Ochoa leads Sorenstam by one at Canadian Open

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08/14/2008 - Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa fired a six-under 66 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over world No. 2 Annika Sorenstam after the first round of the Canadian Open.

Even though it's just Thursday, this could be the battle golf fans have wanted to see, a duel between Ochoa and Sorenstam, the two most dominant players of this generation.

It would need to happen soon.

Sorenstam announced that she would be walking away from competitive golf at the end of the season. The two have not had a classic battle in a tournament, so maybe Thursday's first round is the start of a special week.

"I don't think it's good to worry since we're just starting the tournament and other players are out of your control," said Ochoa, the defending champion. "I always try to concentrate just on my game, and that's it."

Ochoa birdied the 18th to move one in front of Sorenstam.

"I think for sure making that birdie makes dinner taste better," joked Ochoa. "Now I can go and rest. Like I said, this is only the first day, but it's always good to be ahead."

Ochoa and Sorenstam are not the only big-name players near the top of the leaderboard.

Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak, Hee-Won Han, Meena Lee and Nicole Castrale, who bogeyed the last to fall out of a share of second, are knotted in third place at four-under 68.

Those players will take a back seat after the first day.

Ochoa broke into red figures first with a six-foot birdie putt at the third. She hit a six-iron from 170 yards to 10 feet to set up a birdie at the fifth, then posted her final front-nine birdie with a 15-footer at No. 7.

Ochoa parred her first three on the back side at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. She hit an eight-iron to 12 feet for a birdie at the 13th and two holes later, sank a seven-footer for birdie to match Sorenstam, who played in the morning, in first at minus-five.

At the par-five 18th, Ochoa came up short of the putting surface with a three- wood from 220 yards. She chipped her third to three feet and converted the birdie putt to get sole possession of the lead.

Aside from the possible, high-profile battle with Sorenstam looming, Ochoa has to answer some other questions on the course. She has six wins, including a major in 2008, but has not visited the winner's circle since May.

"I think my game has always been there. I think it's more emotionally," acknowledged Ochoa, who has dealt with a pair of family deaths this summer. "Sometimes you have up-and-downs and sometimes distractions and sometimes you're tired, and I'm feeling okay right now."

Sorenstam has not hoisted a trophy since the Michelob Ultra Open, one tournament before Ochoa's last victory.

On Thursday, Sorenstam enjoyed a much more up-and-down round than Ochoa.

Sorenstam three-putted from 25 feet for a bogey at the second, but got back to even-par with a 10-foot birdie putt at the fifth. She bogeyed the par-three eighth, but once again reclaimed the lost shot with a birdie at the ninth.

Sorenstam started her second nine brilliantly with three birdies in her first four holes, all from inside 12 feet. The Swede fell back to two-under thanks to an errant tee shot at the par-three 15th, but Sorenstam closed in style.

She birdied her final three holes, all from longer than seven feet.

Now Sorenstam just has to maintain her competitive edge if she's to get another win before it all ends at the end of the year.

"Once I'm inside the ropes, I'm there to win, I'm there to play the best I can," said Sorenstam. "I have a tendency when I reflect too much, I forget that you have to hit the shot, and this is what matters. It doesn't matter if you won 72 tournaments earlier. This is the tournament, this is the shot."

Suzann Pettersen, the third-ranked player in the world, Catriona Matthew, Song-Hee Kim, In-Kyung Kim and Eunjung Yi are tied for seventh place at three- under 69.

Paula Creamer shot a one-under 71 and is part of a group tied for 19th.

Michelle Wie struggled to a three-over 75 on Thursday.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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