one of the last cuts made by the 2012 Olympic team. The U.S. roster is back at 16 players. The Americans resume practice Thursday in Chicago, with the World Cup of Basketball set to begin on Aug. 30 in Spain. They will have to cut to 12 before then. "I am extremely excited to once again be part of Team USA and its rich tradition," Gay said. "I cant wait to join my teammates in Chicago and work hard to make certain the USA takes home the gold in Spain." The 6-foot-8 Gay averaged 20 points last season for Toronto and Sacramento. He is a good fit for the Americans because he can swing between both forward spots, which would have been filled by Durant and Paul George, who broke his right leg last week. ' ' '