The five-member commission unanimously rejected a proposed settlement presented by GCB, the investigatory arm of the NGC, to punish CG Technology over multiple statutory violations.

While not a rubber-stamp, the Gaming Commission usually accepts the Gaming Control Board’s proposal with only minor adjustments and often a severe public reprimand of the offending licensee.

In rejecting a proposed $250,000 fine and requirement that the company outsource its bookmaking technology within six months, the commission balked at the offer’s sufficiency, noting the cost of the investigation, pegged at about $1 million by Commissioner John Moran, was far more than the proposed fine.

Three Visits to the Principal’s Office

As a bookmaking company, CG Technology has been in hot water before, paying fines of $5.5 million in 2014 and $1.5 million in 2016 for transgressions that including accepting illegal wagers and assisting an illegal online sports betting operation. In 2016, the NGC strongly considered license revocation for the company and required CEO Lee Amaitis to be removed.

On Thursday, Commissioner Deborah Fuetsch reminded CG Technology CEO Parikshat Khanna, “You’ve been called to the principal’s office three times. When do we draw the line? When does this kid not get to come back to school?�?/p>

NGC Chairman Tony Alamo said the fine should be at least the size of the $1.5 million fine imposed on CG Technology in 2016, if not a “multiple�?higher. “I have zero appetite to move forward on this agreement,” Alamo said.

These gaming violations included illegal actions such as accepting out-of-state wagers, taking bets on games after the games were complete, and either underpaying or overpaying winners. The company also took improper bets at a Super Bowl party when the wrong lines were displayed on a terminal.

The only saving grace that most believe accounted for the proposed wrist-slap of a fine was that CG Technology, ordered to hire a compliance official in 2016, was that the company self-reported the latest round of offenses.

The rejected settlement additionally required CG Technology to “maintain and implement�?new internal controls and quarterly employee training, both monitored by regulators to prevent future violations.

Time to Sell the Company?

CG Technology operates sportsbooks in Las Vegas at The Venetian, Palazzo, Cosmopolitan, Palms, Hard Rock, Tropicana, Silverton, and M Resort, and also accepts wagers through its mobile app anywhere in Nevada. The Las Vegas-based company is a subsidiary of Cantor Fiztgerald, a major, worldwide financial services firm headquartered in New York City.

CG Technology did not comment on the settlement rejection, and now has 30 days to rework the settlement agreement with the GCB.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a veteran industry observer with many years of legal experience in Nevada and numerous appearances before both the board and the commission told nrxhb.shop, “The rejection of the earlier settlement is a clear message to CG Technology to sell the company.�?/p>

He called the settlement rejection “very surprising�?and even if a new, multi-million dollar fine is part of a new agreement, the GCB may still prefer CG Technology find a buyer.

The post Nevada Gaming Commission Rejects Proposed $250K Fine for CG Technology over Betting Violations appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

Golfweek reported during last week’s PGA Championship that PGA employees were locked out of computer files containing marketing materials for the major event in St. Louis, as well as files for next month’s Ryder Cup in France. In place of promotional banners, logos, and other PGA-branded content, staff found a threatening message on their computers demanding payment in Bitcoin if they didn’t want to lose their files forever.

“Your network has been penetrated,” the digital ransom note read. “All files on each host in the network have been encrypted with a strong algorythm [sic].”

The threat included additional warnings that efforts to shut down and reboot could do further damage to files and systems. The hackers demanded ransom payment in Bitcoin to a specific Bitcoin wallet number, but did not leave a specific amount for them to release the PGA files.

The PGA of America reportedly has hired third-party security experts to help solve the problem. Computer security experts usually advise companies not to pay such ransoms and instead try to recreate encrypted files from the most recent computer backup.  They remind clients even if the ransom is paid, there’s no guarantee files can be unlocked.

Defending Golf Data

The PGA of America — an organization headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida — represents golf professionals, including instructors, nationwide. The group is not the same, however, as the PGA Tour, a spin-off group comprised of tour players that functions as the organizer of most weekly pro golf tournaments.

PGA Tour counsel David Miller, in a statement to Legal Sports Report, said, “I want to clarify that the hack was of marketing materials of the PGA of America, the association of club professionals. They do not collect or distribute scoring or performance data for any professional golf events, including this week’s PGA Championship. The PGA Tour does.�?/p>

Miller’s statement stresses to golf bettors that PGA of America marketing materials, and the server from which they were taken, have nothing to do with official PGA Tour data, and the hack in no way threatened the integrity of sports betting data, which PGA of America doesn’t collect or distribute. 

