Blumenherst downs Munoz for U.S. Women's Amateur title

Golf Betting Lines

08/10/2008 - Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amanda Blumenherst grabbed her first lead on the 31st hole and held off Azahara Munoz for a 2 & 1 win at the 108th U.S. Women's Amateur at Eugene Country Club.

Blumenherst, last year's runner-up, got up and down for par on the 35th hole to seal the match after Munoz missed an eight-foot birdie putt.

The 21-year-old Blumenherst is the first collegian to win this trophy since Virada Nirapathpongporn in 2003.

"I never got frustrated. I just kept with it," Blumenherst said. "Azahara didn't really make any mistakes and I was playing well. My putting kind of started off a little shaky, but I stayed strong and stayed patient with it. My coach told me to stay patient all day and it'll win it for you and it did."

Munoz had a 2-up lead twice on the first 18 holes and they both came on the front nine. Blumenherst rallied to square the match as she rolled in a 14-foot birdie putt on the par-four 15th.

The 20-year-old Munoz made par at the last to take a 1-up lead into the afternoon 18. Blumenherst was unable to get up and down for par on the 19th to fall 2-down for the third time.

Blumenherst kicked in a short birdie putt on the 21st, but Munoz chipped in for birdie on the 23rd to take a 2-up lead for the fourth and final time.

Munoz, the 2008 NCAA Individual champion, missed a four-foot par putt at the next as her lead dropped to 1-up. The duo halved the next three holes, before Blumenherst made her move.

The three-time All-American from Duke sank a seven-foot birdie putt on the 28th hole to square the match. Blumenherst got up and down for par on the par- five 31st and that was enough for the win as Munoz made a mess of the hole, walking off with a bogey.

Blumenherst two-putted for birdie on the par-five 34th to push her advantage to 2-up after Munoz missed a 20-foot birdie try. On the 35th, Blumenherst got up and down for par from a greenside bunker to seal the win.

"Last year I played great the whole tournament, I just rushed the last match. I pushed where I didn't need to," explained Blumenherst. "This year, I was just patient and was able to give it my best. I definitely got nervous late in the match. But I'm really confident in my sand game and I took a deep breath and got it done."

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.