Stricker fires 63, leads by 5 at Kapalua

Golf Betting Lines

01/07/2012 - Kapalua, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Stricker is playing his second straight event as the highest-ranked player in the field.

And it showed on Saturday.

Stricker fired a 10-under 63 in the second round to grab a five-stroke lead after two rounds of the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

"It was a good round, a good start. You know, we're halfway through. We've got a long ways to go yet," Stricker said in a televised interview.

The Wisconsin native completed 36 holes at 15-under-par 131.

Stricker, the sixth-ranked player in the world, was also the highest ranked player at the Chevron World Challenge in December. He struggled that week finishing 16th in an 18-player field.

However, Stricker has burst out of the gates in 2012. He missed the Kapalua course record by a single stroke and was two off the tournament's 36-hole scoring mark thanks to a round with an eagle and eight birdies.

Webb Simpson, a two-time winner last year, posted his second straight 68 and is alone in second place at minus-10.

Kevin Na was even-par through 26 holes, but played the next 10 holes in nine- under par, including back-to-back eagles on 17 and 18. His nine-under 64 moved Na into third place at nine-under-par 137.

First-round leader and defending champion Jonathan Byrd (71) and Martin Laird (70) share fourth at minus-eight.

Stricker got his bogey-free round going with a five-foot birdie putt at the third. He two-putted for birdie on the par-five fifth to grab a share of the lead at seven-under.

After Simpson birdied the seventh to move ahead, Stricker matched him with a birdie of his own at No. 7. Simpson slipped one back with a bogey at the eighth, then Stricker took control.

Stricker, who has seven wins over the last three years, tapped in a three- footer for birdie at nine and made it two in a row with a seven-footer at 10.

Armed with a three-stroke lead, Stricker parred the next three holes. After Laird moved within two, Stricker drained a seven-foot birdie try on the 14th. He followed with a 10-foot eagle effort on No. 15 to push his lead to four over Na, who had a stellar finish.

Stricker wasn't finished either. Despite a long delay on No. 17 as Laird, his playing partner, lost his tee shot and had to go back to the tee, Stricker played the hole perfectly.

He found the short grass off the tee, then dropped his second shot within 13 feet of the cup. Stricker ran that putt in for birdie, and closed with a three-foot birdie effort at the last to push his lead to five.

"Golf is never easy, but I had it going today," Stricker said on television. "It's always fun when you get rounds like this going. I felt like I was going to make every putt I looked at for a while. And I gave myself a lot of opportunities, which is key."

Simpson did all of his scoring in bunches. He drained back-to-back birdie tries at two and three. He traded a birdie for a bogey from the seventh.

The 26-year-old Simpson birdied three of the last four holes to jump into second place.

Before Stricker grabbed his big lead, Na was the story with his stellar finish. He bogeyed the fourth, but came right back with a birdie on No. 5. From the ninth to the 15th, he had five birdies in that seven-hole span.

Na, who won in Las Vegas last year, holed out for eagle from over 200 yards on the 17th. He found the green at the long, par-five 18th and poured in a 10- footer for eagle to become the first player to finish eagle-eagle at Kapalua.

"That was exciting. That was a lot of fun," Na said in a TV interview. "I was getting off to a slow start today. I birdied nine to get it under par, and then all of a sudden, the back nine I started getting it together."

NOTES: Byrd is the only previous winner of this event in the field this week...Just three players in 27-man field shot over par in round two...PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, the lone reigning major champ in the field, managed a one-under 72 and is tied for seventh at minus-five, while reigning FedExCup champ Bill Haas is alone in 24th after a pair of even-par rounds...Rory Sabbatini was assessed a two-stroke penalty for being late for his tee time, but rallied for a three-under 70 Saturday.

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NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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