PGA Championship Second Round News & Notes
Golf Betting Lines
08/08/2008 - Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When most comprise a list of "fluke" major winners in recent history, inevitably the same names always appear.
Todd Hamilton, Shaun Micheel and Rich Beem might make that list.
Unfortunately, 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis might as well.
"I know I can win another one. It's just a matter of taking care of the opportunities that I'm given," said Curtis, after a three-under 67 on Friday. "Because if you sit here and think about winning another major, I'll be thinking about it for the rest of my life."
Curtis is in great shape for another major title. His 67, which tied for lowest round of the PGA Championship, put him in a tie for second place, just one out of the lead.
"I think the big thing is I only hit seven fairways, but it seemed like a lot more than that because if I did miss the fairway, I was in the first cut or in the bunker on four, where it was a fairly easy shot," said Curtis. "So I think that was the key."
Back to Curtis' "fluke" win at Royal St. George's. He topped Thomas Bjorn and Vijay Singh by a stroke, and even though Bjorn could not get out of a bunker on Sunday afternoon, Curtis posted a two-under 69 in the final round. Only three players shot better rounds on that final round.
Fast-forward three years and Curtis collected two more PGA Tour wins. He couldn't defend either title the next year since both the Booz Allen Classic and 84 Lumber Classic left the tour's schedule.
"I think I've proven that I can play out here," said Curtis. "To me that's all that matters."
This is not the first time Curtis has threatened a leaderboard at a major since hoisting the claret jug five years ago. Earlier this year, Curtis tied for seventh at the British Open, but there are no comparisons he said, especially with the wind.
"Between here and the British, it's totally different," said Curtis. "Even with the wind blowing 15 to 20, it's like nothing compared to what we played in over there. If it blew 40 miles an hour here we would be sitting in the clubhouse because it would be unplayable; the ball would just run off the green."
Whatever the conditions, Curtis just seems to raise his game to the major level.
"I love majors. I think that I try to suit my game around that," said Curtis. "Obviously it's the four toughest tests we're going to have all year. And I just feel that I'm fairly straight driver of the golf ball, so if I can keep it in play, then it all comes down to putting."
RYDER WOES
The PGA Championship represents the last opportunity for American players to automatically for eight spots on the Ryder Cup team.
With Stewart Cink, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim assured spots, and Justin Leonard just about a lock, that leaves two places up for grabs at Oakland Hills.
Boo Weekley and Steve Stricker occupy the final two spots, but there can be quite a bit of movement with so many points on the line due to the PGA being a major.
In theory, if an American club professional could have won the Wanamaker Trophy, he could have made the Ryder Cup team.
While the first eight will be finalized by Sunday afternoon, captain Paul Azinger has four picks to make. That won't happen until September 2nd so that gives three events for what becomes essentially a try-out for U.S. players.
"It doesn't matter to me when they play or where they play," said Azinger earlier in the week. "I'm going to look at who is hot."
Weekley and Stricker safely made the weekend at the PGA Championship.
It was not a great week for some of the gentlemen who headed into the PGA on the bubble.
Woody Austin in the ninth spot (actually 10th, but since Tiger Woods won't play the Ryder Cup, the automatic spots go to places two through nine) missed the cut at plus-18.
Hunter Mahan is next and he has the weekend off since he finished two rounds tied for the worst score by a non club professional at 20-over par. Zach Johnson in 14th position also missed the cut.
D.J. Trahan could get in there and take Stricker's spot. Trahan, 11th in the standings, is in at plus-three. Rocco Mediate is 12th and made the weekend, while Sean O'Hair is 13th in the adjusted Ryder Cup standings and is tied for seventh at two-over 142.
Nick Faldo has three weeks before his European team is finalized and with Sergio Garcia in position for at least a good finish, the Spaniard should play his way on.
One player who will most likely need one of Faldo's two picks is Darren Clarke. After being one of Ian Woosnam's picks two years ago after the death of his wife, Clarke is honest about whether he'd even tab himself.
"At the moment, probably not unless I do something pretty good in those last couple of tournaments," said Clarke. "That is a realistic view, at the moment I probably wouldn't."
