Fisher flirts with 59, takes Irish Open lead
Golf Betting Lines
07/30/2010 - Killarney, Ireland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ross Fisher fired a 10-under 61 on Friday to grab sole possession of first place after the second round of the Irish Open.
Fisher finished 36 holes at 12-under 130 and is three strokes clear at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club.
Francesco Molinari posted a five-under 66 on Friday and is alone in second at minus-nine.
Two Irish stars made big moves in the second round.
World No. 8 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shot a three-under 68 and moved into a tie for third place at seven-under 135.
"I'm only five back going into tomorrow. If I get off to a fast start, hopefully I can close the gap on Ross a little bit," said McIlroy, who mixed six birdies and three bogeys. "It was quite frustrating to be honest. It seemed like every time I made a birdie, I made a bogey and it sort of halted me in my tracks."
Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington carded a four-under 67 and is part of the large group tied with McIlroy at minus-seven. Much like McIlroy, Harrington wasn't completely satisfied with his round.
"I didn't play anywhere near as well as I played yesterday," acknowledged Harrington. "I drove it superbly yesterday and drove it poorly today. I'm very happy that my short game is good."
But they have work to do to catch Fisher.
The Englishman opened with a two-under 69 on Thursday and parred his first two holes on Friday. Fisher caught fire starting at the third and birdied six holes in a row.
"I got off to a steady start, a couple pars on the first two, and then the putter caught fire really," said Fisher, who was eight-under for the championship after the turn. "I had a nice little run."
Fisher parred the 10th, then went on another spectacular run. He birdied his next four holes, including a 25-footer at the 13th, and was 10-under through 14.
Naturally, thoughts of 59 popped into Fisher's head.
"It was obviously a shame that it came to an end on nine, but I just kept on hitting good shots and got on to a little patch on the back, as well," said Fisher, who has won each of the last three seasons on the European Tour. "I had a chance on 15 from eight feet; unfortunately I pulled it."
Fisher parred his final four holes and lost his chance at becoming the first player to shoot a 59 on the European Tour.
"All I wanted to do was give myself chances coming in the last four holes, and I gave myself four good looks at birdie. Unfortunately I didn't make them so I have to be satisfied with 61," said Fisher, who held a piece of the lead at some point in all four majors last year. "It's pretty flawless golf to be fair."
Anders Hansen (68), Seung-yul Noh (69), Brett Rumford (69), Gonzalo Fernandez- Castano (69), Michael Hoey (69), David Dixon (68) and Richard Green (70) joined McIlroy and Harrington in third at minus-seven.
Defending champion Shane Lowry, who won this title in a playoff as an amateur last year, fired a six-under 65 on Friday to move into a tie for 24th at three-under 139.
NOTES: Fisher just missed the 36-hole record at this championship. Patrik Sjoland established the mark of 129 in 2000 and Lowry matched it last year...U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, made the cut on the number at even-par 142...Kenneth Ferrie, Jose Manuel Lara and Sam Little withdrew on Friday...First-round leader David Howell struggled to a four-over 75 and fell to three-under par.
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly signed running back Toby Gerhart. The Star Tribune revealed Friday that Gerhart, the 51st overall draft pick back in April, was given a four-year, $3.767 mill
<< German midfielder Khedira joins Real Madrid
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid agreed to a transfer for Germany
midfielder Sami Khedira from Stuttgart on Friday. The 23-year-old will sign a
five-year contract after undergoing a physical in Madrid.
Khedira emerged in the re
<< NL Central: Pirates' purge won't be like years past
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The final few days of July are almost always antsy ones for
veteran players of the Pittsburgh Pirates, not to mention an absolute
nightmare for the organization's media relations staff, equipment managers and
clubhouse attend
<< Mets trade Jacobs to Blue Jays
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets have traded first baseman
Mike Jacobs to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later.
Jacobs signed with the Mets this offseason, but played in only seven games in
April before
<< Veloso seals move to Genoa
Genoa, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Genoa has agreed to a deal that will bring
them midfielder Miguel Veloso from Sporting Lisbon, it was confirmed by the
Portuguese club on Friday.
The 24-year-old Veloso has been linked with a number o
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics made several moves on Friday, among them reinstating pitcher Brett Anderson from the 15-day disabled list and placing pitcher Andrew Bailey on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 21.
Steelers agree to five-year deal with Pouncey >>
Latrobe, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms
on a five-year deal with first round draft choice Maurkice Pouncey. He is
expected to be with the team for its' first official practice on Saturday.
Financia
Zambrano rejoins Cubs >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs have reinstated pitcher Carlos
Zambrano from the restricted list prior to Friday's road game against the
Rockies.
The right-hander's placement on the restricted list stemmed from a du
Redskins' Haynesworth held out of practice again >>
Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert
Haynesworth was held out of practice for a second straight day Friday after
again failing to pass his conditioning test.
Haynesworth was held out of the R
Senators re-sign D Campoli >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Ottawa Senators have re-signed defenseman
Chris Campoli to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday.
Campoli, 25, appeared in 67 games for the Senators last season, collecting
four goals and 18
Football Betting Lines
The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.
Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.
Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.
A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.
Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.
Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.
And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.
2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win
Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1
Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1
Donald Brown (IND) 5/1
Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1
Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1
Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1
Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1
Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1
Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1
Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1
Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1
Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1
Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1
Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1
Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1
Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1
Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1
LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1
Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2
Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1
Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1
Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1
Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1
Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1
Jason Smith (STL) 40/1
Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1
Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1
Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1
Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2
Pat White (MIA) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 9/1
To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.
For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.
MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South
In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.