Overton shoots 62 for Greenbrier Classic lead
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07/30/2010 - White Sulphur Springs, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Overton fired an eight-under 62 on Friday to take four-shot lead midway through The Greenbrier Classic.
Chasing his first PGA Tour win, Overton had eight birdies in a flawless round and finished 36 holes on The Old White Course with a 14-under 126.
He moved past Boo Weekley, who collected seven birdies for a 63 earlier in the day to post a 10-under 130.
First-round co-leader Erik Compton, the two-time heart transplant recipient, followed his 63 with a 68 on Friday and slipped into a tie for third place with Jimmy Walker (64) at nine-under 131.
Chris Stroud had a 63 and was tied with Aaron Baddeley (65), Briny Baird (65) and Charles Howell III (67) at eight-under 132, while Jim Furyk (65) led a large group at 133.
Overton parred his last four holes after going eight-under through the first 14 to briefly raise the possibility of shooting a 59.
Not that he was thinking about it.
Learning from two prior experiences this season where he allowed the thought of shooting a 59 to creep into his head -- he missed the cut in both tournaments -- Overton just concentrated on the shots in front of him.
"To be honest, as soon as I hit my driver on the first hole and I hit a good wedge shot in there, I knew that I was gonna have a good round," he said. "I was very confident with the way I was swinging my driver, and I knew if I could continue just to put the ball in play and to keep balls in fairways, I knew I was gonna have a good shot at a low number today."
He was the latest among a sudden surge of players who have flirted with carding golf's magic number.
Paul Goydos had the fourth 59 in PGA Tour history on July 8 during the first round of the John Deere Classic. Steve Stricker shot a 60 the same day, nearly holing out for a 59.
Carl Pettersson shot a 60 during the third round of the Canadian Open last Saturday, just missing a long birdie putt at the 18th hole that would have given him a 59.
Overton's bid was all but stopped when he missed an eight-foot birdie putt at No. 6 -- his 15th hole -- to leave him needing birdies on each of his last three holes.
He parred all of them, settling for a career-low score on the PGA Tour.
"I don't really know when the last time I was playing with this much confidence, I guess you could say," said Overton. "I'm also feeling very comfortable."
Overton did most of his damage on the back nine -- his front nine -- by collecting five birdies for a 31.
He made back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th, holing an 18-foot putt for the first. But his real charge came with four consecutive birdies around the turn, beginning with a three-foot putt at the 16th.
Overton got up-and-down from a bunker for birdie at the 17th, rolled in a five-footer at the 18th and finished off the run with an approach inside three feet at No. 1, taking a two-shot lead.
Even when things didn't bounce his way, Overton was able to escape trouble. His tee shot at No. 3, a 205-yard par three, hit a sprinkler head and bounced into a greenside bunker. But he blasted out to four feet and saved par.
Overton's last two birdies came at the fourth and fifth, on putts from 12 and five feet.
"I'm hitting it well," he said. "If I can continue to drive it well, drive it down the middle of the fairways, I feel like I'm pretty confident with my game."
Although Overton has never won on tour, the 27-year-old has knocked on the door several times already this season.
He was runner-up in New Orleans, tied for second place at the Byron Nelson, shared third place at Colonial and took solo third at the AT&T National earlier this month.
Those finishes -- in less than a three-month span -- have helped Overton earn more than $2.4 million this season, placing him 10th on the PGA Tour money list.
The money is nice, but Overton is looking for more.
"I would take a win over 100 [second-place finishes]. That's what it's all about," he said. "It's about coming out here and playing, and for that given week, being able to say you were the best in the world at something."
NOTES: The cut line fell at two-under 138 and Goydos, David Toms, Kenny Perry and Jeff Maggert are among those who will miss the weekend...Overton's previous career low was a 63 in the first round at Colonial in May...Matt Every, who shared the 18-hole lead with Compton, had a 72 and dropped nine shots back at five-under 135...This is the first year of this event.
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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
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