Francella needs four extra holes to beat Sorenstam
Golf Betting Lines
03/12/2007 - Mexico City, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Meaghan Francella needed four playoff holes Monday to defeat Annika Sorenstam and win the MasterCard Classic for her first tour title.
Francella posted a three-under 69 Monday to join Sorenstam at 11-under-par 205. Sorenstam, playing one group ahead of Francella, fired a six-under 66 to force the extra session.
Four weather delays over the first three days of the event forced the Monday finish at The Bosque Real Country Club.
In the extra session, Francella and Sorenstam played the 18th hole four times before the winner was decided. Each two-putted for birdie the first time around, then each made par the second and third time they played 18.
The fourth time around Francella dropped in a birdie putt for the win as Sorenstam, who won this event the first two years it was played, was only able to make par.
Francella began the day three ahead of Sorenstam. Both ladies birdied four and five. The first big swing came at the sixth, where Sorenstam birdied the par- five, while Francella stumbled to a bogey.
The 24-year-old Francella led by one at that point. Sorenstam briefly erased that lead with a birdie at the ninth. However, Francella also birdied No. 9 to remain one clear of the Swede.
Around the turn, Sorenstam took control. A birdie on the 10th gave her a share of the lead. The 36-year-old Sorenstam converted back-to-back birdies from the 13th to move two clear.
The next big turning point was the 16th. Sorenstam faltered to a bogey on the par-five. Francella followed that with a birdie to forge a tie for the lead at 11-under. Each woman parred the final two holes to force the extra session.
Stacy Prammanasudh, who won two weeks ago in Hawaii, closed with a one-under 71. She was joined in a share of third place at eight-under-par 208 by Kyeong Bae (67) and Angela Stanford (67).
Local favorite and women's World No. 3 Lorena Ochoa carded a two-under 70 in the final round to end in a tie for sixth. She ended alongside Shi Hyun Ahn and Hye Jung Choi at minus-six. Karin Sjodin, Sherri Steinhauer and Seon-Hwa Lee were one stroke further back at five-under-par 211.
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Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA TOUR -
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Niners sign veteran CB Harris >>
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Super Bowl 2009 Betting
Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositionsUnderdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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