Major US sports leagues, including the PGA Tour, have been pushing for state gaming regulators to require bookmakers to purchase official league data. In January, the PGA Tour and Genius Sports launched a new integrity program designed to use data with predictive algorithms to help sniff out suspicious betting activity for further investigation.

Genius is a software provider that sells “integrity services” to over 300 sporting bodies around the world that collect and distribute in-game statistics to partners such as Major League Baseball and the English Premier League. In May, Genius signed a 10-year agreement to provide data services for the NCAA.

Bookmakers Balking

Bookmakers are reticent about the prospects of having to buy their sports data from a league provider — suggesting that such a monopoly situation would make it impossible to negotiate a fair fee. They cite the current situation in which there is only one source from which to buy the live NFL game feeds and the price for that service has skyrocketed in recent years.

MGM Resorts International, earlier this month, made its own deal with the NBA to purchase the league’s official data and branding rights in a $25 million, three-year, non-exclusive arrangement.

It’s not clear, as yet, if the MGM/NBA deal will provide a template for deals with other bookmakers and other leagues.

Access to accurate data is the keystone to “in-play�?wagering and is regarded as the fastest growing segment of sports wagering.

The post Unsolved PGA Ransomware Attack Reveals Vulnerability of Sports Data appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

In a stipulated settlement awaiting approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) on Aug. 23, all components that make up CGT’s Cantor Sportsbook have been “deemed permanently disapproved�?and will not be considered for future approval.” CG Technology thus must transition within six months “to an unaffiliated third party’s sports pool wagering system.�?/p>

CGT currently operates sportsbooks in Las Vegas at The Venetian, Palazzo, Cosmopolitan, Palms, Hard Rock, Tropicana, Silverton, and M Resort. CG also accepts wagers through its mobile app anywhere in Nevada.

A stipulated settlement is the result of a negotiation between the licensee and the NGCB in which regulators present evidence of violation(s) and negotiate a fine and remediation with specific terms and conditions that are accepted by both parties. The NGCB then presents the agreement to the full Nevada Gaming Commission. The settlement avoids a public hearing on the violation(s).

CGT’s latest penalty for $250,000 covers three illegal actions: accepting out-of-state wagers, taking bets on games after the games were complete, and underpaying and overpaying bettors.

The settlement additionally requires CG to “maintain and implement�?new internal controls and quarterly employee training, both monitored by regulators to prevent future violations.

Third Strike for CG Technology?

As a division of Cantor Fitzgerald, a major, worldwide financial services firm, CGT self-reported the most recent violations to regulators, helping to lighten its punishment.

CGT admitted that, between 2016 and 2017, it accepted multiple wagers on the company’s mobile betting application placed by customers outside Nevada — at locations in Maryland, Texas, Arizona, and California. Other self-reported offenses included taking wagers on games that were already complete, miscalculating payouts on single game and round robin parlay wagers (resulting in some players getting overpaid, and others short-changed), and improperly setting up a satellite sports betting station at an undisclosed casino’s Super Bowl party.

The company has not commented the settlement agreement.

CGT was fined $1.5 million for incorrectly paying wagers in July 2016 and their CEO, Lee Amaitis, resigned as a part of a settlement with the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

The company had been previously fined $5.5 million in Nevada for involvement in an illegal gambling and money laundering case. Additional fines in excess of $22 million were paid to the United States government and New York.

In 2013, New York authorities dropped illegal sports betting charges against the company’s former VP of risk management who was among 25 individuals charged following the investigation of illegal sports betting associated with a Curaçao-based online sportsbook.

Serving Sports Bettors Across America

Industry observers had speculated that CGT had the inside track to run the sportsbook at The Meadowlands racetrack in New Jersey, after the U.S. Supreme Court, in May, overturned PAPSA, the federal law that prevented Nevada-style sports betting in other states. However, the FanDuel Group succeeded in reaching agreement with that venue, near New York City.

CGT has not announced any sports betting deals in the U.S. since the Supreme Court ruling.

The company’s business model in Nevada is to extensively remodel existing casino sports books, often at the cost of millions of dollars, and then lease the facility from the casino owner on a long-term basis in exchange for the ability to run the casino’s sports wagering operations. CGT books at The M, Venetian, Palms and Hard Rock are regarded as among the most opulent in Las Vegas.

