Thursday, August 27th, the Pro Golf Playoffs begin in search of the FedEx Cup and the Ten Million Dollar reward that waits at the end of the 4 week tournament. The battle begins at the Barclays. 124 of the best Pro Golfers will begin in the competition. This will include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh. There is much discussion about these playoffs and where they should rank in importance compared to a Major Tournament. Every Pro Golfer has their own opinion.

Many feel like a Major is more important because they have been around for so much longer. Others feel like this 4 week playoffs for the FedEx Cup brings the best field together for the longest period of time. In addition, the ten million dollar reward is nothing to laugh at either.

The 4 week playoffs begin at the Barclays in Jersey City, New Jersey the first week. The second week will have the top 100 moving on to the TPC Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship. Week 3 of the playoffs will be held at Cog Hill, which is located just outside Chicago.

Here the top 70 players to that point will compete in the BMW Championship. The top 30 players will then meet in Atlanta for the final competition for the FedEx Cup and ten million dollars. It is hard enough to play well against a great field in a one week tournament; it is even harder to do so for a month. The excitement is definately building.

There is one thing the Pro Golfers do agree on when it cups to winning the FedEx Cup. They all agree that you will not see just anybody win it. During a one week Major Championship every once in a while a golfer comes out of no where to snatch it away like Y.E. Yang did at the PGA Championship over Tiger Woods. However, this is not likely to happen in these playoffs. The name that you will see on this Championship Cup will be a well known seasoned golfer.

Y.E. Yang deserves all the credit for winning the PGA Championship but it takes pure greatness to play better than anyone else in the field for 4 straight weeks. Perhaps Yang will surprise again but it is not likely. The FedEx Cup was created to allow the best golfers in the world to compete in a playoff system that is as grueling and competitive as any tournament imaginable. This is a tournament that seperates the men from the boys, the flukes from the real deal. One good week will not do it, two great weeks will not help you; even three great weeks can leave you empty handed. You have to play well in all 4 weeks.

Tiger Woods won the first FedEx Cup but even he will have to play his best for all 4 weeks. This tournament is not for the meek at heart. So who do you put your money one? It is going to be tough but lets face it, Tiger Woods is favored whenever he starts a tournament. Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Remember also to catch up on the latest game odds at Betus.com!

Y.E. Yang became the first Asian player to win a major championship this past Sunday.  This was a remarkable feat considering he was paired with Tiger Woods.  Tiger began the final round on Sunday leadng the pack and it appeared he would easily win the tournament.  It was not to be.  Yang who hails from South Korea played steady with confidence.  Tiger had trouble on the green all day.  Tiger missed some relatively short putts that allowed Yang to first tie and then take the lead.

Tiger Woods looked very comfortable as the day began.  After all, he was 14-0 in tournaments when he had the lead going into the final round.  All in all Tiger proved that he was human after all.  Tiger knew he had played well enough to win the championship but he also knew that unless you get the ball in the hole when on the green bad things are going to happen.  Tiger normally displays great putting technique and has surprised more than one opponent over the years with his short game.  That short game was not to be seen this past Sunday.

Therefore, the 37 year old Y.E. Yang overcame the odds and won the PGA Championship by 3 strokes.  His win inspired Asian golfers around the world.  Not only had Yang beaten Woods in a tournament but in a major as well.  In the end it would be justifiable to say that Tiger Woods defeated himself on Sunday.  After all, Golf is a individual game.  Each player has the responsibility of playing their best game and not truly defeating him or herself.  If Tiger had brought his short game with him on Sunday he would have won the championship.

Never the less it is what it is.  Tiger did not win a major this season.  He may have come close but close only counts in the game of horse shoes.  Y. E. Yang deserves to be proud of his accomplishment.  He played his game on Sunday and displayed moments of excellence that led him to victory.  Anyone who knows anything about golf knows that Tiger will be back.  He is after all, the number one golfer in the world with good reason.  This week however Y. E. Yang can rejoice.  He broke the odds.  I would not bet on him doing so against Tiger again.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Tiger Woods may have missed the cut at the British Open but he has won 2 tournaments since then, the Buick and the Bridgestone, and he now leads the PGA Championship by 1 after his first day.  He shot a 5 under 67 and went bogey free.  He is one stroke ahead of his playing partner.  This would be the same playing partner he dueled with at Bridgestone, Patraig Harrington.  Harrington won the PGA Championship last year and would certainly like to do so again.  Woods, the number one golfer in the world, is favored even though he is yet to win a major this year.  He has won at least one major in each of the last four years.

