07/04/2008 - Ash, England (Golf Betting) - Ross Fisher shot a four-under 68 on Friday to remain in the lead after two rounds at the European Open.
Fisher, who scorched the London Golf Club for a course-record 63 on Thursday, stood at 13-under 131 overall. His two-shot overnight lead was trimmed to one shot by Graeme McDowell, who carded a 67 to move into second place at 12-under 132.
"I just wanted to go out there and prove that it wasn't a fluke," Fisher said, alluding to his 63 in the first round. "Sixty-three is obviously a tremendous score, but I didn't want to rest. I wanted to press on."
Sergio Garcia moved into contention with a eight-under 64 that vaulted him from a tie for 30th place into solo third at nine-under 135, four shots off the lead.
Soren Hansen had a 67 and was alone in fourth place at eight-under 136. He was the only other player within five shots of Fisher.
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie (67) shared fifth place with Ian Poulter (67), Paul McGinley (68), Michael Jonzon (68) and David Frost (72). They are tied at minus-seven.
Fisher had four birdies in his first 10 holes on Friday, but fell into a tie for the lead with McDowell when he bogeyed the 14th. A near-eagle at the 15th led to a tap-in birdie that moved Fisher into the lead again.
He followed that with another bogey at the 16th, momentarily sharing the lead with McDowell again. Fisher then ended his round with a birdie at the 18th hole, his 16th birdie in the first 36 holes.
"To be 13-under for two rounds, I'm pretty delighted," said Fisher.
The 27-year-old Englishman claimed his only European Tour win at the 2007 KLM Open. He was particularly pleased with his closing birdie at No. 18 on Friday, set up by a seven-iron to about five feet.
"I thought 'I want to hole this. I want to be leading heading into the weekend,'" said Fisher. "And fortunately, I did."
McDowell posted six birdies and a bogey in his second round, including three birdies in his last six holes (he started on the back nine). He played with Garcia, who finished strong with an eagle and a birdie on his last two holes.
"It was fantastic to play with him. He's one of the best ball-strikers in the world," said McDowell. "We had a couple of laughs out there. It was a relaxing atmosphere."
Along with Joakim Backstrom (71), their threesome was a combined 14-under par on Friday. Unfortunately for Backstrom, he missed the one-under cut line by five shots.
<< Martin signs with HMS for 2009
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Martin will replace Casey Mears in
the No.5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports starting with the 2009 Sprint Cup
Series season.
After two years of semi-retirement, Martin declared he is ready
<< Federer, Nadal to meet in third straight Wimbledon final
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Roger Federer, seeking a
sixth straight title here, and two-time runner-up Rafael Nadal were Friday's
semifinal winners at The Championships, Wimbledon. The two superstars will
meet in
<< Indians designate Borowski for assignment
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians designated closer
Joe Borowski for assignment Friday, days after he blew a save against the
Chicago White Sox.
Borowski went 1-3 on the season with a 7.56 earned run averag
<< Report: Boyle waives no-trade clause, headed to San Jose
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning have reportedly agreed
to trade veteran defenseman Dan Boyle to the San Jose Sharks.
According to TSN of Canada, Boyle waived his no-trade clause and agreed to the
deal, which is pendin
Canucks acquire Bernier >>
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Steve
Bernier from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a pair of draft picks on
Friday.
The Sabres will receive a 2010 second round draft pick and a 2009 third ro
Jones, Garciaparra return for Dodgers >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers received a boost
on Friday when Andruw Jones and Nomar Garciaparra returned from the disabled
list.
Garciaparra will play shortstop for the Dodgers in their afternoon contes
Yankees' Damon leaves game vs. Red Sox >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees left fielder
Johnny Damon left Friday's game with the Boston Red Sox after suffering a
left shoulder contusion on a bizarre play in the third inning.
Boston's Kevin You
Leafs agree to terms with Grabovski >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Maple Leafs signed newly acquired
centerman Mikhail Grabovski to a one-year contract on Friday.
Grabovski, 24, was obtained on Thursday from the Montreal Canadiens in
exchange for the ri
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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