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08/03/2008 - Omaha, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Hietala parred the first playoff hole Sunday to defeat overnight-leader David Branshaw and win the Cox Classic at Champions Run.
The win was Hietala's second on the Nationwide Tour. His other victory came at the 2005 Louisiana Open.
Hietala posted a two-under 69 on Sunday to match Branshaw, who tallied four back-nine bogeys en route to a two-over 73. The pair finished regulation at 19-under 265 and headed back to No. 18 for the extra session.
At the first playoff hole, the pair was on opposite sides of the fairway, but Hietala was in a divot. Branshaw played first and clobbered his approach over the green, Hietala mishit a low bullet into the right fringe.
Branshaw had a terrible lie, but pitched four feet past the hole. Hietala ran his third to a foot and tapped in for the par.
Branshaw pulled his four-footer, giving Hietala his first win in almost three years.
"I'm speechless," said Hietala. "God, what a struggle. What a feeling."
Branshaw led Hietala by four shots at the start of the final round. Branshaw only made two birdies on the front versus three from Hietala, so at the turn, the margin was three.
Hietala, playing one group ahead of Branshaw, drained a six-footer for birdie at the par-five 10th. Branshaw drove into a bush and could not save par, cutting the lead to a single stroke.
Hietala bogeyed both 11 and 12. Branshaw three-putted both holes for bogey, his third in a row, but the margin was still one shot. Hietala bogeyed No. 14 and Branshaw had a two-shot lead with three to play.
At the par-five 17th, Hietala drove into the right rough up against a hill. He choked down on his club and somehow reached the green in two. Hietala, the second-round leader, two-putted for birdie.
Behind Hietala, Branshaw hit his tee ball into a greenside bunker at 16. He blasted out to eight feet, but missed the putt and dropped himself into a tie for the lead with Hietala at 19-under par.
Hietala hit a terrible second shot from the fairway at 18 right of the putting surface. He hit a flop-shot to three feet and converted the par save to get in at minus-19.
Branshaw had an eight-iron for his second shot at the par-five 17th, but pulled it long and left. His chip ran 10 feet past the stick and Branshaw failed to hole his birdie effort for the lead.
Branshaw found the right rough off the tee and got a free drop after his feet were on the cart path. His second came up about 45 feet short of the flagstick, giving him an unlikely birdie putt for the win.
A two-putt par and a playoff seemed like the best option for Branshaw, but a pair of three-putts on the back nine may have loomed his mind. He had a difficult ridge to negotiate and left his birdie putt for the win nine feet short.
Branshaw needed the putt and converted it to force the playoff, but the trophy ultimately went to Hietala.
"I didn't know he dropped three or four shots until I looked at the board on 16," admitted Hietala. "I knew that stretch of holes was playing tough. I played with Branshaw yesterday. He played great and hats off to his game this week."
Skip Kendall (67), Garth Mulroy (69) and Alex Prugh (67) shared third place at 16-under 269.
Ricky Barnes (65), Jeff Klauk (66), Casey Wittenberg (67), Gary Christian (68), last week's winner in Ohio Bill Lunde (69) and Vance Veazey (74) tied for sixth at minus-15.
<< Singh claims first WGC title with Bridgestone win
Akron, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vijay Singh parred the final five holes Sunday to
fend off four players and win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Singh closed with a two-under 68 to complete the event at 10-under-par 270.
The win was Singh
<< Pena, Rays walk past Tigers in 10th
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Pena drew a game-ending,
bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning, as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied past the
Detroit Tigers, 6-5, to complete a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field.
Carl Crawf
<< Royals hammer White Sox as benches clear
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Aviles homered as part of a four-
hit effort to help the Royals crush the Chicago White Sox, 14-3, in the rubber
game of a three-game set in Kansas City.
Zack Greinke (9-7) pitched an excellent
<< Matsuzaka and BoSox complete sweep of A's
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daisuke Matsuzaka tossed six solid innings,
and Jed Lowrie smashed a key two-run triple as the Boston Red Sox downed the
Oakland Athletics, 5-2, to complete a three-game sweep at Fenway Park.
Matsuzaka (
Liriano gets first win as Minnesota tops Tribe >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brendan Harris and Denard Span hit solo
home runs and Francisco Liriano picked up his first win of the season as the
Minnesota Twins defeated the Cleveland Indians, 6-2, in the rubber match of a
three-g
RB Grant re-signs with Pack >>
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers ended speculation
over one of their key offensive pieces on Sunday when they signed running back
Ryan Grant.
According to the NFL Network, the deal is worth $30 million over fou
Murray fights off Djokovic for Cincy title >>
Mason, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eighth-seeded Scotsman Andy Murray scored an
upset of third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic in a heated battle at the $2.615
million Western & Southern Financial Group Masters tennis event on Sunday.
Murr
Fuel gamble pays off for Edwards in Pocono win >>
Long Pond, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carl Edwards won Sunday's Sunoco Red Cross
Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway. The No.99 Roush Fenway Racing driver
crossed the finish line 3.859 seconds ahead of Tony Stewart.
The victory was Edwa
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
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