Hansen leads Spanish Open

Golf Betting Lines

04/30/2009 - Girona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Soren Hansen established a new course record Thursday with a nine-under 63 and grabbed the first-round lead of the Spanish Open.

Thomas Levet shot an eight-under 64 and is alone in second place at the Stadium Course at PGA Golf Catalunya.

Spain's Jose Manuel Lara and Callum Macaulay are knotted in third place at minus-seven.

Hansen's new course record looks even more remarkable if you consider the fact that he opened the championship with a double-bogey six at the very first hole.

It didn't take Hansen long to atone for the error at one. He birdied the par- four second and two-putted for a birdie at the 531-yard, par-five third.

"I think it was important that after I holed a good one on the second hole for birdie and then I followed it up with a nice shot into the par-five third," admitted Hansen.

The Ryder Cupper parred his next three, but went on another birdie run, starting at the par-five seventh. Hansen birdied eight and nine and made the turn at three-under 33.

On the second nine, Hansen parred his first two, but made eagle at the par- five 12th. At five-under par, Hansen was near the top of the leaderboard, but it was his play late in Thursday's opening round that secured him the top spot.

Hansen birdied three in a row from the 14th to match Levet at eight-under par. Hansen birdied the par-four finishing hole to grab sole possession of the first-round lead.

"I played well I must admit," said Hansen. "Had a lot of birdies after a rough start with the double-bogey, but then I played fantastic from there.

"It just seemed like I was rolling the ball nicely. If I put it on the green, there was always a chance. A few of them went in so that was nice. I played unbelievable."

Levet began on the 10th tee and rattled off four birdies on his opening nine. He tallied back-to-back birdies at two and three, then eagled the par-five seventh to get in at minus-eight.

Jarmo Sandelin and Chris Wood share fifth place at six-under 66, followed by Alejandro Canizares, Luis Claverie, Jan-Are Larsen, Charl Schwartzel and Marcel Sim, who are knotted in seventh at minus-five.

Defending champion Peter Lawrie shot a four-under 68 on Thursday and is part of a large group tied for 12th place. Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion, is also at minus-four.

Miguel Angel Jimenez carded a three-under 69, while European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie only managed an even-par 72.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

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