McIlroy posts record-tying 63; Woods four back

Golf Betting Lines

07/15/2010 - St. Andrews, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rory McIlory said the thought crept into his head on 17 that he could set or match the low round in a major.

He missed his four-footer for birdie on 17, but closed with a three-foot birdie putt at the last to post a nine-under 63 Thursday at the British Open.

"I was thinking going up 17, what's the lowest score for a major," McIlory stated. "I didn't know it. I know there's been a few 63s, but wasn't sure if there were any 62s. That might have crept into my mind a little bit hitting that putt on 17."

It was the 24th time a player has posted a 63 in a major championship, but just second time it has happened on the Old Course at St. Andrews. It was also good enough for an early three-stroke lead for McIlory.

John Daly, the 1995 Open champion at St. Andrews, shares second place with Andrew Coltart at minus-six.

Three-time Open champion and world No. 1 Tiger Woods posted a five-under 67, carding six birdies and a lone bogey on the 17th. He hasn't played a bogey- free round all year.

Woods was joined in fourth place by Marcel Siem, Nick Watney, 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and Sean O'Hair.

McIlroy didn't look like he'd be near the top of the leaderboard at the start of the round.

The 21-year-old from Northern Ireland birdied the third, but otherwise parred on seven of his first eight holes. His run started with an eagle on the par- four ninth.

Around the turn, he poured in three consecutive birdie chances from the 10th to jump to six-under. McIlroy knocked his second shot on the par-five 14th onto the forward tee of No. 15.

He chipped to 10 feet and drained that to take the lead at seven-under, then knocked in an eight-footer for birdie at the 15th to push his lead to two strokes.

McIlroy parred on 16 and 17, where his four-footer for birdie lipped out. At the last, he pitched his third to three feet and knocked that in for a closing birdie.

Woods had a steady round that started with a birdie on the second. After four pars in a row, he two-putted for birdie on the seventh and moved to three- under with a 22-foot birdie putt at the ninth.

On the back nine, Woods made his run and it started with a two-putt birdie on the 12th. He poured in a 20-footer on 13 and made it three straight with another two-putt birdie at 14.

He was two back at the time, but his deficit doubled late. After McIlroy closed with a birdie, Woods missed a four-foot par putt at 17 to slide four back.

Woods' drive at the last got close enough to the green for him to putt his second. He played a big-breaking putt within seven feet, but missed the birdie putt on the left edge.

"I played pretty good today, I just missed two short putts there at 17 and 18," said Woods, who won two of his three Open titles on the Old Course. "It could have been a pretty special round. We had good weather. It felt like we were playing in a dome. The course could be had."

In his three British Open titles, Woods either led or trailed by one stroke after the first round. That won't be the case when Thursday's opening round finishes.

Defending champion Stewart Cink posted a two-under 70 with three birdies and a bogey. The man Cink defeated in a playoff last year at Turnberry, Tom Watson, managed a one-over 73.

Watson bogeyed three straight holes from the second, but birdied the fifth and got another back at the 14th.

"The course played very easy today," Watson admitted. "The wind is starting to come up and the prediction is that we're going to see stronger winds this afternoon and it's really going to blow tomorrow. The people in the morning had a big advantage, and I didn't take very good advantage of it."

Wwwasurebet Golf Betting News

<< Golf Tidbits: Which 50-something will make a run at the British?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The British Open returned to the Old Course at St. Andrews this week for the 28th time. No course has hosted more Open Championships. In keeping with the vintage of the historic venue, the story of the las

<< McIlroy posts record-tying 63 at St. Andrews
St. Andrews, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rory McIlory said the thought crept into his head on 17 that he could set or match the low round in a major. He missed his four-footer for birdie on 17, but closed with a three-foot birdie put

<< NBA's West has plea hearing on Md. weapons charges
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West is scheduled to appear in court in Maryland for a plea hearing stemming from his 2009 arrest for carrying weapons and speeding on a motorcycle.A spokesman for Prince George's County S

<< Daly off to flying start at British Open
St. Andrews, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Daly has played golf all over the world the last few years in search of his form that helped him earn five PGA Tour victories. Daly came from out of nowhere to win the 1991 PGA Championship

<< Angels need offense for second-half AL West race
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -After Torii Hunter spent the past 48 hours shaking hands, hosting parties and generally serving as the Angels' unofficial host of the All-Star game, the Los Angeles outfielder was more than ready to get back to his day job.``I

Pierce makes it official, re-signs with Celtics >>
BOSTON (AP) -The Boston Celtics have re-signed captain Paul Pierce.The club made the official announcement Thursday, six days after a team official said it had reached an agreement to keep the star forward.The Boston Herald had reported that the con

White Sox put win streak on the line versus rival Twins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An eight-game winning streak propelled the Chicago White Sox to the top of the American League Central at the All-Star break. Tonight, they put that streak on the line against a division foe, as they open a four- game set wit

Angels hope to get second half off to good start vs. Mariners >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - No team was happier to see the All-Star break than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hopefully recharged, the Angels get their second half started with the opener of a four-game set with the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium

Szavay stays hot; Dulgheru pulls out in Prague >>
Prague, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last week's Budapest titlist Agnes Szavay was among Thursday's second-round winners, while second-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania pulled out of the draw at the $220,000 Prague Open te

Giants, Lincecum welcome a returning Beltran to the Bay Area >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum didn't help the National League break its lengthy losing streak in the All-Star Game, but the New York Mets may have wished he had. The rested two-time NL Cy Young Award honoree will take the mound when the Sa

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.