Ryu grabs lead at Women's Australian Open

Golf Betting Lines

02/10/2012 - Victoria, Australia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning U.S. Women's Open champion So Yeon Ryu fired a four-under 69 on Friday to climb into the lead after two rounds of the Women's Australian Open, while Hee Kyung Seo used a big round to get into contention.

Ryu sits at six-under-par 140, one shot in front of Seo, whose seven-under 66 on Friday turned her chances around after she began the LPGA season-opener with a 75.

The two are in a familiar spot, competing at the top of the leaderboard. Ryu beat Seo in a three-hole playoff to win the U.S. Women's Open title last July. Seo then went on to win rookie of the year, the same honor Ryu is aiming for in 2012.

"It is still the start of the season," Ryu, who was a member of the Korean LPGA last year, said. "I don't know how I can win the tournament. But the goal is rookie of the year."

First-round co-leaders Stacy Lewis and Sarah Kemp both struggled Friday. Kemp shot a six-over 79 and dropped into a tie for 19th at plus-two, while Lewis persevered through an eventful back nine to post an even-par 73.

During a seven-hole stretch, Lewis posted three bogeys, a triple-bogey, two birdies and an eagle. She reached seven-under, then fell to two-under, and needed the eagle at No. 17 just to make par for the round.

She sits in third at four-under-par 142, tied with Jessica Korda (70), Julieta Granada (72) and Melissa Reid (71).

Yani Tseng, the two-time defending champion, posted a quadruple-bogey at No. 7 and finished with a 76 to drop to even-par overall. Only nine players have been able to stay below par through two rounds.

Seo's round was all the more impressive because she bogeyed two holes, including her first, No. 10. But after that, she ran off three consecutive birdies -- and six in her next eight holes overall -- to make the turn at three-under.

She was cruising until a bogey at the par-four No. 4, but again rebounded immediately. Seo drained consecutive birdies at five and six before adding another at the eighth, ending her ascent. The 66 is the best round of the tournament so far.

"Sometimes when I play this kind of course, I am afraid too much about the course and can't play my game and can't make my own swing," Seo said. "But today I was thinking about routine process and coming on the target and that worked really good."

Ryu didn't have as far to go to get to the top of the leaderboard, having posted a two-under 71 on Thursday.

She didn't get off to the best start Friday, with a bogey on her second hole. But, like Seo, she used a string of birdies to rebound.

A birdie at the par-four 13th got the stroke back, and consecutive birdies from the 16th put Ryu at minus-four heading around the turn. She birdied three of her first six holes on the front nine, but a bogey at the seventh bumped her back to six-under.

Still, that was good enough to hold the lead when many players couldn't stay near the top of the leaderboard.

Lewis' fall was extremely abrupt. After a birdie at No. 13 put her at seven- under, she triple-bogeyed the 14th and bogeyed the next two holes to lose whatever grasp of the lead she had.

Tseng was one shot behind the leaders after the first round, and started to make a charge with birdies at the second and third. But the world's top-ranked player, who won seven times on the LPGA Tour and 12 times worldwide last season, also fell quickly.

In addition to the quadruple-bogey, Tseng bogeyed Nos. five, eight and nine, and made the turn at plus-two. She played a bogey-free back nine, but couldn't make up for the 41-stroke front nine.

American teenage sensation Lexi Thompson, who turned 17 years old on Friday, shot another 74 and is tied for 19th at plus-two. She is the youngest winner in LPGA and Ladies European Tour history, having won the LPGA Classic in September and Dubai Ladies Masters in December.

NOTES: The cut is expected to fall at seven-over-par 153. Among those who missed it was Laura Davies (159), the 2004 and 2009 champion of this event. She was also runner-up to Tseng in 2010...Second-ranked Suzann Pettersen posted a two-under 71 on Friday. She had stumbled to an 80 for her first round...Fourth-ranked Cristie Kerr just made the cut, despite shooting a five- over 78 on Friday.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.


Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

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Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

Betting Line

To visit this sports betting site go to BettingExpress.com for all your football betting lines needs.

For sports betting with credit cards site go to BettingExpress.com as well.