There has been much discussion about Tiger Woods coming into the PGA Championship.  Tiger has won 5 tournaments this year.  That would be great for the average golfer but once you have taken golf to an entirely different level 5 just is not enough.  Besides, none of those five wins was a major.  Therefore the question posed is if Tiger does not win the PGA and ends the season without a major could he still consider it a successful year?  Most say this year would be a failure for him without a major under his belt.  Perhaps this is true.  Even Tiger judges his success by his ability to win majors.

However, Tiger, although we seldom allow him to be, is still human.  A year without a major would not be the end of his career or a tarnish on his legacy.  He is still the best overall golfer of his generation.  Tiger knows the importance of getting off to a good start.  He also knows that a great day one does not win a tournament.  Tiger is well aware of his field and he knows that to win he will have to be at his very best, which he appears to be after day one.  Tiger has won 2 straight and he knows more than any sports writer how important this major is to him.

At 7,674 yards this course is the longest in PGA Championship history.  That did not stop Tiger today.  Tiger knows that it is not how long the course is but how long you play it.  Tiger has a strong field and although he is favored to win and the odds are normally in his corner the pressure is on.  With players like Harrington, Phil Mickelson, Angel Cabrera and Stewart Cink on his tail he will have to play the course short.  I know it gets boring betting on Tiger Woods but I find it hard to bet against him.  Until we meet again may your betting be better and remember to always be a good sport.

Tiger Woods won the Buick Open in Michigan by 3 strokes and enhanced the ratings of the tournament by 167%.  Tiger had opened the Buick Open with a less than impressive first round but bounced back to take the victory even thought the field of competition was a little weak to say the least.  The Warwick Hills Golf Course hosted its first Buick Open back in 1958 but by the looks of the ratings it could be their last.  If Tiger Woods had not been there the ratings would have been dismal.  Tiger needed this victory so he could feel good about himself once again.  He needed to rebuild his confidence.  Now he feels ready for the next two tournaments where the road to victory will be a little tougher to drive.

Later this week Tiger will begin play at the Bridgestone Invitational.  From there he ventures on to Hazeline for the PGA Championship.  It will be Tiger’s only opportunity to win a major this year.  The Buick Open win was Tiger’s 3rd victory there and his 69th PGA tour victory.  Tiger knew that the end of an era was taking place as he approached the 17th and 18th holes.  He knew he would not be playing on this course again for a Buick Open.  On both the 17th and 18th holes he threw a ball into the crowd.  He never does that but he felt the irony of the moment.  The Greenbrier in West Virginia will pick up the Buick Open in 2010.

Tiger Woods 69 PGA wins place him 3rd all time behind Jack Nicklaus who had 73 and Sam Snead who had 82.  Tiger has won 4 tournaments this year and that is twice as many as any other pro golfer.  He has won 4 out of 11 since coming back from his knee surgery.  Tiger is still at another level even when he is coming off surgery.  That is why he is still the number one golfer in the world.  At the end of the first round Tiger was 95th.  He ended up taking home the trophy.  It was the biggest jump he has ever made in a tournament.

So how will Tiger fare at the Bridgestone Invitational?  I would be willing to bet that Tiger will be very competitive.  He is finally getting back into his stride.  When Tiger Woods is on his game there is no one in the world who can touch him.  Tiger knows how important these last two tournaments are and he will be up for them.  He cannot afford to start off 95th in the first round of the Bridgestone.  He will have to prove here that he is truly back in stride and back on his game.  Are you willing to bet against him?  Until we meet again may your betting be better and may you remember to always be a good sport.

Hello sports betting fans!  No matter how much good information you have the odds don’t always stack up.  At the British Open today two great players walked off the field after the 18th hole.  One of the golf pros was in and the other was out.  One became the oldest player to ever lead in a major while the other was a golf legend who failed to make the cut.  The British Open has been played for almost 150 years and it just goes to show that anything can happen.  So who were these two men headed in different directions on Friday.  The oldest player to lead in a major championship was Tom Watson and the legend going home was the number one golfer in the world, that’s right Tiger Woods.  It was only the 6th time in his career that he missed the cut.  Now Watson has a chance to win his 6th British Open Title.  The 59 year old won his first back in 1975; 5 months before Tiger was born.

