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11/28/2011 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2011 Champions Tour season began in January of 2011. By May, the eventual Player of the Year was already done winning.
Luckily, his three victories were enough to win the money title and the Charles Schwab Cup. Must be nice to have things sewed up before Memorial Day.
Parity would be a word to describe this season on the elder circuit.
No fewer than 17 men won official Champions Tour individual titles. Yes, some fellas captured multiple victories, but there was no breakout season as years past.
Although, it certainly looked like a breakout season was upon us early.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Tom Lehman
The 1996 British Open champion finished second in the season-opener at Hualalai, then went on a bit of a mini-tear.
Lehman won the Allianz Championship by a stroke two weeks after the runner-up in Hawaii. The Champions Tour went on hiatus and Lehman came back to capture the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic by four shots.
After only two more events spanned the next month, Lehman returned to the winner's circle at the first Champions Tour major, the Tradition.
He captured the Senior PGA Championship the year before, so Lehman was battle- tested at the biggest stage in over-50 golf. He finished regulation in Birmingham tied with Peter Senior and the two played two extra holes before Lehman's par the second time around 18 was enough for the victory.
So here's Lehman with three victories in the first eight Champions Tour events. It seemed like a formality that Lehman would walk away with a lot of hardware, but that stalled a bit.
Lehman posted only two top 10s in his next six starts. When the calendar hit August, Lehman tied for second at the 3M Championship and took fourth in his title defense at the Senior Players.
Lehman's lead in both the Charles Schwab Cup and money race were dwindling. He took fifth in Korea, then posted a pair of top-four finishes in the final two full-field events.
With the Charles Schwab Cup Championship the only tournament left, Lehman had the inside track to the year-long title and the $1 million annuity. Mark Calcavecchia had a great chance to trip up Lehman in the end when Lehman only managed a tie for 18th at Harding Park.
When Calcavecchia tied for second with Jay Haas, Michael Allen and Loren Roberts, the double-points awarded were split among too many people and Lehman held on for the Charles Schwab Cup. He won by only 74 points in the end, but a win is a win.
"Looked like Calc had a great chance of doing it, of taking it all in one fell swoop at the end," Lehman said. "He played great. Really, really impressed with the way he played and the way he battled."
Lehman battled, too. After his final trip to the winner's circle, Lehman posted seven top 10s for a grand total of 12 on the year.
He also led the Champions Tour in greens in regulation and total driving, second in scoring average and eighth in distance.
Lehman also made four out of five cuts on the PGA Tour in 2011, including a top-25 at the British Open.
Couple that consistency and a money title, and Lehman was the Champions Tour's best in 2011.
TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR - Senior Players Championship
"It took 19 years, a two-hour weather delay, a back procedure performed in Germany, a tornado warning, endless questions about Tiger Woods and a three- hole playoff for Fred Couples to finally get his second major championship."
That about summed up the year's final major championship and its winner, Fred Couples.
The man with the constantly ailing back went to Germany for a procedure that he needed clearance from the PGA Tour just to receive. Couples said it worked, but his back looked bad by the end of the playoff.
With bad weather forecast for Sunday, the final-round tee times were moved up to the morning, but a storm still caused a nearly two-hour weather delay. When Couples and John Cook finally finished, a tornado warning was in effect in Westchester county.
So Couples finally captured the title in the playoff over his buddy. It was his first major since his only one on the PGA Tour, the 1992 Masters.
And to top it off, Couples spent the week and the post-victory presser talking about his decision to peg Tiger Woods for his Presidents Cup team. Self- inflicted grilling with his call to name him six weeks early, Couples' choice was validated when Woods clinched the Cup for the U.S.
(And all wasn't lost for Cook on the Presidents Cup front. When assistant captain Michael Jordan had to step down to deal with some sort of labor problem in the NBA, Couples added Cook to his staff.)
SHOT OF THE YEAR - "The four-whack"
It's hard to bestow such an honor on an event that was won by two strokes, but Mark Calcavecchia handed Russ Cochran a huge advantage at the Senior British Open.
Down by two strokes on Sunday, after a piece of the third-round lead, Calc was playing solid golf. He was behind Russ Cochran on the leaderboard, but Calcavecchia, a great British Open player who hoisted the claret jug in 1989, knocked his approach inside 10 feet at the ninth.
Calcavecchia proceeded to four-putt from just shy of 10 feet. The double-bogey left him four back and Cochran easily cruised into the winner's circle at Walton Heath.
"The four-whack on the ninth hole, those usually hurt you," Calcavecchia joked in a television interview. "The greens are tough here, but that was all my fault. I pulled both those little, short putts. That happens every now and then, but overall I played really good."
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - John Huston
It took only three starts for Mr. Houston to emerge victorious on the Champions Tour. He won the Dick's Sporting Goods Open by three shots at En- Joie Golf Club.
Huston posted a pair of top-16s to start his career on the elder circuit, then visited the winner's circle. After a so-so finish at the Senior British Open, Huston rattled off three straight top-10s, including a tie for ninth at the U.S. Senior Open.
He shared second at the SAS Championship and didn't finish worse than 16th in the last four events of the year.
Huston came in 17th on the money list and that's not shabby in about half a season.
GOOD YEAR
Cook - Along with Lehman, the only other player to win three times on the Champions Tour in 2011. Finished third on the money list and fifth on the year-long Charles Schwab Cup race.
Peter Senior - With an appropriate name for the tour, Senior came in third on the Schwab Cup battle and seventh on the money list despite no victories in 2011.
Jay Don Blake - After a 20-year winless drought, Blake won in Korea, then took the year-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Fourth on both the Schwab Cup and money list.
Olin Browne - Won the big event on the schedule, the U.S. Senior Open.
Tom Watson - At 61, Watson became the second-oldest Senior PGA Championship winner.
Kenny Perry - Finally broke into the winner's circle at the SAS Championship and accomplished the feat after finding out his sister passed away on Saturday night.
BAD YEAR
Loren Roberts - Failed to win for the first time since joining the Champions Tour in 2005.
Bernhard Langer - Last year's Player of the Year missed significant time with a thumb injury. Did win once, but was a distant 24th in the Charles Schwab Cup race.
Tommy Armour III - After a rookie year in 2010 that saw Armour record three runner-ups, Armour notched only four top 10s in 22 starts in 2011.
<< Addington takes over crew chief role for Stewart
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<< This Week in Golf -- November 30th through December 5th
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We did.
W
<< Chalmers' win in Australia gets him to 63rd
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greg Chalmers' second big in Australia on
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Sad that Speed won't get to finish what he started >>
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Baylor continues to top women's hoops poll >>
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The Lady Bears again received all but one o
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Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rick Neuheisel has been fired as head
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In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South. Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC. The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game. For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft. Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.
1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign? New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1. Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT. Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.
Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami
2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round. LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems. If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.
Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season. The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach. The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub. High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career. With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson.
Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season. The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age. It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot. This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.
Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season. On the clock: the NFC North
Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2
Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1
Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
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