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11/28/2011 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2011 Champions Tour season began in January of 2011. By May, the eventual Player of the Year was already done winning.
Luckily, his three victories were enough to win the money title and the Charles Schwab Cup. Must be nice to have things sewed up before Memorial Day.
Parity would be a word to describe this season on the elder circuit.
No fewer than 17 men won official Champions Tour individual titles. Yes, some fellas captured multiple victories, but there was no breakout season as years past.
Although, it certainly looked like a breakout season was upon us early.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Tom Lehman
The 1996 British Open champion finished second in the season-opener at Hualalai, then went on a bit of a mini-tear.
Lehman won the Allianz Championship by a stroke two weeks after the runner-up in Hawaii. The Champions Tour went on hiatus and Lehman came back to capture the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic by four shots.
After only two more events spanned the next month, Lehman returned to the winner's circle at the first Champions Tour major, the Tradition.
He captured the Senior PGA Championship the year before, so Lehman was battle- tested at the biggest stage in over-50 golf. He finished regulation in Birmingham tied with Peter Senior and the two played two extra holes before Lehman's par the second time around 18 was enough for the victory.
So here's Lehman with three victories in the first eight Champions Tour events. It seemed like a formality that Lehman would walk away with a lot of hardware, but that stalled a bit.
Lehman posted only two top 10s in his next six starts. When the calendar hit August, Lehman tied for second at the 3M Championship and took fourth in his title defense at the Senior Players.
Lehman's lead in both the Charles Schwab Cup and money race were dwindling. He took fifth in Korea, then posted a pair of top-four finishes in the final two full-field events.
With the Charles Schwab Cup Championship the only tournament left, Lehman had the inside track to the year-long title and the $1 million annuity. Mark Calcavecchia had a great chance to trip up Lehman in the end when Lehman only managed a tie for 18th at Harding Park.
When Calcavecchia tied for second with Jay Haas, Michael Allen and Loren Roberts, the double-points awarded were split among too many people and Lehman held on for the Charles Schwab Cup. He won by only 74 points in the end, but a win is a win.
"Looked like Calc had a great chance of doing it, of taking it all in one fell swoop at the end," Lehman said. "He played great. Really, really impressed with the way he played and the way he battled."
Lehman battled, too. After his final trip to the winner's circle, Lehman posted seven top 10s for a grand total of 12 on the year.
He also led the Champions Tour in greens in regulation and total driving, second in scoring average and eighth in distance.
Lehman also made four out of five cuts on the PGA Tour in 2011, including a top-25 at the British Open.
Couple that consistency and a money title, and Lehman was the Champions Tour's best in 2011.
TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR - Senior Players Championship
"It took 19 years, a two-hour weather delay, a back procedure performed in Germany, a tornado warning, endless questions about Tiger Woods and a three- hole playoff for Fred Couples to finally get his second major championship."
That about summed up the year's final major championship and its winner, Fred Couples.
The man with the constantly ailing back went to Germany for a procedure that he needed clearance from the PGA Tour just to receive. Couples said it worked, but his back looked bad by the end of the playoff.
With bad weather forecast for Sunday, the final-round tee times were moved up to the morning, but a storm still caused a nearly two-hour weather delay. When Couples and John Cook finally finished, a tornado warning was in effect in Westchester county.
So Couples finally captured the title in the playoff over his buddy. It was his first major since his only one on the PGA Tour, the 1992 Masters.
And to top it off, Couples spent the week and the post-victory presser talking about his decision to peg Tiger Woods for his Presidents Cup team. Self- inflicted grilling with his call to name him six weeks early, Couples' choice was validated when Woods clinched the Cup for the U.S.
(And all wasn't lost for Cook on the Presidents Cup front. When assistant captain Michael Jordan had to step down to deal with some sort of labor problem in the NBA, Couples added Cook to his staff.)
SHOT OF THE YEAR - "The four-whack"
It's hard to bestow such an honor on an event that was won by two strokes, but Mark Calcavecchia handed Russ Cochran a huge advantage at the Senior British Open.
