Four share lead at delayed Italian Open

Golf Betting Lines

05/06/2010 - Turin, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Lawrie posted a five-under 67 Thursday to grab a share of the lead with the first round of the Italian Open suspended due to darkness.

Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, was joined in the lead by Marcus Fraser, Robert Rock and Graeme Storm.

The first round was delayed two hours at the outset as heavy rain over the last few days rendered the course at Royal Park I Roveri unplayable.

Stephen Dodd, David Drysdale, Hennie Otto and Dave Horsey are one stroke out of the lead at minus-four.

Italian teenager Matteo Manassero made his professional debut Thursday with a two-under 70. He was the second youngest ever to play on tour as a pro, as he was nine days older than Seve Ballesteros was when he made his tour debut.

"It was a good round, I played steady for 18 holes," said Manassero, who posted three birdies and a lone bogey.

Lawrie got his round going with a birdie on the fifth. He poured in four consecutive birdie chances from the eighth to jump to five-under.

The Scotsman moved to six-under with a birdie on the 15th, but he gave that shot back as he bogeyed the 17th.

Fraser was the only leader to play the back nine first. After a bogey on 10, he birdied the next three holes. The Australian dropped another stroke on the 16th to slide back to minus-one.

Around the turn, Fraser got one stroke back with a birdie on the first. He parred the next five holes before making birdie on each of the final three holes to finish at minus-five.

Rock bogeyed the third, but came back with three birdies in a four-hole span from the fifth to get to minus-two. He notched three more birdies on the back nine to grab a share of the lead.

Storm had a strong front nine as he birdied the third, then drained three birdies in a row from the fifth to get within one of the lead. However, he stumbled to bogeys on 12 and 14 to slide to minus-two.

The Englishman got one stroke back with a birdie on the 17th and he closed with an eagle at the last to finish at five-under.

"This is the worst start to a season since I came back on tour. I was effectively out for four months with a rotator cuff injury in my left shoulder," Storm explained. "I'm just trying to get some form ahead of the big tournaments this summer."

He almost didn't' start on Thursday for another reason.

"I just sat down for an hour afterwards and then went to see the doctor and he told me I had a viral infection, some fluid in the inner ear," Storm said of Wednesday's pro-am. "To shoot five-under [today] was a great score, I didn't expect it so maybe that's why, maybe I was relaxed."

NOTES: Defending champion Daniel Vancsik was among those that didn't complete the first round...Vancsik finished 16 holes and was at plus-two, which left him tied for 91st...Michael Hoey and Gary Orr both withdrew during the round.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

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