Rumor has persisted the CGT operation has been up for sale, but there has been no word of any interested buyer making an offer.

The post CG Technology Carries on after Latest (Third) Round of Gaming Violations appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

The project is the brainchild of Martin de Knijff, a professional sports bettor, World Poker Tour champion, and competitive bridge player from Gothenburg, Sweden, now residing in Las Vegas.

De Knijff told Golf.com that he will be launching “SuperLive” golf betting in the United States this fall. The game can produce odds shot-by-shot simultaneously for multiple players in betting groups to create numerous in-tournament wagering options.

Such “in-game�?wagering continues to present the fastest growing segment of the sports betting marketplace, operators say.

The SuperLive app can produce up to 5,000 separate betting lines during each golf event, and is already proving a success for several major sportsbooks in legal European markets.

Golf Presents Sports Betting Opportunity

After years of following other major US sports leagues in opposition to wagering on its events, the PGA Tour has shifted course and now fully supports the activity.

New legal markets are now available in New Jersey, Delaware, and Mississippi, with Rhode Island and West Virginia ready to follow suit in coming weeks. According to some projections, as many as 32 states are on track to fully legalize sports betting within the next five years.

Although golf attracts only a small portion of the of the billions of dollars said to now be bet mostly illegally on sports in this country every year, even just a fraction of that kind of betting action would be significant.

“You don’t know what you don’t know, and that’s certainly true of golf,�?de Knijff told Golf.com. “But one thing that’s certain is that golfers are inherently bettors. They just haven’t been properly marketed to. Once golfers start to learn about the betting opportunities that exist, you have a totally different ball game.�?/p>

PGA Tour Vice President and Assistant General Counsel David Miller, speaking to an sport media innovation conference in June, said the professional golf organization has no objection to betting on its events, especially mobile and online wagering, but does advocate receiving a fee for that ability. Miller further identified mobile wagering “as one of the main things the PGA Tour is looking at in legislation that we’re advocating for.�?em> 

Data Cost of Doing Business

 It’s unclear if new gambling start-ups offering in-game golf betting will, by necessity, be forced to purchase an official data stream from the PGA Tour.

Although, it may be appealing for bettors to wager, for instance, on which player in a group smoked the longest drive, sports betting observers note that there has to be an “official�?calculation by some governing body, such as the PGA Tour, to determine the exact distance of various shots. Having an official, accepted, and swiftly reported source of such data will be crucial in the success of SuperLive, they believe and is crucial to the profitability of in-game betting.

The major U.S. sports leagues are currently making such an argument by asking sportsbooks to pay for a league-authorized data stream so “official�?data can be used to determine if in-game wagers are winners or losers.

Most sportsbook operators believe having a sports league provide such official data would create a monopoly situation through which they would be forced to pay whatever fee the league desired.

The post Pro Gambler’s ‘SuperLive’ Golf Odds App Pairs Big Data with In-Game Betting appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

While New Jersey’s legal battle against the NCAA brought the case before the US Supreme Court that led to a May decision that allows every state now to legalize sports betting, the Garden State has restrictions for betting on college games taking place in New Jersey, and on bets on any game involving one of the state’s teams.

New Jersey opened for sports betting in June at Monmouth Park and two Atlantic City casinos, and will have see a new sportsbook open Saturday at The Meadowlands, a horse racetrack near New York City, and additional venues on the Boardwalk.

Online and mobile sports betting in New Jersey is expected to begin in a few weeks. However, gamblers will not be able to bet on their favorite New Jersey college teams, such as Rutgers, in the Big Ten, and Seton Hall, a frequent NCAA men’s basketball powerhouse (and betting favorite).

This regulatory view, however, is not shared by all states following in New Jersey’s legal sports betting footsteps.

Good Business Sense?

In Mississippi, some locations are set to begin taking sports bets later this month,^. and regulators have acknowledged that taking bets on that state’s Southeastern Conference (SEC) members, The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University, makes good business sense and will allow it.

Most Mississippi casinos and tribal operators have already indicated they will offer sports betting at some point, and bus tour operators in neighboring New Orleans have stepped up marketing efforts to get Louisiana sports bettors to come to Mississippi to wager on their favorite teams, such as Louisiana State University, Tulane and others.

Mississippi lawmakers moved expeditiously to allow betting on its state schools as traditional NCAA powerhouses such as Alabama, Florida, LSU and Georgia all have fervent fan bases and quickly will become part of the betting landscape in Mississippi.

