07/02/2009 - Bethesda, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending champion Anthony Kim set the course record with an eight-under 62 at Congressional, taking the first-round lead Thursday at the AT&T National.
Tiger Woods, the tournament host, shot a six-under 64 to share second place with D.A. Points and Bryce Molder. Australia's Steve Elkington had a 65, while Jim Furyk led a three-way tie at 66.
Kim, who made it around the 7,200-yard course without a bogey, collected six birdies on his last nine holes to best the old scoring record of 63 set by Tom Pernice, Jr. and Peter Lonard last year.
In terms of birdies, it was the kind of success the 24-year-old Kim hasn't approached since he set the 18-hole birdie record at the Masters by making 11 of them in the second round.
"I'd like to say it was just me playing fantastic golf, but I got a couple good breaks along the way," said Kim, who also set a personal scoring record on the PGA Tour.
Kim made his eight birdies before Woods even hit the course to play his first competitive round at Congressional since 2007. That was the year Woods founded the Fourth of July Weekend tournament that benefits his foundation and pays tribute to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Woods missed last year's AT&T National after having season-ending left knee surgery following his U.S. Open victory.
He made about 150 feet worth of putts Thursday while shooting his best score since also posting a 64 in the second round of the 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship, which took place in September of that year.
Although Woods has routinely blamed his putting for his sometimes sporadic play this season, he seemed confident with the flat stick on Congressional's soon-to-be replaced greens.
"Today I hit a lot of putts on-line," he said. "Some went in."
Playing catch-up all day, he made four birdies and was bogey-free until hitting into a bunker at the 11th hole. Woods rebounded with a 31-foot birdie putt at the 12th -- this after he cursed his drive, which went into the right rough.
He made back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th, holing a 12-footer on the latter to climb within two shots of Kim's lead.
Overnight rains turned Congressional into a shooting gallery, and 36 players in a field of 119 shot under-par in the first round.
"The golf course could be had," said Woods. "You could be aggressive, you could fire at the flags and the only thing you really had to worry about is spinning the ball back too much."
Kim focused on hitting quality shots and also found the course ripe for scoring, although he took some time to explain the ways he got lucky during the first round.
Unsure of the wind at No. 3 -- his 12th hole -- Kim fired a drive that was headed 10 or 15 yards right of the fairway. The ball kicked left, saving him from a lie behind a tree, and he made a birdie.
On the next hole, Kim's drive was so far right that it missed the trees altogether, leaving him with a clear shot at the green. He made a seven-foot birdie putt there, then completed a run of three birdies in a row at No. 5.
"This golf course fits my eye, and when I hit it wide I seem to get lucky out here," Kim said. "This is one of the very few courses I feel like I get lucky at. I love coming back to a course I have good feelings about, and obviously playing well last year helped. But this course does fit my eye, and I'm starting to see the break on these greens pretty well."
Kim added birdies at the seventh and eighth holes, rolling in a seven-foot putt for the last one.
Saddled with high expectations since he won twice in 2008, and battling a nagging thumb injury, Kim has struggled to crack the top 10 this season. He hasn't done it since tying for second place behind Geoff Ogilvy at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in January, the PGA Tour's season-opener.
But Kim has finally gotten some strength back in his injured thumb, helping him to re-adjust his backswing, and he said his goal now is to win major championships.
Congressional, set to host the 2011 U.S. Open, is a good place to practice.
"I'm starting to focus on my course management because I know at majors that's what's important," said Kim, who tied for 16th at last month's U.S. Open. "This is a major championship type of golf course, obviously, because in two years we'll be here for the Open. I just know that if I'm working on the right things, it's going to pay off, whether it's tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday or next week."
The United States Golf Associations will begin its preparations for the '11 Open next week, when the Congressional greens are scheduled to be ripped up and the soil underneath them replaced.
Woods' tournament will move to the Philadelphia area the next two years to Aronimink Golf Club.
<< Ribery will only leave Bayern for Real
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea and Manchester United appear to have
missed out on signing Franck Ribery after the France star revealed he will only
leave Bayern Munich for Real Madrid.
The two Premier League heavyweights were
<< Arsenal's Wenger hails Wilshere deal
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arsenal's teenage midfielder Jack Wilshere
has joined Aaron Ramsey in signing a new long-term contract with the Gunners.
The 17-year-old broke into the first-team picture at the Emirates Stadium last
sea
<< Napoli's Donadoni: Lavezzi will return
Naples, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Napoli coach Roberto Donadoni is confident
that Argentina forward Ezequiel Lavezzi will return to the club for the start
of pre-season training.
The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with a move
<< Dortmund: Zidan to stay put
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp
insists that his club have no intention of selling Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan
in the current transfer window.
The 27-year-old struggled to make an impact
Panthers sign Leopold, Wilson >>
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers bolstered their defensive
corps Thursday by signing both Jordan Leopold and Clay Wilson.
Leopold, who signed a one-year contract, was acquired on the NHL Draft's
second day from Calg
Bees delay Astros/Padres game >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In the top of the ninth inning of a game
between the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres, a swarm of bees took over
part of left field and caused the game to go into a delay.
With Miguel Tejada at the plate w
Hurricanes retain LaRose for two years >>
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with
forward Chad LaRose on a two-year contract worth $3.4 million on Thursday.
LaRose is set to earn $1.5 million next season and $1.9 million in 2010-11.
The 27-y
Pressel among Jamie Farr leaders >>
Sylvania, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Morgan Pressel, Laura Diaz and Song-Hee Kim
each fired rounds of seven-under 64 on Thursday to share the opening-round
lead of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
Suzann Pettersen and Michelle Wie ar
It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.
As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.
Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.
Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.
Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.
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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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