DeLaet leads by 2 at Waialae

Golf Betting Lines

01/13/2012 - Honolulu, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Graham DeLaet missed most of last season with a herniated disc in his back.

He is playing this season on a major medical extension and has to earn over $650,000 this season in order to keep his tour card for next year.

So far, so good.

DeLaet fired a seven-under 63 on Thursday to grab a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club.

The Canadian is searching for his first win on the PGA Tour, though he has won three times on the Canadian Tour.

K.J. Choi, the 2008 champion, and Carl Pettersson are tied for second place at minus-five. They were joined there by Kyle Reifers, who made it back to the PGA Tour this year for the first time since 2007.

Last week's winner Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson, who tied for third behind Stricker at Kapalua, both carded four-under 66s and they headline a group of 12 players that share fifth place.

Through seven holes, DeLaet didn't look like he would be the first-round leader. He birdied the first, but gave that stroke back when he tripped to a bogey on the fourth.

After three more pars, DeLaet caught fire. He rolled in an 11-foot birdie try on No. 8, then chipped in for eagle on the par-five ninth.

DeLaet poured in a 37-footer for birdie at 10 to move to four-under. He kept going with a birdie at the 12th.

The 29-year-old parred his next four holes. At the par-three 17th, DeLaet dropped his tee shot within eight feet and he converted that putt for birdie. He played his third to the par-five 18th to about three feet. DeLaet sank that for a closing birdie and a two-stroke lead.

"It's definitely exciting to be back on the golf course," admitted DeLaet. "Great way to start the year. Just being in Hawaii, period, is a great way to start the year and to come out and fire a nice round in the opening round was great."

Last year, DeLaet only played in four events (two PGA, two Nationwide Tour) due to a herniated disc. He had surgery early last year, but admitted it was probably November before he could take a full swing with his driver.

"I'm still progressing, I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent, but better than even before the real bad injury," DeLaet said. "I'm just so excited to be back out. The one thing with the injury, when you're out here on tour, I had a good season my rookie campaign (2010), and then it was all basically just taken away. And I realize now how fortunate we are to be playing golf for a living and you know, my whole attitude is definitely better."

Choi played the back nine first Thursday and had four birdies and a lone bogey on his opening nine. He parred the first six holes of the front side, then birdied two of the last three holes to share second.

Pettersson had a bogey-free round with three birdies on the front and two more around the turn.

Reifers started on No. 10 with a par. He birdied three of the next four holes, but his non-birdie in that span was a bogey at the 13th. Reifers turned at three-under after a birdie on 17. He had three more birdies and a bogey on the front nine.

NOTES: Last year's winner Mark Wilson struggled to a three-over 73, which left him tied for 121st place...Sixty-three of the 144 players in the field broke par in the opening round.

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

Underdog 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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