In West Virginia, five sports betting venues are expected to be available to players before the college and professional football seasons begin in late August and early September. Specific regulations are still being formulated, but it’s expected that betting on state schools will be allowed. Originally, the state had hoped to provide a royalty fee to the state schools for the right to wager on its games, but such a fee appears to be on the backburner for now.

Meanwhile, Penn State, the major NCAA football powerhouse in Pennsylvania, is now asking the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board not to permit betting in Pennsylvania on any games involving in-state colleges for up to two years.

Penn State President Eric Barron, in a letter to the PGCB, said the schools, their conferences and the NCAA all need that time to orient athletes, coaches and athletic department personnel to the potential risks and problems associated with sports betting.

Pennsylvania lawmakers have pre-authorized sports betting but have yet to finalize regulations or a tax structure for the new industry.

Change of Perspective

In Nevada, the one state with a history of legal sports betting, gaming records don’t differentiate between total handles for bets placed on college vs. professional sports.

Some Las Vegas bookmakers estimate the breakdown to be roughly 50 percent for each, in part because there are so many more games in college football and basketball. Likewise, March Madness has consistently generated more betting action than every other sporting event save for the Super Bowl.

Nevada initially required its college teams to stay off the state’s betting boards, but eventually changed their outlook.

Nevada, the nation’s most prominent and, until recently, the only state in the nation with single-team sports betting, has allowed wagering on state teams, UNLV and University of Nevada, Reno since 2001, when gaming regulators lifted the state’s ban.

At the time, the move was considered a response to the NCAA’s endorsement of a bill that went to Congress seeking to prohibit wagering on all college sports.

Nevada sportsbooks then began accepting bets on UNLV and UNR basketball and football games to demonstrate the integrity of regulated betting on in-state college athletics. Proponents of allowing betting on in-state schools note that Nevada has experienced no issues in the 17-plus years since the ban was lifted.

The post No Consensus Across State Lines for Betting on Local College Sports Teams appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

It marks the end of a rollercoaster ride of appeals for the Peruvian captain. Guerrero was initially suspended for a year, only to have it reduced to six months in time for the World Cup. Now, not only has the suspension been reinstated, but it’s even longer than the original ban.

All this over what the 34-year-old Guerrero claims was a “contaminated cup of tea”.

“I Did Nothing Wrong”

Guerrero was originally given a one-year ban following a World Cup qualifying match against Argentina in October. He tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.

However, the Peruvian contended that the substance was not performance enhancing and was consumed through a contaminated cup of coca tea. FIFA accepted the argument and reduced their original 12-month ban to six months, which would have allowed him to lead his team in Russia this summer.

At the time, Guerrero was confident that the contaminated tea defense would work in his favour, according to tsn.ca.

“There is no reason for me to be suspended, I did nothing wrong, and I trust the court to make the right decision.”- Paolo Guerrero

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) wasn’t buying it. The body not only upheld FIFA’s original suspension, but increased it from six months to 14 months. While accepting that the Peruvian wasn’t trying to enhance his performance, the CAS concluded that he “could have taken some measures to prevent him from committing the ADRV (anti-doping violation rule).”

The ban means Guerrero will sit for the entirety of the tournament and won’t see the soccer pitch again until next January.

In a video address in the wake of the decision, an emotional Guerrero said that CAS is “robbing me of the World Cup.”

Blow to Peru’s Odds

It’s a huge loss for Peru, which qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1982. The striker is one of their most important and experienced players, having accumulating 86 caps for his country.

From the moment the original ban was handed down, it’s been assumed that Guerrero would miss the tournament, so Peru’s odds of success haven’t changed much throughout the ordeal.

In December, the their odds of winning their group were at +800. Today, their odds have dropped slightly, as Bodog is paying +900 for Peru to come out on top of Group C, which includes France, one of the World Cup favorites. The French are a heavy -350 favorite to win the group.

Peru is paying out a at +20,000 to take down the entire tournament without the help of their captain.

Germany and Brazil are current co-favorites wo win the World Cup at +450, followed by Spain at +600, France at +700, and Argentina has the fifth-best odds at +900.

The post Peru Captain Paolo Guerrero Banned from World Cup after Positive Cocaine Test appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

This year, Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are writing a new script. The Russian superstar hasn’t been able to get his team past the second round of the playoffs since arriving in DC in 2005. In fact, the Capitals one and only trip to the Cup finals came 20 years ago, in 1998.

