Bettencourt leads DiMarco in Reno

Golf Betting Lines

07/15/2010 - Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Bettencourt shot a six-under 66 to take the first-round lead Thursday at the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Bettencourt earned his first 18-hole lead on the PGA Tour largely due to an eagle at the 17th hole. He moved past Chris DiMarco, who had a 67 at Montreux Golf & Country Club to sit alone in second place.

Craig Bowden and 2006 champion Will MacKenzie were another shot further back at 68, while Chad Campbell and former PGA Championship winner Steve Elkington led a large group at 69.

Because the tournament is being played opposite the British Open, Campbell is the highest-ranked player in the field at world No. 93.

The event features a mixture of young pros trying to get their first PGA Tour wins, wily veterans hoping for a good finish, and many players in between.

DiMarco is among the veterans seeking a good finish. On a career downswing, he has now missed three British Opens in a row after playing in eight straight. He was runner-up to Tiger Woods at Hoylake in 2006.

Making the best of his start in Reno, the 41-year-old DiMarco mixed six birdies with one bogey during the first round. He birdied his last three holes, sinking a seven-foot putt at the 18th to take the clubhouse lead.

"I really like the golf course," said DiMarco, who tied for 26th last year on the Montreux layout. "It fits my eye really well off the tee, which is pretty big when you're playing golf, to be able to see the lines that you want to have."

DiMarco has three career PGA Tour wins, but none since the 2002 Phoenix Open. His last victory on any tour came at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in January 2006.

"I still feel like I can win out here," DiMarco said. "My confidence is slowly but surely coming back. I'm starting to get comfortable on the golf course again.

"It's coming back."

DiMarco's lead didn't last long Thursday.

Playing three groups behind him, Bettencourt eagled the par-five 17th after hitting his second shot 260 yards and within three feet of the hole, getting to seven-under par.

Bettencourt then bogeyed the 18th from a fairway bunker, trimming his lead to a shot. He also had six birdies during the round, all in his first 13 holes.

"I'm very pleased with my round," said Bettencourt, a 35-year-old grinder who has never won on the PGA Tour. "I've been struggling a little bit this year with my expectations. I've been battling a few injuries. So it feels good to be feeling healthy and getting out there and playing good golf."

NOTES: Defending champion John Rollins opened with a 71...Tournament host Scott McCarron had a 70...Two-time Reno-Tahoe winner Vaughn Taylor shot a 74...Bettencourt picked up two victories on the Nationwide Tour in 2008.

Sportsbook-internet-sportsbook Golf Betting News

<< Prado, Jones homer as Braves edge Brewers
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Prado and Chipper Jones each homered in the third inning off Dave Bush, as the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves held on for a 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a four-ga

<< Hamilton leaves game with knee problem
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton left Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox with a sore right knee. Hamilton went 3-for-4 in the game with three doubles and upped his batting average to a major league

<< Giants sign Willis to minor league deal
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants have signed left-handed pitcher Dontrelle Willis to a minor league contract. Willis, who was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks earlier this month, will report

<< Scola staying in Houston
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets and forward Luis Scola have reportedly agreed to a five-year contract on Thursday. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the deal will be for $47 million. Last season with Houston, his

<< Liverpool's Torres could play in EPL opener
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Spain international Fernando Torres could feature in Liverpool's first Premier League game of the season against Arsenal at Anfield in just over four weeks' time. It had been feared that the st

Seattle edges D.C. United with late winner >>
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roger Levesque scored in the 89th minute and Kasey Keller made five saves, leading Seattle Sounders FC to a 1-0 victory over D.C. United in MLS on Thursday night at RFK Stadium. Keller made a few great s

Rangers use big first inning to beat Red Sox >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bengie Molina's two-run home run capped a six- run first inning as the Texas Rangers downed the Boston Red Sox, 7-2, to start the second half of the season. Nelson Cruz went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a r

Goldberg leads Canadian Tour's Players Cup >>
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Goldberg shot a six-under 65 to take the first-round lead Thursday at The Players Cup. Goldberg had six birdies in a flawless round on the Pine Ridge course to build a one-stroke lead over Brady Stockto

Nuggets sign Harrington >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets have signed free agent forward Al Harrington. Terms of the deal weren't released, but it's believed to be a five-year, $34 million contract. Harrington averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1

Carpenter masters Dodgers again >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Carpenter pitched eight strong innings and remained unbeaten against the Dodgers, and the St. Louis Cardinals started the post All-Star break with a 7-1 win in the opener of a four-game series. Carpent

MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.