DeLaet leads by 2 at Waialae

Golf Betting Lines

01/13/2012 - Honolulu, HI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Graham DeLaet missed most of last season with a herniated disc in his back.

He is playing this season on a major medical extension and has to earn over $650,000 this season in order to keep his tour card for next year.

So far, so good.

DeLaet fired a seven-under 63 on Thursday to grab a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club.

The Canadian is searching for his first win on the PGA Tour, though he has won three times on the Canadian Tour.

K.J. Choi, the 2008 champion, and Carl Pettersson are tied for second place at minus-five. They were joined there by Kyle Reifers, who made it back to the PGA Tour this year for the first time since 2007.

Last week's winner Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson, who tied for third behind Stricker at Kapalua, both carded four-under 66s and they headline a group of 12 players that share fifth place.

Through seven holes, DeLaet didn't look like he would be the first-round leader. He birdied the first, but gave that stroke back when he tripped to a bogey on the fourth.

After three more pars, DeLaet caught fire. He rolled in an 11-foot birdie try on No. 8, then chipped in for eagle on the par-five ninth.

DeLaet poured in a 37-footer for birdie at 10 to move to four-under. He kept going with a birdie at the 12th.

The 29-year-old parred his next four holes. At the par-three 17th, DeLaet dropped his tee shot within eight feet and he converted that putt for birdie. He played his third to the par-five 18th to about three feet. DeLaet sank that for a closing birdie and a two-stroke lead.

"It's definitely exciting to be back on the golf course," admitted DeLaet. "Great way to start the year. Just being in Hawaii, period, is a great way to start the year and to come out and fire a nice round in the opening round was great."

Last year, DeLaet only played in four events (two PGA, two Nationwide Tour) due to a herniated disc. He had surgery early last year, but admitted it was probably November before he could take a full swing with his driver.

"I'm still progressing, I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent, but better than even before the real bad injury," DeLaet said. "I'm just so excited to be back out. The one thing with the injury, when you're out here on tour, I had a good season my rookie campaign (2010), and then it was all basically just taken away. And I realize now how fortunate we are to be playing golf for a living and you know, my whole attitude is definitely better."

Choi played the back nine first Thursday and had four birdies and a lone bogey on his opening nine. He parred the first six holes of the front side, then birdied two of the last three holes to share second.

Pettersson had a bogey-free round with three birdies on the front and two more around the turn.

Reifers started on No. 10 with a par. He birdied three of the next four holes, but his non-birdie in that span was a bogey at the 13th. Reifers turned at three-under after a birdie on 17. He had three more birdies and a bogey on the front nine.

NOTES: Last year's winner Mark Wilson struggled to a three-over 73, which left him tied for 121st place...Sixty-three of the 144 players in the field broke par in the opening round.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

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

It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.

As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.

Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.

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Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey betting needs.