Previously, the Caps were never able to get past arch-nemesis Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. But with that dragon finally slayed last week, with the DC beating Pittsburgh in six games in the second round, now the Capitals are looking like the team to beat.

Not Your Father’s Capitals

The Lightning were the best regular season team in the Eastern Conference and also sported the second-best home record. However, the lathered-up Lightning faithful did nothing to phase the Capitals, who now move to 7-1 on the road and head back to Washington with a 2-0 series stranglehold. The Capitals were were clearly the better team in both games, winning 4-2 on Friday and crushing the Bolts 6-2 on Sunday night.

It was looking like it would be more of the same from the perennially-underachieving Capitals after they fell behind 2-0 in their first-round series against Columbus. Since then, they’ve been on a roll, dispatching the Penguins and putting the top team in the East on the ropes.

These new Capitals are looking confident and poised, bearing little resemblance to the teams of yesteryear. Coach Barry Trotz says they hope to provide a spark for the rest of the city’s franchises, which haven’t brought home a championship in 26 years, according to the Washington Post.

“This is a new era for basketball and hockey, and the baseball team, and we’re getting the football team straightened away. It’s going to be contagious. I’m telling you. It’ll affect all the sports. Because we’re looking to be one of those cities where all our sports teams are competing against each other, competing for championships, and that’s what we want to do.�?– Barry Trotz

Capping Cup Contenders

There is no doubt that the Capitals are officially contenders now, as Ladbrokes has installed them as the favorites to lift the Cup as of this morning. Washington is paying 8/5 to win it all, just ahead of the Winnipeg Jets at 7/4. The Vegas Golden Knights are paying 21/5.

The Lightning entered the series as the favorites to move on to the Stanley Cup finals, but they now face long odds to advance. Heading into the nation’s capital down 2-0, Tampa Bay is paying 13/5 to take four of the next five games and win the series. Unsurprisingly, they also now face the longest odds in the league at winning the Cup at 6/1.

The Capitals, meanwhile, are big favorites to advance to the finals at odds of 3/10.

Game 3 of the series is set for Tuesday night, and Washington is a slight favorite in that contest at 4/5, while the Bolts are paying 11/10 to make it a 2-1 series.

The post Washington Capitals Cruising toward Elusive Stanley Cup Finals appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

No longer will the NCAA bring the hammer down on alleged betting offenders without their having any recourse for appeal. Now, schools will judge gambling offenses by student athletes on a case-by-case basis.

Introducing Due Process

Until very recently, student athletes busted for betting on sports of any kind immediately lost their eligibility — no questions asked, no room for argument, and no escaping serious sanctions of some kind. Punishments ranged from a minimum of a one-season ban, to a lifetime ban for those presumed to have placed bets on games involving their schools.

And it wasn’t just limited to betting directly on the games. From the NCAA’s perspective, sports betting could include popular pastimes such as fantasy sports or March Madness bracket pools.

But on April 25th, the NCAA amended its bylaws. Moving forward, alleged violators will be allowed to state their case through an appeal process.

“To promote increased fairness, the committee believes it is important to conduct a case-by-case review of sports wagering violations and also provide an appellate opportunity,” the NCAA legislative committee wrote in its rationale for the amendment.

No word yet from the NCAA on who exactly will hear those appeals, or what prompted the change.

Judgment Days Forthcoming

The new protocol happens to comes as the US Supreme Court nears a high-profile decision on the legality of a current ban on sports betting across most of the United States. Many expected the verdict to be handed down in early March, and while it may come as early as next week, the saga could still stretch into late June.

The case has the potential to open the door for individual states to legalize sports betting. It would be a major blow for the NCAA, which has adamantly opposed such measures to allow for a regulated industry outside of Nevada. The organization hasn’t publicly lobbied for or against any of the bills currently moving through different states, but wants it known that sports betting poses a direct threat to its values.

“The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports wagering, which has the potential to undermine the integrity of sports contests and jeopardizes the welfare of student-athletes and the intercollegiate athletics community.” – NCAA Statement from its website

It stands to reason that if SCOTUS does open the floodgates for future sports betting, the NCAA’s new appeal process will undoubtedly be put to the test.

The post NCAA Now Allows Student-Athletes Busted Gambling on Sports to Defend Themselves appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

Sure, the Orioles insist they’re not interested in shipping off their 25-year-old third baseman who has smacked at least 30 home runs in three straight seasons. But no one in baseball is buying it, and neither are bookmakers, who are now offering up odds on where Machado will wind up this season.

