Pettersen leads Webb at McDonald's LPGA

Golf Betting Lines

06/09/2007 - Havre de Grace, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Suzann Pettersen shot a five-under 67 Friday to take a one-shot lead over Karrie Webb midway through the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the second women's major of the season.

Pettersen finished two rounds at Bulle Rock at eight-under 136. Webb bounced back from a double-bogey with two late birdies and shot a three-under 69. She was at seven-under 137.

Birdie Kim (71) and Brittany Lincicome (69) were tied for third place at six- under 138.

Annika Sorenstam shot a 69 and was tied with Paula Creamer (68), Morgan Pressel (71) and Meena Lee (69) at 139.

Michelle Wie followed her opening round 73 with a two-over 74 and made the cut on the number at three-over 147. She made back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th holes, where she went bogey-double bogey in the first round.

"My wrist felt a lot better. I felt stronger. I felt like I actually played some pretty good golf out there today," Wie said.

Her withdrawal from the Ginn Tribute last Thursday with a wrist injury caused a stir this week when Sorenstam said Wednesday that the 17-year-old star lacked "respect and class" by showing up over the weekend to practice for the LPGA Championship.

Wie was two bogeys away from shooting an 88, placing her dangerously close to an obscure LPGA Tour rule that disqualifies any non-member for the remainder of the season if they shoot an 88 or worse.

Thursday, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens joined the chorus of critics by saying Wie was "not very respectful" in her decision. Friday, Wie was asked if she's had a chance to speak with her most vocal critic.

"I haven't really seen her this week," Wie said, referring to Sorenstam.

By making the cut, she will have two more days of opportunities to speak with Sorenstam, who posted six birdies Friday to make up for a double-bogey at No. 2 and a bogey at No. 4.

Sorenstam is playing for the second straight week after missing two months with a ruptured disk in her back. She won this event three straight times from 2003-05.

"I'm a competitor and I might be a little injured physically, but let me tell you, mentally I'm not,' said Sorenstam. "I'm probably strong as ever. So that's really what keeps me going."

Pettersen played in the first morning tee time off No. 1 Friday and made birdie at the first hole when she knocked an 80-yard wedge shot within tap-in range. She followed that with a bogey from the bunker at No. 2, then didn't make another bogey until the 13th hole.

In between, Pettersen made three birdies. She added three more in a row from the 15th hole to take the early lead, including a 15-foot putt at 16.

Pettersen, who won Michelob ULTRA Open in May, was asked if her first two rounds this week are the best golf she's ever played.

"I don't think so, but it's solid," she responded. "You should never say you're in control because then the game will get you the next day. I hit some good shots. I hit some half-decent shots. There's room for improvement."

Webb spent most of her round flirting with Pettersen's lead. She left a birdie putt at the edge of the cup on the 18th -- her ninth hole -- and was one shot down around the turn.

She fell three shot back with a double-bogey at the par-three third, where she missed the green left with an eight-iron. But Webb made birdies putts from 10 feet on No. 5 and five feet on No. 7 to climb back within a shot.

Last year, Webb lost to Se Ri Pak in a playoff when Pak stuck her approach within inches for birdie at the first extra hole. She won this event in 2001.

"I shot two rounds in the 60s pretty easily I feel," Webb said Friday. "So, another couple of rounds like that would definitely give me a good shot."

World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa shot her second consecutive 71 and was among a group of five players who were tied at two-under 142, six shots off the lead. Ochoa has won eight times in the last 14 months, but is still looking for her first major.

Pak, a three-time McDonald's LPGA champion, was a shot behind Ochoa at one- under 143. She had a 70 on Friday.

Eight-four players made the cut. Among those who missed the weekend were Ai Miyazato, Beth Daniel, Julieta Granada and Grace Park and 1995 winner Kelly Robbins.

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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

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