In the NFL Brett Farve has informed the Minnesota Vikings that he will let them know if he can play by July 30, which is the first day of camp.  He had surgery on his throwing arm in May and has been trying to work his arm back into shape.  He has been practicing with a local high school team 3 days a week all summer and has now included Sunday’s as well.  There is a lot of controversy about Farve’s return after retiring once again.  He came out of retirement to play for the Jets last season.  The 39 year old Farve had a fairly good season through the first half but struggled some in the second.  Many are questioning his stamina.  The one thing they cannot question is his record.  Brett Farve is destined for the hall of fame and even at 39 he still has more than many of the Quarterbacks in the league.  Here is something you can bet on.  If Brett Farve goes to the Vikings; barring a major injury, the Vikings will win the NFC Central Division.  He does not have to be the Farve of old; all he has to do is control the game and hand it off to Adrian Peterson.  The defense will take care of the rest.

In September spike will begin airing UFC’s Ultimate Fighter 10.  This is where young mma fighters give it their all in hopes of winning contracts in the UFC.  This year however there will be an unusual contestant.  Dana White the UFC President has brought in Kimbo Slice of the Elite XC and Youtube fame to compete.  Kimbo lost his last match in the Elite XC when he was knocked out after only 14 seconds.  Kimbo Slice is a hugh heavyweight but his mma technique needs a ton of work.  He had drew enough attention that he could have went to Japan and made good money fighting exhibition fights but his passion is still to learn and compete in the UFC; the major leagues of the MMA.  Kimbo knows that his experience is lacking and he also knows that many of the younger contestants have been doing this for most of their lives.  The only thing that keeps him going is his will to learn, compete and accomplish what he set out to do.  Until we meet again may the betting be better and the odds go in your favor and remember always be a good sport.

It is hard to believe but the NFL season is right around the corner.  As usual during the off season Coaches were replaced and some big name players were traded to other teams.  Lets briefly look at what may lay ahead in the upcoming season.  In the AFC East watch out for Miami and Buffalo.  In the AFC North Indy and the Titans will fall out of contention and the Texans will make a surprise run.  In the AFC West San Diego should hold on but Kansas City is the team to watch.  In the AFC South the Steelers did a great job of keeping the nucleous of their Super Bowl winning team.  They should win their division but Baltimore will be a thorn in their side again.  In the NFC East eyes are on the Eagles but Dallas may still have something to say.  In the NFC North a lot will depend upon rather Brent Farve ends up with the Vikings.  Chicago should be a threat now that they have a Quarterback in Jay Cutler.  In the NFC South keep your eyes on the upstart Atlanta Falcons with Matt Ryan moving into his second year and having newly acquired Tony Gonzales. The NFC West is up in the air.  Arizona may still be the team to beat there but the Rams and 49ers have second year coaches that are fired up and hungry.  Both could easily make a run in that division.  We will have our precise picks as the season draws nearer.

In the Tennis world there is a lot of anticipation that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may still have a chance to meet in the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Canada next month.  Nadal did not compete at Wimbledon due to a knee injury.  He should be ready to go for the Rogers Cup on August 8th.  Many tennis fans were foaming at the mouth in hopes of seeing the two superstars meet at Wimbledon but it was not too be and Federer ended up winning his 15th Grand Slam and 6th Wimbledon Championship.

In Golf Tiger Woods will visit Australia for the first time in 11 years when he participates in the Australian Masters in November.  Grandstand seats for this event are already selling out.  Woods did not fair well when he played in the 1996 Australian Open where he finished 12 strokes behind winner Greg Norman or in the 1997 Australian Masters where he finished 8th behind winner Peter Lonard.  However, eleven years have made quite a difference in Tiger Woods.  The Melbourne fans know this will be one of the few chances that they will get to see this Golf legend play.

In the UFC they are preparing for their biggest event in history tomorrow night in Las Vegas at UFC 100.  Brock Lesnar is being picked to defeat Frank Mir in their rematch that highlights the event.  Frank Mir won their initial meeting but Lesnar is a little better than he was then.  Georges St. Perrie is picked to beat his opponent Thiago Alves.  There are some exciting matchups on this card and there could be some upsets.  You can check out our lates odds right here at the Sportsbook Gazette.  Somethings in sports never change there will always be the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  Until we meet again good betting and always remember to be a good sport.