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04/08/2010 - Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fred Couples fired his lowest round ever at The Masters, a six-under 66 on Thursday, and earned the first-round lead at The Masters at Augusta National.
Tiger Woods made his return to golf and it was a triumphant one.
Woods posted a four-under 68, which was the lowest opening-round score in his Masters career.
"I expected to go out there and shoot something under par," acknowledged Woods. "It felt normal. The reception was incredible all day. I was pretty calm all day."
Woods received a strong response from the gallery when he marched to the first tee at 1:42 p.m. (et). It was his first round on the PGA Tour since last year's Tour Championship. He missed the last five months in a self-imposed exile as a sex scandal rocked the four-time winner's world.
Woods posted two eagles on Thursday, a first in his Masters career, and mixed three birdies and three bogeys. He is tied for seventh place.
While Woods dominated the headlines, there were some amazing stories ahead of him on the leaderboard, and not just from the 50-year-old Couples.
Sixty-year-old Tom Watson, two-time champion Phil Mickelson, Woods' playing partner K.J. Choi, world No. 4 Lee Westwood and reigning PGA Champion Y.E. Yang are knotted in second place at five-under 67.
But the story, despite the star power atop the leaderboard, was Woods.
He collected his first birdie at the third, but dropped a shot at seven. Woods eagled the eighth from seven feet and birdied the ninth. Woods lost a stroke at 10, but played well on the back nine.
The No. 1 player in the world had nine feet for eagle at 13, but his putt lipped out. Woods settled for birdie, but bogeyed 14 when his approach sailed well left of the green.
Woods responded with a 10-foot eagle putt at the par-five 15th and was four- under for the championship. He could've gotten to five-under, but a short birdie putt at the last stayed above ground.
"It wasn't a day I could slash it all over the place," said Woods. "I'm very pleased. For the most part, I think I hit the ball well. If I putted well, it could've been a very special round."
Woods was joined in seventh by last week's winner in Houston, Anthony Kim, as well as Nick Watney, Ian Poulter and Ricky Barnes.
Woods was upstaged on Thursday by one of his practice-round partners this week.
Couples, who played with Woods on Monday, came into this year's Masters as perhaps the hottest golfer in the world, although it hasn't come on the PGA Tour.
The 50-year-old has dominated the Champions Tour in 2010. He's won his last three starts on the elder circuit and his only non-victory was a second in his debut to none other than Watson.
"The Champions Tour has been a lot of fun, but this is where I really want to play well and today was a very good day for me," said Couples, who has missed the cut the last two years. "The idea that we're all so old, it's also a blessing if you play well."
The 1992 Masters champion started brilliantly on Thursday with back-to-back birdies at one and two. He dropped a shot at five, but Couples reclaimed the lost stroke with a birdie at the par-five eighth.
After the turn, Couples soared up the leaderboard.
He rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the 12th and followed with a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five 13th. Couples parred No. 14, but hit a delicate chip from over the green to four feet at the 15th to set up another birdie.
Couples moved to five-under for the championship and tied for the lead, but a seven-foot birdie putt at the 17th gave him sole possession of first place.
He had a chance to extend the cushion at the last. Couples' approach to the 18th rolled to five feet, but the putt slid by the hole. He tapped in for his 66 and the first-round lead in The Masters for the first time since 1998.
"Today was, I think, as good a round as I've ever played here," said Couples. "I didn't shoot a 66 today because of luck. But tomorrow it's a lot of pressure to be leading and we'll see what happens."
The pressure will come, not just from Woods, but from those a stroke behind.
Watson had a bogey-free round on Thursday with five birdies and no bogeys. He finished in fantastic fashion with three birdies in his last four holes, including a 30-footer at 15, a 12-footer at 16 and a fantastic five-footer at the last.
Watson lost an epic playoff to Stewart Cink at last year's British Open and on Thursday proved that despite being 60, he can still contend for major championships.
"It's a longshot for somebody, still, honestly, of our age to do it. But still, they can do it," said Watson, who hadn't broken 70 at The Masters since 1997. "Over the past several years I've had some issues with my ability to play this golf course. It's a tough golf course for me. Today it was favorable."
It's not a longshot for Mickelson to do it.
The 2004 and 2006 winner also made his move on the back nine.
Mickelson was one-under through 12 holes, then hit a spectacular second shot to 25 feet at the par-five 13th. He ran home the eagle try to kick off a great run for the world No. 3.
Mickelson made a long birdie putt at 14 and two-putted for birdie at the par- five 15th.
"It was a little three-hole stretch that made the whole round," said Mickelson.
He had a seven-foot look at birdie on the last, but his putt snuck past the hole.
Yang, who became the first player to topple Woods when Woods had a third-round lead at a major last year at the PGA, and Choi both mixed six birdies and a bogey on Thursday, while Westwood had seven birdies and two bogeys.
NOTES: There were storms forecast for Thursday and while it did rain some, play never stopped...Thirty-one players broke par on Thursday...Defending champion Angel Cabrera wasn't one of them...He had a one-over 73 in the first round.
<< Bayern Munich switches focus to Leverkusen
Leverkusen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich lost to Manchester United
in the Champions League on Wednesday, but former legend Franz Beckenbauer said
it was "one of the nicest defeats in the history of Bayern."
Bayern lost to United
<< Nationals hold off Phillies to avoid sweep
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Willie Harris smacked a two-run homer, and
the Washington Nationals held on for a 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies
to salvage a game in this season-opening three-game set.
Cristian Guzman and Ryan
<< Woods cheered in return to golf
Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods took one last practice putt and
began the short walk to Augusta National's first tee, the most anticipated
golf shot in recent memory just minutes away.
Just 18 days earlier, in one of his televised
<< Vanderbilt C Ogilvy entering NBA Draft
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vanderbilt center A.J. Ogilvy has chosen to
forego his senior season of eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA Draft.
Ogilvy also plans to hire an agent, which will officially end his collegiate
career.
"W
MLS increases roster size from 24 to 26 per team >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer announced Thursday it has
added two additional roster slots per club for home grown players identified
and developed by the team.
MLS made the adjustment as part of its ongoing efforts
Real signs Beckerman to four-year deal >>
Sandy, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake signed captain Kyle Beckerman to
a new four-year contract Thursday.
Beckerman, an 11-year MLS veteran, has started 83 games since joining Real in
a trade with the Colorado Rapids during the 2007
Chipper leaves Braves-Cubs game, day-to-day with sore side >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones
left Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs with a sore right side.
Jones had walked in the bottom of the third and raced to second on Brian
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Rays P Niemann leaves game >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann left
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Miguel Tejada lined a pitch off
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
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