This Week in Golf -- January 5th through January 9th
Golf Betting Lines
01/02/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA TOUR - HYUNDAI TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS, Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii - The breaks take less and less time, don't they? Seemed like yesterday the PGA Tour ended for the season, but on Friday, yes Friday, it kicks off its 2012 campaign.
As always, first up is Kapalua for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Staged at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, the first event of the season is reserved for winners from 2011 tournaments.
Sadly for the opener, several high-profile winners from last year have elected to skip the trip. World No. 1 Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and major winners Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel and Darren Clarke each passed on the flight to the Aloha State.
There is some star power in the field, despite the big absences. PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, Steve Stricker and FedExCup winner Bill Haas are heading to Kapalua.
The first player to qualify for the 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions will be this year's winner. The first gentleman invited to Friday's opening round was Jonathan Byrd.
The American parred the second playoff hole last year to defeat Robert Garrigus. Byrd had 15 feet on the last hole in regulation to win the championship outright, but came up short.
On the second extra hole, Byrd nearly holed a 50-foot birdie try, but settled for par. Garrigus was 10 feet closer, but left himself with three feet for par. He missed and Byrd was the champion.
This year, the tournament starts on Friday and ends on Monday. Golf Channel will carry live action in primetime all week with an 8:00 p.m. (et) finish scheduled for Monday. (It should be over in time for the BCS National Championship game.)
In an interesting wrinkle, golf's two pre-eminent analysts will work together all week. Johnny Miller and Sir Nick Faldo will team up for the entire tournament as co-analysts.
Next week is the first full-field event of 2012, the Sony Open in Hawaii. Mark Wilson picked up the first of two 2011 victories in Honolulu.
EUROPEAN TOUR
AFRICA OPEN, East London Golf Club, East London, South Africa - Just 25 days after Luke Donald won the 2011 Race to Dubai, the 2012 version begins with the Africa Open.
Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen walked off with the title 12 months ago and will be on hand to defend his championship. Last year, Oosthuizen birdied the first playoff to trump Alvaro Quiros, who won the 2011 season-ending Dubai World Championship, and Chris Wood.
Oosthuizen may have to withdraw during the tournament as his second child is due any day now.
Also in the field this week is two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, who won this title in 2009, and last year's South African Tour Order of Merit winner Garth Mulroy.
Golf Channel has the telecast all four days.
Next week is the Joburg Open, which was won by another South African major winner, reigning Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
Dunfermline, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Celtic continued its exceptional form in the Scottish Premier League with a comfortable 3-0 win over last-place Dunfermline at East End Park on Monday. The Bhoys have now won 10 successive games
<< Blackhawks sign first-round picks McNeill, Danault
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks signed forwards and 2011
first-round draft picks Mark McNeill and Phillip Danault to three-year
contracts.
The 18-year-old McNeill was selected by the Blackhawks with the 18th o
<< Stamkos highlights NHL's 'Three Stars'
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos,
Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin and Los Angeles Kings goaltender
Jonathan Quick have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" for the week ending
January
<< Buccaneers dump Morris
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired head coach
Raheem Morris after the team closed the 2011 season with a 10-game losing
streak to finish 4-12.
Morris was considered one of the NFL's up-and-coming head c
<< Passing it on to the playoffs
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In this year of the forward pass, it's
ironically appropriate that the two teams that have given up more yards than
any defense wound up as regular-season champions of their respective
conferences.
And on
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The turn of the calendar brings so much promise. New Year's resolutions are made and two weeks later, gyms will be back to normal attendance rates. Cigarette sales will return to averages and people will
Cousins needs to start acting like a pro >>
Philadelphia, Pa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - You can make a strong argument that
DeMarcus Cousins was the most physically gifted player in the 2010 NBA Draft.
After all, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound man with skill can turn heads quickly in a
game bastardiz
Casual Trick offers encouraging runner-up effort >>
Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunday's $100,000 Gulfstream Park
Derby put new names on the Kentucky Derby futures list for this year. The 1
1/16-mile race was the first stakes event of the year for Run for the Roses
hopeful
Troicki, Bogomolov Jr. open with wins in Doha >>
Doha, Qatar (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth seed Viktor Troicki and sixth seed Alex
Bogomolov Jr. were among Monday's winners at the season-opening $1.024 million
Qatar Open.
The Serbian Troicki got past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), while the
In the FCS Huddle: Breaking down Sam Houston State >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Head football coaches in the Southland
Conference are not allowed to pick their own team in the preseason poll, so
this past summer the coach of the defending champion relied on what he noticed
late last seas
$12,000,000.00 MARCH MADNESS BRACKET CONTEST
2009 MARCH MADNESS BRACKET CONTESTOffering $12 Million Dollars to whoever fills in the perfect March Madness Bracket. For the fifth year in a row MySportsbook.com is giving March Madness bettors a chance to never have to work another day in their lives. MySportsbook.com has been in business for 12 years and to celebrate this years March Madness they are offering $1 Million Dollars for every year they have been taking college basketball wagers along with every other sports wagering type imaginable.
The MySportsbook.com March Madness contest is simple just Sign-up for the March Madness bracket contest and come back after Selection Sunday to submit your March Madness picks. Then place $20.00 in wagers during each round of the March Madness tournament. Even if your bracket is not perfect you could potentially still win $10,000.00.
There is not an office pool on the planet that can offer this March Madness Grand Prize. Get together with your office, work as a team or keep the $12 Million and do it yourself and win the $12 Million. Also feel free to print out the Printable March Madness Brackets .
Get free 2009 March Madness Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online March Madness betting VISA Mastercard