Masters week is never easy for Charles Howell

Golf Betting Lines

04/05/2007 - Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charles Howell III was in the middle of a swing change when he shot 80-84 in the first two rounds of last year's Masters to finish dead last before the cut.

It was Howell's fifth trip to the Masters, and Augusta's darling was mired in a run of mediocrity at the season's first major.

"I've never seen it easy out here," Howell said Thursday after beginning this year's Masters with a three-over 75.

That's an understatement.

In his last two trips to Augusta, Howell missed the cut with a combined score of 25-over par through four rounds. His best finish came in 2004, when he closed with his lowest Masters round ever (a 70) to tie for 13th place.

"Every shot is such a grind around here," he said Thursday.

Things were easier for Howell as a kid.

A former prodigy who grew up playing at Augusta Country Club, Howell first broke 70 in competition when he was 10 and had won five tournaments before his 11th birthday.

Around the same time, he began working with David Leadbetter.

More success followed, and Howell became the 2000 NCAA champion at Oklahoma State and a two-time All American. He turned professional in 2000, six days after his 21st birthday, and broke through for his first win at the 2002 Michelob Championship.

Yet, professional success largely eluded Howell in his first seven seasons on the PGA Tour, where he did little more than post top-30 finishes on year-end money lists.

In 2005, he finished three shots behind Tiger Woods at the Buick Invitational after his approach shot at the 72nd hole hit the base of the flag and spun back into the water.

Howell's near-eagle ended up as a bogey.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," he said at the time. "Obviously, it's a crazy game."

And that's how it was for Howell...at least until recently.

Howell split with longtime coach Leadbetter, changed his swing and began making headlines early this season by beating Phil Mickelson in a playoff at the Nissan Open and posting five top-10 finishes in nine starts.

This week, he entered the Masters ranked second on the new FedEx Cup points list and for the first time was a legitimate threat to win in front of a home crowd. But a familiar scene unfolded Thursday.

Howell struggled at Augusta, especially on the back nine.

He was one-over par on the front nine with two bogeys and a birdie -- but it was a tough day for scoring, and even Tiger Woods was one-over around the turn.

Howell made his second birdie at No. 13 to briefly get back to even-par, then three-putted for consecutive bogeys at 14 and 15 before tacking on another bogey at 17.

His 75 was tied for 30th place when he finished.

"I didn't play that poorly, other than a couple of three-putts," Howell said. "I just have to do better on the greens. It's playing extremely firm and fast."

As always, Howell had plenty of support from the gallery -- "It's always fun playing in front of family and friends," he said -- but it remains to be seen whether he will finally parlay that into a weekend run at Augusta.

Like he said, it's never easy.

Footballgambleworld Golf Betting News

<< McBraves sweep Phils
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian McCann drove in two more runs and Kelly Johnson highlighted a six-run fifth inning with a two-run homer, as the Atlanta Braves completed a three-game series sweep of the Philadelphia Phillie

<< Redskins ink CB Macklin
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Redskins signed cornerback David Macklin on Thursday. Macklin spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, after spending the first four years of his NFL career with the Indiana

<< Saints release K Carney
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Veteran kicker John Carney asked for and was granted his release by the New Orleans Saints on Thursday. Carney requested the release after the Saints traded a sixth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft to th

<< Cowboys re-sign WR Crayton
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Cowboys restricted free agent wide receiver Patrick Crayton signed his one-year, $1.3 million tender offer on Thursday. Crayton compiled a career-high 36 catches for 516 yards and four touchdow

<< Arizona's Williams declares for NBA Draft
Tucson, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Arizona sophomore forward Marcus Williams will declare himself eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft. Williams will reportedly sign with an agent, eliminating the possibility he would return

'07 Preview: Crew looking to go from worst to first >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's pretty obvious that the Columbus Crew would like to improve on its 2006 season. Last season, the Crew finished with the worst record in Major League Soccer at 8-15-9 in head coach Sigi Schmid's first s

Michigan State moves into finals >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Mueller had a goal and an assist to help the Michigan State Spartans advance to their first championship game since 1987 with a 4-2 win over the Maine Black Bears in the Frozen Four. Nick Such

Huggins leaves K-State for West Virginia >>
Manhattan, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bob Huggins is heading back to his alma mater as he is leaving Kansas State to take over the men's basketball team at West Virginia. "This is a tough day for the entire K-State nation," said athletics dir

What they're saying at the Masters >>
Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first round at this year's Masters turned out to be one of the toughest in history. But as Augusta native Charles Howell III said, "I've never seen it easy out here." Here's what some others were saying T

Diamondbacks OF Hairston leaves game >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona outfielder Scott Hairston left Thursday's game against the Nationals when he fouled a ball off his left leg. With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the first, Hairston fouled a pitch

MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook that aims to keep betting fun. The company sees itself as a premier provider of a top-shelf gambling entertainment experience. MySportsbook knows that this can not be accomplished if gamblers are struggling through the betting process, so the emphasis is put on simplicity and ease of use.

Established in 1997, MySportsbook was the first sportsbook to offer the Instant eCheck method, and has since continued on to be one of the most innovate and fastest growing internet sportsbooks the industry has seen. A player doesn’t have to look very far before coming across one of the many sportsbooks that have cloned MySportsbook’s written policies, web pages and advertising campaign, hoping to bottle some of MySportsbook’s magic.

Although MySportsbook’s growth is largely attributed to their talented in-house marketing team, every successful bookmaker will agree that bringing the players in is only half of the battle. In a time when most internet sportsbook were nickel-and-diming players, MySportsbook was creating ways to make bonuses automatic and absent of fine print, while offering all payouts free of charge. This sportsbook also accepts Visa & Mastercard sportsbook.

Almost everything on the online sportsbook site is set in the model of simplicity, making the CS clerk’s job easy as well. Each account action made online results in an automated email sent to the client. When calling MySportsbook, the player feels as if his call is in the united states as no accents can be heard through a state of the art telecommunications system. Few online sportsbooks can compete with My Sportsbook when it comes to offering a fun and hassle-free experience to the small to moderate sized gambler.

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

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.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.