PGA Championship First Round News & Notes

Golf Betting Lines

08/07/2008 - Bloomfield Hills Township, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Despite the fact they share a surname, there is no relation, whatsoever, between Jeev Milkha Singh and Vijay Singh.

"In the practice rounds I can hear a lot of people say, 'Oh, I think he's Vijay's son or he's Vijay's brother.' I heard that many times," admitted Jeev Milkha. "I just say I'm the other Singh."

On Thursday, he was the superior Singh.

He posted a two-under 69, while Vijay, a two-time champion and the winner of last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, struggled to a six-over-par 76 on Thursday.

"My short game was sharp," said Jeev Milkha Singh. "Didn't drive the ball that good, but any time you shoot under par in a major championship, I think you got to take it and put it deep down in your pocket and I've done that today."

While most casual fans don't know, the younger Singh is one of the hottest players in the field. He has won two of his last four starts - one in Austria, one in Japan - and has done so in some substantial pain.

"I had been suffering with a little tendon running through the ankle on my right foot. It's got a lot of pain," acknowledged Singh. "I've been wearing a brace for the last four weeks. I did injure it just before the French Open, that was about seven, eight weeks ago. I've been getting a lot of physio done and it gets better, but you hit one of those shots out of the rough and I'm back to square one."

Singh complained that using the driver hurts a little more than other clubs. His doctor told him he needed four weeks rest. Singh told his doctor he couldn't do it.

"I decided if I'm going to play the PGA Championship I'm going to push myself through to this week and next week and after that I'm surely going to be taking two weeks off, maybe I'm going to extend it to four," he said.

One positive Singh can take from the ankle injury is that he hasn't been able to practice much at all. Remember, he's got two victories in the last seven weeks.

"I haven't played any practice rounds for the last seven weeks in the tournaments I've played and it's worked for me pretty good," said Singh, whose father was a world-class sprinter.

Since Singh played nine holes each of the last two days, things might not look great for him come Sunday.

NOT A FAN

"The Monster," the ominous nickname of the South Course at Oakland Hills, may have lost a fan.

"I was happy to break 80 after being seven-over after 12 holes," said Lee Westwood, who finished with a seven-over-par 77. "Standing on the 17th tee, I asked my caddie if he could hear the sea as well as I am sure I could hear my holiday calling. But I dug in there. I didn't do a lot wrong."

Westwood finished as a runner-up last week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He went 4-0-1 in the 2004 Ryder Cup, the last big event staged at Oakland Hills.

But Westwood was not a happy camper after his terrible round.

"The fairways are narrow and unfortunately if you miss the semi (rough) by a foot you are worse off than if you miss by 20 yards, which you need to take different people's opinions as the whether that is fair," he said.

Next up was the PGA of America's setup at Oakland Hills versus the USGA's layout at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open, an event, Westwood coincidentally finished one shot out of the Tiger Woods/Rocco Mediate playoff.

"Cut all the rough out. I think the U.S. Open was set up perfectly," said Westwood. "It rewards accuracy and penalizes you if you are off liner. I didn't see that today. I asked my partners if I was out of order and they said 'No, if you are slightly off line you are crucified'."

Moving on to the rough around the greens...

"In my opinion, it is too thick around the greens as well," he said. "It takes the skill away from chipping."

The par threes?

"If the wind gets up you won't get there. I hit a three-iron and Zach Johnson hit five-wood and on 17."

And in conclusion, Westwood felt like the set up took away from a great venue and a great championship.

"I sound as if I am moaning, which I am, but it is a great shame as it is a fantastic golf course, they are great greens and they are playable, but there is no need to play it as it is," said Westwood. "They are sucking the fun out of the Major Championships when you set it up like that."

* Kenny Perry, a pre-tournament favorite thanks to a three-win 2008 PGA Tour season, made it through the first round, but withdrew after his round. The Golf Channel reported Perry injured his eye earlier in the week and he eventually withdrew.

* Padraig Harrington, the winner of the last two British Opens, including last month's, started wonderfully with three consecutive birdies. Unfortunately, Harrington finished at one-over 71 in the opening round.

* Frank Esposito, Jr. leads the race for lowest club professional after his one-over 71 on Thursday. Esposito, playing in his first PGA Championship, works out of Brooklake Country Club in Florham, New Jersey.

* According to pga.com and Dave Shedloski, Paul Goydos, who lost the playoff to Sergio Garcia at The Players Championship, was the first player drug tested at a major championship. Goydos shot a four-over 74 in round one.

* There was a tie for easiest hole on Thursday. The two par-fives, Nos. 2 and 12, both played to an average of 4.7115. They were the only two holes that played to par or better.

* The hardest hole on Thursday was the 498-yard, par-four 18th. It played to an average of 4.6122. The 257-yard, par-three ninth also played a half-shot over par with an average of 3.5238.

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American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6  

The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.

Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com.  "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.

It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis.  It's like Week 1 of the NFL.  Pre-season means nada!

We do know the 24 finalists however.

Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24.  He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway.  He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien. 

Brandon Rogers - Who?

Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition.  He should go a good distance.

Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was.  And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition.  He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice!  People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way. 

"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks.  He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes.  But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.

A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”

Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes. 

"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate.  "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past.  He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far.  Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."

Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts) 

And the others:

Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter

The girls

"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis.  "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has.  The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive.  I think she will go far."

Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.

"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams.  Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth.  "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.

Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.

Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.

Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan

MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with). 

Last two contestants will be?

1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)

2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)

2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)

MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines. 

MySportsbook.com favors Bears, Bengals, Chargers and Colts to remain perfect

LAS VEGAS , Sept. 28 - Two big match-ups of undefeated teams have fans salivating at the Week Four schedule in the NFL. The Chicago Bears stifling defense looks to provide a less than hospitable welcome to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night in a battle of two 3-0 teams in the NFC conference. In the AFC, the San Diego Chargers (2-0) head to Maryland to face the surprising Baltimore Ravens (3-0) as both try to keep pace atop the conference standings. Betting Lines makers at MySportsbook.com, online sportsbook and casino, have set the Bears as 3.5 point favorites while the Chargers are a 2.5 point bet.

Of the three remaining undefeated teams, only one, New Orleans, enters this week's game as an underdog. Despite an emotional and resounding win over Atlanta on Monday night, the Saints are a 7.5 point underdog against the struggling Carolina Panthers. Indianapolis looks to stay perfect when they face the New York Jets as a 9 point road favorite while the Cincinnati Bengals are a 6 point favorite at home to the New England Patriots.

Six teams enter the week still looking for their first win, with a seventh, Tampa Bay, on a bye week. The prospect of dropping another game would not bode well for a potential playoff run. Since 1990, just three teams -- the 1992 Chargers, 1995 Detroit Lions and 1998 Buffalo Bills -- have overcome losing their first three games of the season to earn a postseason berth. And only the Chargers managed to accomplish the feat after starting 0-4.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.