Start Spreading the News?

Machado’s not leaving today, but New York is a significant favorite to land the infielder if the Orioles decide that trading him is the best way to go. They’ll have plenty of competition, however. The Cubs, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Giants, and White Sox are just some of the teams that have reportedly been putting in calls to the Baltimore front office to see what it would take to spring Machado. So far, none of the offers have been good enough, but that could change as the season, and the Orioles slump, goes on.

So what team will he be playing for at the end of 2018? The Yankees are always one of the first teams mentioned any time that a big-name player becomes available, and this is no different, with Sportsline listing the Bronx Bombers as 3/1 favorites.

They’re tied with the Orioles, who are 3/1 co-favorites to retain Machado.

The next best odds are their AL East Rivals, the Boston Red Sox, at 6/1, but the list of contenders is long.

Chicago White Sox, 6/1
Los Angeles Dodgers, 8/1
Philadelphia Phillies, 8/1
Los Angeles Angels, 8/1
St. Louis Cardinals, 8/1
Field, 5/1

Free Agency Conundrum

The Orioles certainly aren’t considering moving their stud third basement because of his play on the field. One of the few bright spots in their dismal season, Machado is red hot, batting .346 with an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .432, nine home runs, nine doubles, and 27 RBIs in 35 games so far.

Their dilemma is that he becomes a free agent at the end of the year and hasn’t been able to come to terms on an extension. That puts the club in the difficult position of trading away their best player for dimes on the dollar, or potentially losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

GM Dan Duquette is still hoping to see his team turn things around, but has a timeline in mind for moving Machado in case things continue to go south, according to ESPN.

“I think it’s important to find out where our ballclub is going this year,” Duquette said. “I think the benchmark is Memorial Day. I think that’s the first benchmark, about 60 days, to see how your ballclub is doing and see where you might want to go.”

For his part, Machado is on the record as saying he wants to stay in Baltimore in 2018 to turn things around. However, he’s making no promises about signing an extension saying, “you want to go out there and explore your options.”

The post Yankees the Betting Favorite to Land Orioles All-Star Manny Machado appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

So it made sense the two would partner up for the twosome competition at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. Not surprisingly the duo are the 2/1 favorite to win, according to William Hill.

David Toms and Steve Flesch are next at 8/1, while Bernhard Langer and Tom Lehman are next at 9/1. The defending championship team of Vijay Singh and Carlos Franco are 12/1.

Different Format Focuses on Teamwork

The tournament is not like typical 54-hole events on the Champions Tour. This one features two-man teams competing over 67 holes, using four-ball and alternate-shot formats. There are two divisions. One is the Champions Division for golfers 50-65. That category will count towards the official money. The other is the Legends Division, which is for pros 65 and older.

This unique tournament created in 1978 has been credited as the precursor to the Champions Tour. It proved so successful that the PGA Tour made plans to expand offerings for golfers over 50 years old.

Tom Watson has paired with Andy North for the past several years and both look forward to participating. North told Ozarksfirst.com that the format is what keeps him coming back.

“We wish we could play more of this kind of stuff,�?North said. “It’s not exactly relaxing, but it’s a different way of playing and you have fun doing it and you’re playing with a friend, and that makes it pretty special.

Watson, who is fresh off his victory at the Par 3 contest at the Masters, believes putting is an aspect of the weekend that will be the winner’s advantage.

“The putting is what makes you a champion,�?Watson said. “If you don’t putt well, you’re not going to win. You can hit the ball great, but if the putter’s not working, there’s always going to be someone who putts better than you that’s going to take that first prize.�?/p>

Top Putters on Tour

That should favor both of the top teams. Toms is No. 1 on the Champions Tour in putting average at 1.690. Kelly is right behind him at 1.598. Their partners are a bit more down the list. Flesch is 34th at 1.754, while Stricker is 45th.

All but Toms have won an event on tour this year. Stricker has won two events, and Kelly and Flesch one. Flesch won last week’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic and believes the Champions Tour has been great for his career.

“You never know if you’re going to be able to win again,�?Flesch said. “It wasn’t that I lost my passion for the game, but I just kind of got a little sideways on how I was approaching things. So having a second chance and playing the PGA Tour Champions has reignited that flame and my desire.�?/p>

The post Steve Stricker, Jerry Kelly Make Formidable Pair at Legends of Golf appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.