Amateur Harto wins on Challenge Tour

Golf Betting Lines

08/22/2010 - Hamburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amateur Andreas Harto became the fourth amateur to ever win on the Challenge Tour Sunday when he captured the ECCO Tour Championship.

Harto birdied the par-five closing hole to shoot a one-over 74. He finished the championship at eight-under 284 and won by a single stroke at Green Eagle Golf Club.

"This is without doubt the greatest day of my life and it feels crazy," said the Dane. "I can't believe it. It was so great that my dad managed to get here to watch the final day and when I spoke to my sister on the phone I was burst into tears. This is all just amazing."

Oscar Floren posted a 75 and took second at minus-seven.

The two were tied on the par-five 18th and Harto smashed a three-iron 60 feet from the flag. Harto left himself four feet for birdie and the win and stroked home the putt.

"You have no idea how badly my knees were shaking over that final putt," admitted Harto. "I've won the amateur championships of Denmark and Wales in the past, but this win beats those by a considerable distance."

Harto joined Francis Valera (1993), Eric Carlberg (1994) and Roope Kakko (2004) as the only amateurs to visit the winner's circle on the Challenge Tour.

Matthew Zions carded a one-under 72 and took third at six-under par, followed by Jan-Are Larsen (71) and Floris De Vries (74), who tied for fourth at minus- five.

Wwwattheraces Golf Betting News

<< Rockies try to avoid sweep in Arizona
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Rockies have shown before that they are capable of some late-season magic. However, a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks this afternoon might be too much for them to recover from. Arizona will try to sweep Colorado

<< Reds seek rare series win at Dodger Stadium
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds found their success at Dodger Stadium short-lived thanks to Los Angeles' use of the long ball last night. The Reds, who had a season-high seven-game winning streak halted, will look to rebound tonight b

<< A's Braden faces Rays for first time since perfect game
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Braden was perfect the last time he faced Tampa Bay and he will now try to give Oakland the series win, as the Athletics and Rays wrap up a four-game set today at the Coliseum. On May 9th, Braden etched his name int

<< White Sox close out set with Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox will try to avoid dropping a fifth straight series, as they bring to a close a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals today at Kauffman Stadium. After Friday's opener was washed out, the White Sox

<< Twins close out homestand against Angels
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins will attempt to end their nine-game homestand on a high note, as they conclude a three-game set with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight at Target Field. The Twins have gone 6-2 on their current h

Piniella abruptly moves up retirement to Sunday >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lou Piniella abruptly announced that Chicago's series finale versus the Braves Sunday will be his last game as Cubs manager. Piniella had decided late last month that he would retire following the

Miller powers Rangers past Hibernian >>
Edinburgh, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three second-half goals from Kenny Miller propelled Rangers to a 3-0 win over Hibernian at Easter Road Stadium on Sunday. Both teams had a player sent off just before halftime with Kyle Lafferty

Hanson wins playoff for Czech Open title >>
Celadna, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Peter Hanson birdied the second playoff hole Sunday to defeat Peter Lawrie and Gary Boyd and win the Czech Open. The victory was Hanson's fourth on the European Tour and his second this season. He

Mets send C Barajas to Dodgers >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets assigned catcher Rod Barajas to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a waiver claim Sunday. The 34-year-old backstop batted .225 with 12 homers and 34 runs batted in over 74 games with the Me

Scully to broadcast for 62nd season >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will return to the broadcast booth for the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 62nd season in 2011, the team announced Sunday. "I'm just honored and humbled to continue my

FOOTBALL TRASH TALK

NFL Football Trash Talk

Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).

Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.

Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).

Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.

Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.

The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.

What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.

Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.

But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.

In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.