Clarke leads at Loch Lomond

Golf Betting Lines

07/08/2010 - Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Darren Clarke posted a six-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead of the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

Clarke is riding a hot wave. He captured the unofficial JP McManus Pro-Am earlier in the week as he is trying to get one of the final spots in next week's field at the British Open Championship at St. Andrews. A top-five finisher this week who is not otherwise exempt gets into the field next week.

"I'm a bit of a confidence player," said Clarke, who finished second at the 1997 British Open. "I've been on tour for a long time. Of course I'd love to qualify for next week. My focus is playing this week and playing as well as I can and if that gets me into the Open, then fantastic."

Edoardo Molinari, Graeme Storm and Damien McGrane are knotted in second place at five-under 66.

John Daly, 18-year-old Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa, Stephen Gallacher, Thongchai Jaidee, Peter Hedblom, Bradley Dredge and Johan Edfors are tied for fifth at four-under 67.

This being the final tune-up for next week's Open Championship is one of many storylines in place this week at Loch Lomond.

Phil Mickelson, the Masters champion, is No. 2 in the world, but a win on Sunday or a solo runner-up would give Mickelson his first-ever No. 1 spot in the world rankings.

Mickelson will have some work to do to get to that coveted perch. He managed an even-par 71, and that was with a double-bogey from the brush at 14, and is tied for 44th.

Also at even-par is 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, who is making his first start since earning his first major title last month at Pebble Beach. He was careful not to be too excited about his return after a three-week celebration.

"There were a few good swings in there and a few champagne swings as well," joked McDowell.

But after Thursday, the story was Clarke.

He birdied two of his first five and added another at No. 7 to reach three- under par. Clarke knocked his approach to 10 feet to set up birdie at the ninth to get him one off the early lead.

Clarke joined first place with a birdie at the par-five 13th. He took sole possession of the lead thanks to a five-footer for birdie at the very next hole.

Clarke parred his remaining holes and in a driving rain toward the very end of his round. He is a leader

"Obviously I played nicely all day," said Clarke. "I gave myself lots of chances. As you can see from the scoring, it was pretty tough out there. All in all, very pleased with it."

NOTES: Two-time winner Ernie Els shot a two-under 69...Gregory Havret, who was second to McDowell at Pebble Beach and also returned to the European Tour Thursday, shot a one-under 70. He won this title in a playoff over Mickelson in 2007...Defending champion Martin Kaymer had a 71 in round one...Reigning PGA Champion Y.E. Yang struggled to a one-over 72.

Wwwohmygoodness Golf Betting News

<< Samba Boys no more
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's long been a staple of Brazilian soccer, a free-flowing offensive attack that had opponents in fear of what was coming next. Referred to in Brazil as "Jogo Bonito" - beautiful soccer - fans in Brazil and a

<< Jermaine O'Neal headed to Boston
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics have reportedly agreed to terms with center Jermaine O'Neal. According to the Boston Globe, O'Neal has agreed to the mid-level exception of $5.7 million for the 2010-11 campaign. O'Neal

<< Grizzlies officially bring back Gay
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Memphis Grizzlies signed forward Rudy Gay to a multi-year contract Thursday, officially ending his flirtation with free agency. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Memphis Commercial Appeal bac

<< Duke draws Princeton in CBE field
Princeton, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The CBE Classic revealed its regional lineup for the upcoming season with Duke and Princeton highlighting the early matchups. Duke, Kansas State, Gonzaga and Marquette were previously selected as

<< '10 U.S. Open will set prize-money record
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2010 U.S. Open will offer the richest purse in tennis history, at over $22.6 million, with the singles winners pocketing at least $1.7 million apiece. The overall prize money is up $1 million

Agent: free agent DL Smith to miss season with Achilles tear >>
Littleton, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NFL free agent defensive lineman Kenny Smith will miss the entire 2010 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon, according to his agent. The injury occurred while Smith was working out and he's

Rochus, Dabul reach Newport semis >>
Newport, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fourth-seeded Belgian Olivier Rochus and unseeded Argentine Brian Dabul were a pair of straight-set quarterfinal winners Thursday at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. The 5-foot-6 Rochus rout

Phillies activate P Madson from DL >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies have activated pitcher Ryan Madson from the 15-day disabled list. He underwent successful surgery to repair a broken right great toe on May 4. Madson has been on the disab

Suns bring back Frye with five-year deal >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns have signed center Channing Frye to a five-year deal on Thursday. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The Arizona product posted 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest in 81

Oklahoma City and New Orleans complete draft day deal >>
Oklahoma City, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired the draft rights to Cole Aldrich and veteran forward Morris Peterson from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to forward Craig Brackens and gua

MySportsbook.com Releases World Series Championship Lines

New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox early favorites to win 2008 World Series
The Major League Baseball season starts this weekend and MySportsbook.com, a leading online sportsbook for over 8 years, is the first to offer baseball sports betting lines on who will win the 2007 World Series.

"The World Series is the biggest baseball event in the sports betting world and MySportsbook.com is excited that we are first to market with betting lines on every team," says Tim Dalton, Marketing Director, MySportsbook.com. "We are getting things ready for a great baseball season and our members are looking forward to our Player Payback Bonuses, as well as Dime Lines, all season long."

Going in to this weekend, MySportsbook.com's favorites to win the World Series are the New York Yankees at 7-2 and last year’s winners the Chicago White Sox at 9-2.

"These betting lines are ripe for the picking," Dalton added, "baseball fans know that the season is long and many factors, including players staying healthy, will affect these Future odds as the baseball season progresses. Betting on your favorite team in the beginning of the season could prove quite lucrative. We are seeing examples of this right now in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament with a lucky few that placed pre-season bets on George Mason to win it all. Anything can happen."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs..

About www.MySportsbook.com
MySportsbook.com is the foremost online sportsbook offering Internet wagering to its worldwide customers. Fully licensed and regulated in St. John’s, Antigua since 1997, MySportsbook.com offers a complete range of online casino games, sports betting lines, poker tournaments and horse racing offtrack betting daily through its portfolio of companies and managed services. With over 7 years of experience, MySportsbook.com has become one of the most respected companies in the gaming industry by providing unparalleled 24/7 customer support and timely payouts. MySportsbook.com is part of the SportingBet PLC group of companies that is publicly-traded on the London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) under the symbol SBT.L. MySportsbook.com provides a secure environment for sports and casino wagering and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including MAXIM Magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and CNN’s Paula Zahn Now among others.