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05/08/2009 - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Cejka posted a five-under 67 on Friday to move atop the leaderboard after the second round of The Players Championship.
Cejka finished 36 holes at 11-under 133 and is two clear of Ian Poulter, who managed a four-under 68 on Friday, at the famous Stadium Course at the TPC at Sawgrass.
Masters champion Angel Cabrera tallied nine birdies Friday, including seven in a 10-hole span, and ended up with a seven-under 65. That vaulted the two-time major winner into a tie for third at minus-seven.
"All tournaments are important to me. I really haven't changed the way I prepare for them," said Cabrera. "My tee shots were pretty much the difference today. I was able to get the hole started out right."
Tiger Woods managed a three-under 69 and finished two rounds at minus-four. The 2001 champion, who hasn't finished inside the top-10 here since that win, is tied for 22nd place.
Woods was even at the turn after a six-foot birdie at nine, but a 15-foot birdie putt at 10 and a two-putt birdie at 11 got him to three-under for the championship.
He failed to save par from a bunker at the 12th, but back-to-back birdies from the 14th got him to four-under for the tournament. Woods hit a spectacular punch shot from the right rough by a tree at the last, but could not hole his 10-footer for birdie.
"I made a couple of mistakes today, but overall I'm still right back in the ball game," said Woods, who found several terrible lies en route to his 69. "Take your medicine sometimes and move on from there."
One player who didn't have to take his medicine much on Friday was Cejka.
He parred the first hole Friday, but made a great save from left of the green at the par-five second for a birdie. Cejka knocked his tee ball to 10 feet at the par-three third and canned the birdie putt. Cejka made it three in a row at the fourth when he drained a 15-footer.
At the par-three seventh, Cejka hit a seven-iron inside a foot. He tapped in for a birdie, then converted a 30-foot par save at the very next hole to stay at 10-under par for the championship.
After he made the turn, Cejka hit his approach almost 20 feet left of the hole, but slightly off the putting surface. He holed that birdie effort to get to minus-11 and tapped in a short birdie putt at the par-five 11th to become the first player to get to 12-under par.
Cejka parred his next three holes, but found some trouble at the 15th when his approach landed in a greenside bunker. He could not get up and down for par and fell back to minus-11.
Cejka parred 16 and 17, but once again found some problems, this time at the par-four closing hole. He drove into the right rough and missed the green with his second. The best Cejka could muster was a pitch to 18 feet, but he ran home the par putt to finish at 11-under par.
"I didn't really hit the ball as well as yesterday. Yesterday was kind of flawless," said Cejka. "But I still made a couple good up-and-downs, and when I had a birdie chance I took it."
Cejka is quite an interesting leader.
At the end of last season, Cejka had neck fusion surgery and admittedly, came back too soon. He had an epidural injection in his neck just last week to curtail some numbness in his arm and fingers.
"It's still a little bit numb, but there's no pain," he said.
But Cejka's story predates neck surgery or the lead in the Players Championship.
When Cejka was nine years old, he and his father fled Communist Czechoslovakia. They went to Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Italy and eventually landed in Germany.
"I was too young to understand what's going on," said Cejka. "My dad told nobody what he was doing. I was nine years old. Back then I didn't know. For me it was a vacation, so for me it was a smooth ride."
That ride went by foot, by train, by bike and even through water.
"I think we swam across the Rhine," said Cejka, a four-time winner on the European Tour.
He hit a few balls in Czechoslovakia, but started taking lessons when he and his father settled in Germany. Cejka became more interested in golf in the mid-80s when Bernhard Langer started to burst on to the scene.
"I skipped school and I watched him even in pro-ams, and he was my inspiration," Cejka said of Langer. "He was the only German guy who was on Tour, the only German guy who won tournaments, the only German who won a major, so that was inspiration."
Cabrera was joined in third by 2001 PGA Champion David Toms (70), Kevin Na (66), Jason Dufner (70), John Mallinger (71) and world No. 9 Henrik Stenson (69).
Overnight-leader Ben Crane struggled to a one-over 73 on Friday and fell into a tie for ninth with Richard S. Johnson (72), Jeff Overton (67) and Tim Petrovic (70) at six-under 138.
The last two winners of this championship, Phil Mickelson (2007) and Sergio Garcia (2008), both made the cut on the number at even-par 144.
Among those who did make the weekend were: Adam Scott (145), Davis Love III (147), last week's Quail Hollow Championship winner Sean O'Hair (148), 2008 playoff loser Paul Goydos (148) and Anthony Kim (155).
<< In a Hinch: D-Backs tab former catcher new skipper
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Hinch was introduced as Arizona's new
manager at a press conference on Friday, one day after the Diamondbacks
dismissed Bob Melvin.
"It's a big day, an emotional day," Hinch said. "I'm excited
<< A's acquire INF Kennedy from Rays
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics acquired infielder
Adam Kennedy from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday for a player to be named.
Kennedy was assigned to Oakland's Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.
Kennedy, the 2002
<< Ochoa pushes lead to three strokes in Virginia
Williamsburg, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lorena Ochoa posted a six-under 65 Friday
to extend her lead to three strokes after two rounds of the Michelob Ultra
Open.
Ochoa, a three-time runner-up at this event, completed 36 holes at 13-under
<< L.A. trades Fletcher, Welsh to St. Louis for draft picks
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Sol traded defender Kendall
Fletcher, forward Christie Welsh and a 2011 second-round draft pick to the
Saint Louis Athletica for a conditional 2010 first-round draft pick and a 2011
first-r
Kenseth takes pole at Darlington with new track record >>
Darlington, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Kenseth will start on the pole for
Saturday's Southern 500 after setting a new track qualifying record at
Darlington Raceway.
Kenseth, the 2009 Daytona 500 champion, topped the charts wi
Penguins D Gonchar leaves game >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sergei
Gonchar left Friday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against
Washington after a knee-to-knee hit by Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin.
The play oc
Dallas, Houston to resume Texas rivalry >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas renew their
Texas rivalry when they square off at Robertson Stadium on Saturday night.
The Dynamo (2-2-2) are riding a two-game winning streak and would love nothing
more th
Yanks P Kennedy to have surgery >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees pitching prospect
Ian Kennedy has been diagnosed with an aneurysm under his right armpit, and
will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
Kennedy, 24, left an April 27 start for Triple-A
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
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