McIlroy's 63 ties record; Woods four back

Golf Betting Lines

07/15/2010 - St. Andrews, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rory McIlory has gone lower in his career, just not in a major championship.

On Thursday at the British Open, McIlroy matched the lowest round in major championship history with a nine-under 63 to take a two-shot lead after the first round on the Old Course.

McIlroy admitted that the thought crept into his head on No. 17 that he could set or match the low round in a major.

He missed his four-footer for birdie there, but closed with a three-foot birdie putt at the last to post 63.

"I was thinking going up 17, 'What's the lowest score for a major?'" said McIlroy, who closed with a 62 to win this year's Quail Hollow Championship by four strokes over Phil Mickelson.

"I didn't know [the record]. I know there's been a few 63s, but wasn't sure if there were any 62s. That might have crept into my mind a little bit hitting that putt on 17."

South African Louis Oosthuizen, who won the Open de Andalucia earlier this year, fired a seven-under 65 and is alone in second place.

John Daly, the 1995 Open champion at St. Andrews, shares third place with Peter Hanson, Andrew Coltart, Bradley Dredge and Steven Tiley at minus-six. Hanson had the best score for those in the latter part of Thursday's draw.

Three-time Open champion and world No. 1 Tiger Woods posted a five-under 67, carding six birdies and a lone bogey on the 17th. He hasn't played a bogey- free round all year.

Woods is tied for eighth place with 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, Sean O'Hair, Lee Westwood, 2009 PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang and four others.

World No. 2 Phil Mickelson never got anything going on Thursday. The Masters winner's scorecard would have looked better at a different major, the U.S. Open.

Mickelson parred the first 12 holes before stumbling to a double-bogey on the 13th. He parred the next four holes, but at the last, he finally rolled in a birdie putt to end at one-over 73.

"I fought hard today," Mickelson said. "I drove it poorly with the driver, but still salvaged a lot of pars."

McIlroy didn't look like he'd be near the top of the leaderboard at the start of the round.

The 21-year-old from Northern Ireland birdied the third to go with seven pars in his first eight holes. His run up the leaderboard started with an eagle on the par-four ninth.

Around the turn, he poured in three consecutive birdie chances from the 10th to jump to six-under. McIlroy knocked his second shot on the par-five 14th onto the forward tee of No. 15.

He chipped to 10 feet and drained that to take the lead at seven-under. McIlroy knocked in an eight-footer for birdie at the 15th to push his lead to two strokes.

McIlroy parred 16 and 17, where his four-footer for birdie lipped out. At the last, he pitched his third to three feet and knocked that in for a closing birdie.

"I made up for it and made birdie at the last," said McIlory of missing his birdie try on 17 while thinking about matching the low score in a major. "I'm not complaining about my score, but I'm sure it could have been a couple more if a few more putts had fallen."

It was the 24th time a player has posted a 63 in a major championship, but just second time it has happened on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

The only other man to shoot 63 at St. Andrews in the Open Championship was Paul Broadhurst, who did it in the third round in 1990.

Woods had a steady round that started with a birdie on the second. After four pars in a row, he two-putted for birdie on the seventh and moved to three- under with a 22-foot birdie putt at the ninth.

On the back nine, Woods made his run and it started with a two-putt birdie on the 12th. He poured in a 20-footer on 13 and made it three straight with another two-putt birdie at 14.

He was two back at the time, but his deficit doubled late. After McIlroy closed with a birdie, Woods missed a four-foot par putt at 17 to slide four back. That bogey means Woods still hasn't played a bogey-free round all year.

Woods' drive at the last got close enough to the green for him to putt his second. He played a big-breaking putt within seven feet, but missed the birdie try on the left edge.

"I played pretty good today, I just missed two short putts there at 17 and 18," said Woods, who won two of his three Open titles on the Old Course. "It could have been a pretty special round. We had good weather. It felt like we were playing in a dome. The course could be had."

In his three British Open titles, Woods either led or trailed by one stroke after the first round. That wasn't the case when Thursday's opening round finished.

Oosthuizen made back-to-back birdies from the fourth. After a par on six, he ran off four straight birdies from No. 7 to get to six-under.

The South African got within one of McIlroy with birdies on 14 and 15. However, he bogeyed the 17th to slip two back.

"The last three holes were very tough, so I'm happy with my 65," Oosthuizen said. "I think the win earlier in the year on the European Tour made a big change. I feel very confident the way I'm playing."

The other four players tied at minus-five are Fredrik Andersson Hed, Marcel Siem, Nick Watney and Alejandro Canizares.

Defending champion Stewart Cink posted a two-under 70 with three birdies and a bogey. Cink is tied for 46th. The man Cink defeated in a playoff last year at Turnberry, Tom Watson, managed a one-over 73.

Watson bogeyed three straight holes from the second, but birdied the fifth and got another back at the 14th.

NOTES: U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell managed a one-under 71...Reigning British Amateur champion Jin Jeong carded a four-under 68 and is the leading amateur by three strokes over Eric Chun...The Old Course at St. Andrews is hosting the championship for the 28th time...The Open Championship is being played for the 139th time, but is celebrating its 150-year anniversary.

Sltos Golf Betting News

<< Beltran (finally) returns for Mets
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets will get a much-needed boost on Thursday when they welcome back perennial All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran from the 60-day disabled list. Beltran has not seen the field for the

<< Browns' Rogers to enter diversion program, avoid trial
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers will enter a diversion program and avoid trial after carrying a concealed weapon through security at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, according to a report

<< Rezai, Errani land in Palermo quarters
Palermo, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hot Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai and former champion and 2009 runner-up Sara Errani recorded second-round victories Thursday at the $220,000 Palermo International tennis tournament. The second-seede

<< Oilers name Smith, Buchberger assistant coaches
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers named Kelly Buchberger and Steve Smith as assistant coaches for Tom Renney on Thursday. Buchberger has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with Edmonton and prior to tha

<< Cavs' West pleads guilty to charges
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West pled guilty to weapons and traffic charges stemming from his arrest last September, according to a report in the Washington Post. The judge in Prince George's County Ci

Wild re-sign goaltender Khudobin >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Wild re-signed goaltender Anton Khudobin to a one-year, two-way contract. Khudobin made his NHL debut last season with Minnesota and in two games he went 2-0-0 and allowed just one goa

Braves activate Heyward from DL >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves activated outfielder Jason Heyward from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday. The rookie sensation has been out since injuring his left thumb while sliding into third base in a win over A

Hurricanes ink D Rodney >>
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Bryan Rodney to a one-year, two-way contract. Rodney appeared in 22 games with Carolina last season while also spending time with the AHL's Albany River Rats. While

Dolphins DT Ferguson retires >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Jason Ferguson announced his retirement on Thursday. Ferguson, 35, played last two seasons for Miami and was recently hit with an eight-game suspension for a violation of t

AP Source: NCAA probe targets UNC football program >>
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -A person familiar with the investigation says the NCAA is looking at North Carolina's football program.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is confidential.Athletic director

Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

Additional basketball lines can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.


FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.