Putnam one clear in Columbus

Golf Betting Lines

07/23/2010 - Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Putnam carded a two-under 69 in windy conditions Friday to grab a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational.

Putnam, who is in search of his first Nationwide Tour title, completed 36 holes at six-under-par 136.

Scott Brown stumbled to a one-over 72, but remained in second place at minus- five. He was joined there by Camilo Benedetti (70), Nick Flanagan (71) and Alistair Presnell (69).

Russell Henley, one of the 10 amateurs in this week's field, carded a one- under 70 in round two and is one of eight players tied for sixth at four- under-par 138.

Putnam parred the first three holes before converting his first birdie chance on the par-five fourth on the Scarlet Course at Ohio State University Golf Club.

The 27-year-old moved to six-under with a birdie on the par-four seventh. He stumbled to a bogey on the ninth to turn at minus-five.

Around the turn, Putnam ran off six consecutive pars from the 10th. He moved back to six-under with a birdie on the 16th. Putnam parred the final two holes to take the second-round lead.

"Anything under par is a good round today," admitted Putnam. "The wind is the worst for golfers. It just blows the ball everywhere and it's tough conditions to play in."

Brown started on the 10th and opened with a bogey. He faltered to a double- bogey on 11, but got one stroke back with a birdie on 12. He bogeyed 15 before a birdie on 17.

He headed to the front nine at three-over for his round and minus-three overall after a bogey at the 18th. Brown birdied the first and third to get back to five-under. After a bogey on six, he birdied No. 8 to share second.

Flanagan birdied two of the first three holes, but dropped shots on the sixth and seventh. He parred the final 11 holes.

Presnell mixed four birdies and two bogeys in his round.

Benedetti tripped to a bogey at three, but birdied three of the next six holes to turn at minus-six. On the back nine, he carded eight pars and a bogey to share second place.

Henley shares sixth place with David Mathis (67), D.J. Brigman (72), Patrick Sheehan (68), Aaron Watkins (67), Kyle Stanley (71), Bronson La'Cassie (69) and Matthew Borchert (70).

First-round leader Jonathan Kaye followed his course-record 63 on Thursday with a five-over 76 Friday. That dropped him into a share of 14th at minus- three.

NOTES: Daniel Summerhays, who became the first amateur to win on the Nationwide Tour when he captured the 2008 crown, is the only past champion in the field this week. He shot 72 Friday and is tied with Kaye in 14th place...Morgan Hoffmann was the only other amateur to make the cut, which fell at one-over-par 143...Seventy-two players made the cut, but Kevin Chappell, Bobby Gates and Martin Piller, who stand third, fifth and sixth on the Nationwide Tour money list, failed to make it to the weekend.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

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