05/10/2008 - Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hennie Otto recorded six back-nine birdies, including three in a row to close his round, for a nine-under 63 on Saturday and a four-shot lead after the third round of the Italian Open.
The South African Otto established a new 54-hole record with his three-round total of 22-under 194, topping Patrik Sjoland's former mark of 195 from 1998.
Overnight leader Robert Karlsson flew out of the gate with an eagle at No. 1, but only managed a three-under 69 on Saturday. He is tied for second place with Christian Nilsson and Alvaro Velasco, who both shot 64 in round three, at 18-under 198.
Otto birdied his first hole, but then dropped a stroke with a bogey at No. 2. He missed the fairway at the third, but hit a seven-iron to 10 feet to set up birdie.
The South African made it back-to-back birdies at four, then polished off three in a row with a 25-footer at the fifth. Otto did well to hole a 20-foot bogey putt at the eighth, then reclaimed the lost stroke with a two-putt birdie from 15 feet at the par-five ninth.
Otto started his back nine with an eight-foot birdie putt at the 10th. At the par-five 12th, he sank a 10-foot birdie putt to take the outright lead at minus-18. He padded the cushion with a birdie at 13, then took some time off from making birdies with back-to-back pars at 14 and 15.
At the par-three 16th, Otto knocked his tee ball inside a foot. He tapped that in for birdie, then hit a terrible tee shot at the short par-four 17th. Otto wedged his approach to 20 feet and made the birdie putt to reach 21-under par for the championship.
Otto got the 54-hole record with a long birdie putt at the last.
"It put icing on the top," Otto said of his 35-footer at the 18th. "I haven't made a long one like that for ... I don't know how long."
"I played well today. I made a few mistakes with tee shots. There are birdies to be made out there. If you can just keep it together, it will come. Really it will."
A win on Sunday will not only be his first on the European Tour, but might erase some horrible memories from earlier this season.
Otto held a five-shot lead overnight at the Madeira Islands Open, but shot a final-round 77. He lost a sudden-death playoff to Alastair Forsyth on the first extra hole.
"I don't have Madeira on my mind," acknowledged Otto. "I just didn't make putts the last day. The greens are so good this week. If you have the right lines, they go in. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Phillip Archer (65) and Ross McGowan (64) are knotted in fifth place at 17- under 199. Gregory Havret (63) and Oliver Wilson (65) share seventh at minus-16.
Estanislao Goya (68), Anders Hansen (68), Marcel Siem (65) and Marco Soffietti (63) are tied for ninth place at 15-under-par 201.
<< Ivanovic suffers SF loss in Berlin
Berlin, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 2 Ana Ivanovic was
bounced in the semifinal of the $1.34 million German Open by seventh-seeded
Elena Dementieva, setting up an all-Russian final at the clay-court French
Open tu
<< Yankees send Rasner to hill against Tigers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees pitcher Darrell Rasner will make his
second start of the season this afternoon, when he takes the hill in the
second contest of a three-game set with the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
Rasner
<< Jays, Tribe continue set in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Currently sitting at the bottom of the AL East Division,
the Toronto Blue Jays will try to grab a victory this evening, when they take
on the Cleveland Indians in the second meeting of a four-game series at
Progres
<< Angels' Saunders tries to stay hot in Tampa
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Saunders will try to continue his dominating efforts
for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight, when they battle the Tampa Bay
Rays in the second contest of a three-game stint at Tropicana Field.
Saunders has
Report: D'Antoni accepts offer to coach Knicks >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike D'Antoni will reportedly bring his
run-and-gun coaching style to the "Big Apple" next season.
The Boston Globe reported on its website Saturday that D'Antoni, who was
granted permission by t
Wolfsburg blasts 10-man Stuttgart >>
Wolfsburg, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marcelinho scored in the 16th minute to
give Wolfsburg an early lead and, after Stuttgart went down a man in the 18th,
the hosts rolled to a 4-0 win in the German Bundesliga on Saturday.
Wolfsburg pulle
Wild coach Lemaire returning in 2008-09 >>
St. Paul, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jacques Lemaire announced Saturday that he
will return next season as head coach of the Minnesota Wild, which will be his
eighth with the club.
There had been some speculation after the second consecutive
Novo leads Rangers to within one of Celtic >>
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nacho Novo scored twice as Rangers topped
Dundee United, 3-1, on Saturday in the Scottish Premier League to cut Celtic's
lead to one point.
Rangers, which plays Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Cup final
Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds
Will he or won't he? Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.
Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.
"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."
Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.
Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.
Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback. It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.
Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Baltimore Ravens 15-1
Buffalo Bills 50-1
Carolina Panthers 18-1
Chicago Bears 10-1
Cincinnati Bengals 15-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Dallas Cowboys 15-1
Denver Broncos 15-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
Green Bay Packers 50-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Indianapolis Colts 6-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 30-1
Miami Dolphins 40-1
Minnesota Vikings 75-1
New England Patriots 10-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 20-1
New York Jets 30-1
Oakland Raiders 100-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1
Saint Louis Rams 60-1
San Diego Chargers 6-1
San Francisco 49ers 75-1
Seattle Seahawks 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1
Tennessee Titans 40-1
Washington Redskins 50-1
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