Down by two strokes on Sunday, after a piece of the third-round lead, Calc was playing solid golf. He was behind Russ Cochran on the leaderboard, but Calcavecchia, a great British Open player who hoisted the claret jug in 1989, knocked his approach inside 10 feet at the ninth.
Calcavecchia proceeded to four-putt from just shy of 10 feet. The double-bogey left him four back and Cochran easily cruised into the winner's circle at Walton Heath.
"The four-whack on the ninth hole, those usually hurt you," Calcavecchia joked in a television interview. "The greens are tough here, but that was all my fault. I pulled both those little, short putts. That happens every now and then, but overall I played really good."
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - John Huston
It took only three starts for Mr. Houston to emerge victorious on the Champions Tour. He won the Dick's Sporting Goods Open by three shots at En- Joie Golf Club.
Huston posted a pair of top-16s to start his career on the elder circuit, then visited the winner's circle. After a so-so finish at the Senior British Open, Huston rattled off three straight top-10s, including a tie for ninth at the U.S. Senior Open.
He shared second at the SAS Championship and didn't finish worse than 16th in the last four events of the year.
Huston came in 17th on the money list and that's not shabby in about half a season.
GOOD YEAR
Cook - Along with Lehman, the only other player to win three times on the Champions Tour in 2011. Finished third on the money list and fifth on the year-long Charles Schwab Cup race.
Peter Senior - With an appropriate name for the tour, Senior came in third on the Schwab Cup battle and seventh on the money list despite no victories in 2011.
Jay Don Blake - After a 20-year winless drought, Blake won in Korea, then took the year-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Fourth on both the Schwab Cup and money list.
Olin Browne - Won the big event on the schedule, the U.S. Senior Open.
Tom Watson - At 61, Watson became the second-oldest Senior PGA Championship winner.
Kenny Perry - Finally broke into the winner's circle at the SAS Championship and accomplished the feat after finding out his sister passed away on Saturday night.
BAD YEAR
Loren Roberts - Failed to win for the first time since joining the Champions Tour in 2005.
Bernhard Langer - Last year's Player of the Year missed significant time with a thumb injury. Did win once, but was a distant 24th in the Charles Schwab Cup race.
Tommy Armour III - After a rookie year in 2010 that saw Armour record three runner-ups, Armour notched only four top 10s in 22 starts in 2011.
<< Addington takes over crew chief role for Stewart
Kannapolis, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Addington has replaced Darian Grubb as
crew chief for reigning Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart effective
immediately, Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Monday.
Addington has won 16 Sprint C
<< Kentucky takes top spot in men's hoops poll; UNC down to fifth
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kentucky has ascended to the top of the
Associated Press men's college basketball poll after North Carolina's loss to
UNLV on Saturday dropped the Tar Heels down four places.
Kentucky and North Carolin
<< This Week in Golf -- November 30th through December 5th
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA TOUR - CHEVRON WORLD CHALLENGE -
Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, California - You ever think you'd see
the day where Tiger Woods would barely qualify for his own tournament?
We did.
W
<< Chalmers' win in Australia gets him to 63rd
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greg Chalmers' second big in Australia on
Sunday at the Australian PGA Championship moved him to 63rd in this week's
world rankings.
Chalmers, who also won the Australian Open earlier in the month, j
Sad that Speed won't get to finish what he started >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The soccer world took a stunning blow to the gut on Sunday
morning when Wales manager Gary Speed was found hanged inside his home.
The 42-year-old was by all accounts a consummate professional who enjoyed a
distinguish
Baylor continues to top women's hoops poll >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Baylor is still an overwhelming choice as the
top women's college basketball team in the nation, according to the latest
Associated Press poll released Monday.
The Lady Bears again received all but one o
Back to the business of basketball >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the first time in five months, it's
time to shelve all the accounting talk in favor of basketball, a welcome
respite believe me. I'll take PER over BRI anytime
The owners and players will l
Neuheisel fired as UCLA football coach >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rick Neuheisel has been fired as head
football coach at UCLA but will guide the Bruins in the Pac-12 title game
Friday at Oregon.
The school announced his firing Monday, two days after the Brui
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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