11/20/2008 - West Palm Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Katherine Hull posted a four-under 68 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the season-ending ADT Championship.
Hull collected her first win earlier this season at the Canadian Women's Open.
In-Kyung Kim, the Longs Drugs Challenge winner, and Ji-Yai Shin, who won twice this season including her first major title at the Women's British Open, share second place at minus-three at Trump International Golf Club.
Na Yeon Choi, Eun Hee Ji and Ji Young Oh are tied for fourth at two-under 70.
This unique event has cuts after the second and third rounds. After two rounds, 16 players will advance, while just eight players will move on to Sunday's final round.
Among those who are outside the top 16 right now are last week's winner Angela Stanford, Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam, women's world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa and Cristie Kerr.
Sorenstam, who will step away from the game after this event, won this title four times before the format change. Since the two-cut format was introduced in 2006, Sorenstam has missed the weekend both times.
The Swede struggled with four bogeys between Nos. 5 and 10, but back-to-back birdies from the 14th got her back to plus-two, which left her tied for 23rd.
"I actually thought I played really well today," Sorenstam said. "I just could not put it together. A little bummed I must say, but those birdies in the end always help."
Ochoa, the defending champion, also finished second here in 2006. She birdied the fourth, but played the next three holes in four-over with three bogeys and a double-bogey. Ochoa carded another double-bogey and three birdies on the back nine to finish at three-over 75. She is tied for 26th, three strokes out of the top 16.
"It was a tough day, not the way I wanted to start. Two double-bogeys today, one unplayable, one in the water. Hopefully tomorrow it gets better," explained Ochoa. "I tried my best and finished strong. "Friday will be a better day."
Hull was steady on the front nine with birdies at two and five. She stumbled to a bogey at the 10th, but atoned for that mistake with a birdie on 11.
The Australian birdied 13, but gave that shot right back with a bogey on 14.
At the 15th, Hull drained a six-foot birdie putt and came right back with a seven-footer for birdie at 16 to take the lead at four-under. She two-putted for par at the last two holes to maintain the lead.
"Definitely better than expected," Hull admitted. "I'm trying to treat it like a regular four-round tournament, where I go out and do my best every day. It is a little different, but you've got to block out everything that's going on and play golf."
Kim dropped a shot on the first, but rebounded with birdies at three, four and nine. Birdies at 14 and 16 briefly gave Kim the lead at minus-four. After a par on 17, she missed the green at 18 and that led to a closing bogey.
"This is my first time playing with these different rules so I am still going to take it one shot at a time," Kim stated. "I'm not really familiar with the course, so I'll be learning something every day."
Shin birdied the first, then sank consecutive birdie efforts at six and seven to turn in minus-three. She traded a bogey for a birdie from the 13th and again from the 16th to share second at minus-three.
Paula Creamer, Christina Kim and Karen Stupples are tied for seventh place at one-under-par 71. Maria Hjorth, Candie Kung, Jee Young Lee, Seon-Hwa Lee, Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel and McDonald's LPGA Championship winner Yani Tseng are one shot back at even-par.
U.S. Women's Open champ Inbee Park withdrew on the back nine due to illness.
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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.
Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.
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.
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