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Graeme McDowell, the sole survivorGolf Betting Lines06/21/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - At the end of Sunday's round, it was just a routine two-putt par that gave Graeme McDowell a piece of golf immortality. It was anything but a routine Sunday, however. Pebble Beach played extremely tough all week, not just on Sunday, though it seemed that some players were hesitant to share the reasons for that difficulty. "I kind of know, but I would rather not get into it. It just doesn't sound good," said Phil Mickelson, who was part of the high-powered group that couldn't get it done on Sunday. Dustin Johnson walked into the final round with the lead and good vibes. He won the last two Pebble Beach Pro-Ams, was in good command of his game after a brilliant Saturday and seemed like the type who could handle pressure with his laid-back attitude. Wrong. Johnson was done after a disastrous seven on No. 2. Oh, he made more mistakes throughout the day, but that early, you knew he wasn't ready for major pressure. That's what made this U.S. Open so strange. Johnson imploding wasn't necessarily such a huge surprise, but the fact that Hall of Famers-in-waiting had legitimate chances to get it done and didn't, well, that's strange. Tiger Woods looked like he was back for good on Saturday. After a 66 in round three, highlighted by an approach at 18 that reminded you of Woods' true greatness, it was reasonable to expect big things from Tiger on Sunday, especially if Johnson faltered. Didn't happen. Didn't come close to happening. Woods made six bogeys and two birdies on Sunday and at times looked flat-out bad. He mis-hit irons badly from the fairway and even off the tee. Call it positive thinking or straight-up denial, but Woods said he felt close, if only he could have avoided some bad club decisions. "I fired at the pin on 10. Then hit the wrong club on 12. Should have been a two-iron down there (on six)," said Woods. "You take away those three mental errors right there and I'm right there. I'm tied for the lead." That's an extremely rosy outlook, but he was right. If Woods cut out three mistakes on Sunday, he's warming up for a playoff Monday morning, but Woods played slightly worse than he realizes or is willing to admit. Mickelson also finished three shots behind McDowell, who we will get to later. Mickelson made a ridiculous birdie at the first on Sunday and you felt like it might be his tournament. Hope he enjoyed that one, since it was his only one of the day. Lefty, the eternal bridesmaid of the U.S. Open, tallied three bogeys the rest of the way and never truly threatened McDowell. The most disappointed man Sunday had to be Ernie Els. The two-time U.S. Open champion has two wins this year on tour. At 40, who knows how many more bites at the major apple he'll get? Els got off to a near- perfect start with three birdies in his first six holes, but the Cliffs of Doom couldn't have been more aptly named for Els. He bogeyed nine and hit it so far off-line at 10, he was near a hazard and had to ask an official if he could touch the ground to walk to his ball. When you need permission to brace yourself from falling off a cliff, that's a bad lie. After being tied for the lead, Els went through Nos. 9-11 in 16 strokes, or four-over par. Els was just about done, but he needed to play 17 one more time. It's not like that hole gave him fits. After another bogey at the par three, Els finished four trips to 17 in five-over par. Let's say he plays that hole with two bogeys and two pars - Ladies and gentlemen, the 2010 U.S. Open Champion, Ernie Els! (To let you know how tough Els took this, a man so impossibly nice to most everyone blew past NBC and the media flash-quote area.) In the end, the 2010 U.S. Open Championship belonged to McDowell. Make no mistake, to play Pebble Beach this week in even-par was championship- worthy golf. The USGA strives for par to win the title and they succeeded. Before the event, McDowell was on the fringe of being a major contender. He reminded you a little of Trevor Immelman a few years ago at the Masters in that there was a pervasive attitude in the world of golf that, "Yeah, he could win a major, I guess." McDowell, who is as funny and engaging as the broadcasters said, was not immune from failure either. Over the last 27 holes of a major championship, McDowell made two birdies and six bogeys. McDowell's last birdie of the U.S. Open was at the fifth hole Sunday. Not exactly what you expect from a major winner, but he did make solid pars when it mattered at 15 and 16. When Gregory Havret missed his birdie putt at 18, McDowell could play the hole conservatively and that was all he needed. That was Pebble Beach 2010. McDowell didn't win, he survived. Yes, Pebble Beach was tricky and bordered on a little gimmicky. (The par-three seventh played at 92 yards on Sunday and I'm sorry, that's too short for a major.) But it was still fair. Woods and Mickelson each made the point at various times during the week that if you kept the ball below the hole, you could make birdies. Phil did it on Friday, Tiger on Saturday, but neither did on Sunday. Neither did Els or Davis Love III, who could've made some noise without a poor back nine. Havret actually finished second and had two makeable putts at 17 and 18 that could've forced McDowell to play the last differently. You can't rewrite history. Pebble Beach won this week. Tiger complained about the greens and Phil's vague quote above could be about that. It took the top players in the world, frustrated them to no end and gave a 30-year-old his first major title. And it was one he deserved. "Pint of Guinness, I think there will be a few of those in my future," said McDowell. Anyone that came out on top of this U.S. Open at Pebble Beach deserves a cold beer. Or a room-temperature one.
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Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers will recall pitcher Jay Sborz on Tuesday to fill the roster spot created when Rick Porcello was demoted to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday. Sborz is 1-1 with a 3.04 earned run average
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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attemptTerrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened. The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'" Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV. Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide. NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits. "The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said. The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday. Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine. But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened. The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'" When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself. Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong. The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday. The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV. The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said. Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident. Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine." Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram. "Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance." Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken. It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide. "This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred." Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call. "Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something." At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA. According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center. Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting. Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it. When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems. He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again. Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill. Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee. Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl. Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down. While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday. "My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room. Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule. Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs. |
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