Force India have described their selection of Esteban Ocon to partner Sergio Perez in 2017 as a very close call. The French youngster is understood to have beaten off competition from fellow Mercedes graduate and Manor team-mate Pascal Wehrlein to take the seat made vacant by the Renault-bound Nico Hulkenberg.Felipe Nasr, whose candidature was bolstered by substantial financial backing, is also believed to have been in contention. Revealing that Force India owner Vijay Mallya had the final say in Ocons appointment, deputy team boss Bob Fernley told Sky Sports: It was a very close call but Esteban just came out on top - it was tough competition.Weve always had a very clear opinion of what we need from a driver point of view which is the best driver that Force India can afford. Whether that means a package or purely talent, thats Vijays final call. The bosses of Mercedes, Manor and Renault join Ocon to mark the youngsters birthday at Septembers Singapore GP The press release announcing Ocon had signed what was described as a multi-year deal included commentary from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, a reminder in itself that Mercedes are Force Indias engine providers and Ocon remains part of the Silvers Arrows driver development programme.According to Wolff, Ocons promotion amounted to a positive development for Formula 1 that talent wins over money but the Austrian then had the rather less celebratory task of informing Wehrlein he had been overlooked. Yesterday [Thursday] l received the call that Force India had decided to take him, Wehrlein told Sky Sports. I cant change that. I received the call from Toto that Force India had decided to take him. Its not the end of the world.Can Nico Rosberg clinch the title at Interlagos? Watch the Brazilian GP live on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday, the race begins at 4pm; Watch the whole race weekend with a NOW TV week pass - £10.99, no contract Also See: Ocon joins Force India for 2017 The Formula 1 Gossip column China Jerseys 2020 . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. China Jerseys Online .ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. https://www.chinajerseysreview.com/. Rajne Soderberg, the director of the Stockholm Diamond League event, said in an email Friday that the ban still holds. Euromeetings, the organization representing Europes top track events, "will continue to recommend that members do not invite athletes who we believe cause disrepute to our meetings and our sport. Stitched China Jerseys . As the only competitor to try two quads, much less complete them, Kovtun ended the day nearly nine points ahead of Japans Tatsuki Machida, who opened with a clean quad but then stepped out of the triple toe loop that was the second jump in his combination. China Jerseys Outlet . Louis Blues and back into top spot of the TSN.ca NHL Power Rankings. The Sharks had been ranked No.PINEHURST, N.C. – No one expected Phil Mickelson to win last years British Open championship. Its not the style of course or game that has favoured the lefthander. Yet win he did. By contrast, everyone is expecting Mickelson to win this week, in the championship he wants to win more than any other and has broken his heart six times. Golf fair? Golf understandable? Not when it involves Lefty. Here at Pinehurst, Mickelson will try one more time to not only break through and win the tournament he wants most, but also to join that exclusive club of career grand slam winners that has just five members. "Its a career goal of mine to win all four majors," Mickelson admitted. "I feel like the five players that have done that, have separated themselves from the other players throughout all time. It shows that they have a complete game. If Im able to do that, I feel that I would look upon my own career differently." It wasnt that long ago that Mickelson had no majors and everyone wondered if hed ever get his first. And certainly last year, very few were predicting hed win the Open Championship. Now hes on the edge of greatness, but that edge is a wide chasm he must get across. For the first time since 2003, Mickelson comes into the Open without a victory. Worse than that, he hasnt even managed a top-10 finish. Still, he remains relatively optimistic. "I feel as good about my game today as I have all year," he stated. "Its not saying a lot, because I havent played well all year, but last week was a good week for me. I started to slowly put it together." Last week was a tie for 11th spot at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, and a far cry from what he wants here. The weak link in his game this year has clearly been his putting. Hes ranked 103rd in Strokes Gained –Putting. A year ago, he finished the year in sixth. Things have gone so poorly on the greens that this week, Mickelson has decided to change things up after conferring with putting coach Dave Stockton. "The greens here are quick," Mickelson stated, "and so Im actually going to go back to the claw grip this week in an effort to have a little bit lighter grip pressure and create a softer roll so that I get some of the hit out of it. I was running them way by last week and by taking my bottom hand off the putter, it eliminates some that hit.dddddddddddd" Of course it wouldnt be a major if Phil wasnt taking some sort of risk. Two drivers. No drivers. Phrankenwood. Driver when he should hit three-wood. Sometimes the moves pay off, other times he slaps his head and scolds himself. And he waits for another year, another chance. After six silver medals, Mickelson says he tries not to look at what might be possible, what it would be like to raise the trophy he wants more than any other on Sunday evening. He knows the disappointment too well. But he is, after all, only human. "I try not to, because I dont want to get ahead of myself," he said. "But its only natural that its going to. Occasionally Ill catch myself, but I really try not to, because I really just want to focus on what I need to do to get ready for Thursday. If I can do that, hopefully Ill give myself a chance on the weekend. But when I jump ahead, that never really works out good, at least in the past . . . six times." This will be Mickelsons 24th attempt at winning the U.S. Open and he believes it may be his best. Of course he said something like that last year, too. And the year before. If nothing else, Phil is the eternal optimist. But this course might just prove him right. Pinehurst No. 2 is tailored to a game such as Phils – or at least Phils when hes on. He proved that back in 1999 although the last time around, in 2005, he was a non-factor in a tie for 33rd. "This place is awesome," he gushed. "It is just a wonderful site. This is the first -- well I really believe that this week is testing a players entire game. Because it forces you to make decisions, make good decisions, to choose the right club off the tee, hit solid iron shots into the green, and utilize your short game to save strokes. Theres no luck involved with the hack-it-out rough that sometimes we have around the greens. Its just a wonderful test that is, I think, the best test Ive seen to identify the best player." Whether Mickelson can be the best player this week is the question a lot of people are asking. Its also a question hes asking himself. And one hes hoping he can finally answer. ' ' '