08/24/2008 - Pinehurst, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danny Lee used a hotter putter to defeat Drew Kittleson, 5 & 4, in the 36-hole final at the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Lee poured in 13 birdies over 32 holes of play to become the youngest U.S. Amateur champion. Lee is six months younger than Tiger Woods was when he won his first U.S. Amateur title.
Both Lee and Kittleson earned likely invitations to The Masters as well as the U.S. Open. Lee also will be invited to the British Open with the victory.
"It's like I'm in dreamland," Lee said after the win. "I just can't believe it, I'm so excited right now. I can't wait to get to next year and play in those great events."
Kittleson took the early lead with a 12-foot birdie putt at the first. He pushed his lead to 2-up thanks to a Lee bogey on No. 5.
Lee caught fire shortly thereafter. He stuck his approach within two feet at the seventh and tapped that in to get back within 1-down. Kittleson missed a par putt on the ninth and the pair headed to the back nine all-square.
"Drew played really, really well. He put lots of pressure on me," said Lee. "I was a bit nervous the first nine holes. He was making birdies from everywhere."
The 18-year-old Lee birdied five of the next six holes to pull away. Lee got up and down for birdie and the win on the 10th, then poured in a 15-foot birdie putt on 11 to move 2-up.
Lee birdied the 13th, then parred No. 14 to extend his lead to 4-up. He drained a long birdie putt on 15 and made a solid par-saving putt on the 18th to head to the second 18 with a 5-up cushion.
Both players birdied the 19th hole, Kittleson from 20 feet and Lee from four feet. Kittleson drove into a bush on the 20th hole and walked off with a bogey to drop 6-down.
However, Kittleson staged a remarkable rally to get back into the match. He sank a six-foot birdie putt on the 21st and followed with another birdie on the 22nd to get within 4-down.
Lee knocked his tee ball over the green at the 24th and could not save par from there. Kittleson nearly drove the green at the 25th, then chipped in for eagle to get within 2-down.
After they halved the 26th hole, it was all Lee. He birdied the 27th from five feet out, then got up and down for birdie on the next to push his advantage back to 4-up.
The duo matched pars on the next three holes. At the par-four 32nd, Lee closed out the match by draining a 30-footer for birdie.
"I tried to make something happen, being 5-down especially how well he was playing," stated Kittleson, of his plans for the second 18. "I thought I did actually. I bogeyed the second to go 6-down then reeled off two birdies in a row, won a hole with a par, then made an eagle and halved with a birdie, all in consecutive holes. I got to 2-down, but he made four in a row.
"I had (three) bogeys for 32 holes. I can't really complain about my play, just caught him on the wrong day."
<< Report: Giants' Umenyiora done for season
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants defensive end Osi
Umenyiora will miss the entire 2008 season after injuring his left knee in
Saturday's 10-7 preseason loss to the New York Jets, according to a report in
the New
<< Bengals' Palmer on schedule for opener
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
underwent a brief procedure Sunday for treatment of a nose injury he suffered
in the team's preseason game versus New Orleans.
Palmer played the first half in
<< Falcons sign TE Pollard, release Cooper
Flowery Branch, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran tight
end Marcus Pollard on Sunday and released tight end George Cooper.
Pollard, 36, was signed by New England as a free agent in April, but released
by the Patriots
<< Redskins' Taylor out 10-14 days with knee sprain
Ashburn, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor
is expected to be sidelined 10-to-14 days with a sprained right knee suffered
in Saturday's 47-3 preseason shellacking by the Carolina Panthers.
The injury leav
Ausmus, Erstad homer in extras to lift Houston over Mets >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brad Ausmus and Darin Erstad each homered in
the 10th inning to give Houston a 6-4 win over the New York Mets, in the third
installment of a four-game set from Shea Stadium.
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Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rich Harden was excellent on the mound and
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Piercy wins for second time in three weeks >>
Moscow, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Scott Piercy fired a six-under 64 Sunday to come
from behind and win the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic.
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St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Albert Pujols went 2-for-2 with a two-run
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JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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