This Week in Golf - November 6th through November 9th

Golf Betting Lines

11/03/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA TOUR - CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK CLASSIC, Magnolia Golf Club & Palm Golf Club, Lake Buena Vista, Florida - Stephen Ames closed with a four-under 68 last year to hold off Tim Clark and win the Children's Miracle Network Classic, but he won't be the big story this week.

Erik Compton received one of the four sponsor's exemptions to play this week. Compton, who played several years on the Nationwide Tour, is just five months removed from his second heart transplant.

Compton received his first heart transplant at the age of 12 after he was diagnosed with heart disease. He went on to become one of the top junior golfers in the country and competed on the 2001 U.S. Walker Cup team.

Two weeks ago, Compton carded a four-under 68 in the final round of the first stage of Q-School to move on to the second stage. Just as he did at Q-School, Compton will be allowed to use a golf cart as he recovers from his heart operation.

Ames won for the third time on the PGA Tour. He finished one stroke clear of Tim Clark, who is the PGA Tour's career money leader without a victory.

Ames' winning score of 17-under par last year was five strokes worse than any of the previous seven winning scores. Between 2000 and 2006, the winning scores ranged from 22-under par to 26-under.

With two courses in use this week -- Magnolia & Palm Golf Courses -- professionals will be paired with amateur partners each of the first two days.

The Golf Channel will have coverage of the Fall Series' final event from 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (et) all four days.

The first off-season event for the PGA Tour takes place next Tuesday, November 11, when the PGA, Champions and LPGA Tours get together for the Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge.

EUROPEAN TOUR

HSBC CHAMPIONS, Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai, China - The European Tour kicks off the 2009 season with the HSBC Champions just a week after Robert Karlsson won the 2008 Order of Merit title.

Last year, Phil Mickelson and Ross Fisher both double-bogeyed the 18th hole. Those doubles led to a playoff that also included Lee Westwood, who fired a five-under 67 in the final round. Fisher stumbled to a two-over 74 in the final round.

Mickelson, who closed with a four-over 76, claimed the win despite coughing up a five-shot lead with six holes to go. He birdied the second extra hole for the win, his first outside the U.S. since he won the 1993 Perrier Open, a European Challenge Tour event.

The 77-player field has several headliners this week. Joining Mickelson in the field will be world No. 3 Sergio Garcia, three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, reigning Masters champ Trevor Immelman, and Karlsson.

This event also kicks off the Race To Dubai, which is modeled after the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs. The final Race to Dubai event will be the inaugural Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates next November.

The Golf Channel will have four hours of coverage of all four rounds. After a week off, the European Tour continues the 2009 season with the UBS Hong Kong Open, where Miguel Angel Jimenez won last year.

LPGA TOUR

MIZUNO CLASSIC, Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, Shima-shi, Mie, Japan - In just her fifth LPGA Tour start, Momoko Ueda claimed her first LPGA Tour title at this event last year. Her final-round 66 included a rare double-eagle on the par-five seventh.

Ueda was one of 34 players from Japan in the field last year. She closed with rounds of 67-66 to win by two over Reilley Rankin and Maria Hjorth. Ueda was playing this event for the second time in her five LPGA starts.

In 2006, Ueda led after the second round before finishing seven shots behind eventual winner Karrie Webb.

The field this week includes just three of the top 10 players in the world rankings as well as just three players in the top 10 on the money list.

This is the final of three events in Asia.

There is no television coverage this week. Next week, the LPGA remains outside the United States for the inaugural Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

NATIONWIDE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas - The Nationwide Tour wraps up its 2008 season this week with the Nationwide Tour Championship.

The top 25 players on the money list will gain their PGA Tour cards for next season after the completion of this tournament.

The top 60 on the money list got into the field this week, but No. 57 Tee McCabe had to withdraw due to a wrist injury.

Brendon De Jonge, who tops the money list entering the event, could set the Nationwide Tour record for single-season earnings by finishing no worse than a two-way tie for second place. He has made $415,835 this season, while Troy Matteson owns the tour record at $495,009.

The $180,000 first-place check or the $108,000 second-place check would bump anyone in the field this week into the top 25 on the money list, giving them their PGA Tour card for next season.

Richard Johnson won last year with a tournament-record score of 20-under 264.

The Golf Channel has coverage from 4:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (et) all four days.