10/10/2008 - Timonium, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Ben Crenshaw held the 36-hole lead was the 1995 Memorial.
That changed on Friday.
Crenshaw fired a four-under 66 in round two to move to the top of the leaderboard after 36 holes of the Senior Players Championship, the final major of the year on the Champions Tour.
Crenshaw finished two rounds at seven-under 133 and is one shot clear at Baltimore Country Club.
"Not much explanation for it this week," said Crenshaw.
Fred Funk, who won the last major on the 50-and-over circuit, the Tradition, managed a two-under 68 and is alone in second place at minus-six.
Gene Jones (66) and Tom Jenkins (68) share third place at five-under 135.
They are all looking up at a two-time Masters champion.
Crenshaw broke into red figures with a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-three second hole. He parred his next five, but found trouble at the eighth. Crenshaw's seven-iron approach landed in a greenside bunker and he could not get up and down for par.
Crenshaw caught fire on the back nine and did so quickly. He hit a five-iron to 25 feet at the par-three 11th and drained the birdie putt. One hole later, Crenshaw sank a 15-footer for birdie and Crenshaw was now at five-under par for the championship.
Once again, Crenshaw took advantage of the par threes. At the 180-yard 15th, Crenshaw knocked a five-iron to 10 feet to set up birdie. He hit a five-wood to 25 feet at the 458-yard 17th and rolled in that birdie putt to grab first at minus-seven.
Crenshaw only managed to get his approach just inside 60 feet at the closing hole. Always considered one of the best putters in the history of the game, Crenshaw lagged it inside four feet. He converted for the par and the first 36-hole lead in 13 years.
"I'm pleased with the way I'm playing," said Crenshaw. "So far, my rhythm has been fine. Some of the putts on the back nine were bonuses. I'm driving the ball well."
It was 13 years ago that Crenshaw last held a piece of the 36-hole lead. He shared first with Robert Gamez at the Memorial and Crenshaw eventually tied for fifth behind Greg Norman.
Crenshaw last won anywhere in 1995. It was that year that he emotionally won his second green jacket at the Masters after the death of his longtime coach and mentor, Harvey Penick.
"I've been anything but predictable in my career," admitted Crenshaw. "I've had some wonderful things happen in my career. I feel capable at times."
Mark O'Meara (67), John Morse (68), Bernhard Langer (70) and Nick Price (66) share fifth place at four-under 136.
Leading money winner Jay Haas (70), D.A. Weibring (70), Andy Bean (69), Scott Hoch (71) and Scott Simpson (67) are knotted in ninth place at three-under 137.
Defending champion Loren Roberts is one of seven players tied at one-under-par 139 after a one-under 71.
The three first-round co-leaders struggled on Friday.
Phil Blackmar was the best of the group with a three-over 73 and he fell into a tie for 14th at minus-two,
Bruce Fleisher and Des Smyth both posted rounds of five-over 75 and dipped into 28th place at even-par 140.
<< Falcons WR White listed as questionable
Flowery Branch, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy
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Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan
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Vienna, Austria (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - French Open semifinalist Gael Monfils
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Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
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against Denver.
Walker has knee troubles and was not on the practice field at all
Pacers trade F Williams to Mavs, extend Foster >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indiana Pacers traded forward
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Kitna, officially list
Stroud grabs first at Texas Open >>
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Stroud fired a six-under 64 on Friday
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“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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