Clarke said he won't play next week, but is scheduled to compete in the next two after that.
Colin Montgomerie is in serious jeopardy of missing his first Ryder Cup since 1989. He shot a 14-over 84 on Friday to come in at 20-over 160, matching Mahan for worst score by a non club professional.
The typically testy Montgomerie didn't enjoy a question that suggested most of the fans would love to see him in the biennial competition, even though he appears to be in danger of missing out.
"So I'm not on the team, am I?," Montgomerie said to the reporter. "Sorry, I didn't realize you looked like Nick Faldo, I apologize. I'm sorry."
* Vijay Singh could have had an outside shot at making the cut, but a disastrous run with the putter on the treacherous ninth took the chance away. He putted his birdie try off the green, then eventually three-putted from six feet for a five-putt and a triple-bogey six. Singh, who won last week's WGC- Bridgestone Invitational, shot his second straight, six-over 76 and finished at plus-12.
* Charl Schwartzel of South Africa was 11-over at the turn and appeared to be in serious danger of missing the cut. He birdied one and two, but bogeyed three to stand at plus-10. Schwartzel birdied his next four holes and bogeyed nine to safely make the cut thanks to his second-nine, four-under 31.
* Paul Goydos became the first player ever drug tested at a major championship on Thursday. He must not have minded. Goydos, who lost a playoff to Sergio Garcia at The Players Championship, shot a one-under 69 and is tied for 14th at plus-three.
* Despite inclement weather in the forecast, the second round was contested without a delay and no weather materialized.
* Jerry Kelly is the only player to miss the cut in all four majors this year. Charles Howell III did not get to the weekend in the first three, but a 76 on Friday was enough to get into the weekend on the number at plus-eight.
* The par-five second has been the easiest hole of the championship, playing to an average of 4.6913. The par-five 12th is the only other hole under par with an average of 4.8489.
* The hardest hole has been the 498-yard, par-four closing hole. It has played to an average of 4.6688.
Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.B. Holmes bogeyed two of his last four holes Friday, but still managed a two-under 68 and took the second-round lead of the PGA Championship. Holmes finished two rounds at Oakland
<< Phillies' P Gordon may be headed to operating table
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tom Gordon
may need to undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery and is scheduled
to visit Dr. Lewis Yocum on Monday for a second opinion, according to a story
on MLB.
<< Yanks recall Kennedy for start
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees added pitcher Ian
Kennedy to their starting rotation in time to start Friday night's contest
against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Kennedy, who was winless in nine appea
<< Braves P Hudson to have Tommy John surgery on Saturday
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson will undergo
Tommy John surgery on Saturday.
The team announced the scheduled procedure on Friday and it will be performed
in Pensacola, Florida by Dr. James Andrews.
Team
<< Mickelson struggles late on Friday at PGA
Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phil Mickelson bogeyed three
of his last five holes Friday en route to a three-over 73 in the second round
of the PGA Championship.
Mickelson, the 2005 PGA Champion, is still very much
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - UNLV signed men's basketball coach Lon Kruger to a one-year contract extension Friday. The Nevada Board of Regents approved the extension during its meetings August 7-8 in Reno. Kruger is now under co
Dixon grabs pole for Kentucky >>
Sparta, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Dixon won the pole for Saturday's Meijer
Indy 300 at the Kentucky Speedway. The No.9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver
circled the 1.5-mile oval four times in 1 minute, 37.3293 seconds (218.968
m.p.h.)
Piercy moves three clear in Wichita >>
Wichita, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Piercy fired a nine-under 62 Friday to
move three strokes clear of the field after two rounds of the Wichita Open.
Piercy completed 36 holes with a tournament-record score of 16-under-par 126.
The pr
Jazz owner out of hospital >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller was
released from the hospital Friday morning, almost two months after a near-
fatal heart attack.
The 64-year-old Miller described the heart attack, subsequent
Tigers' Guillen leaves game >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Tigers third baseman Carlos Guillen
left Friday's game against Oakland with lower back spasms.
Guillen was 1-for-3 before being replaced by Ryan Raburn for the top of the
eighth inning, and is li
Online Sportsbook Football Betting
Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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