Before the Super Bowl kicks off late Sunday afternoon in Houston, two significant golf tournaments — the PGA Tour’s Chem Waste Phoenix Open and the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic — will have posted scores and crowned winners.
Believe it or not, there is a connection that will have a certain segment of Super Bowl watchers sweating punts, passes and kicks. What we’re talking here are a handful of the myriad of proposition bets, aka “props”, that are in play at several Las Vegas casinos.
Many of the Super Bowl props center around Tiger Woods, whose comeback trail has him teeing it up in the Dubai event. In case you want to make some friendly wagers with friends at a big game watch party, here are some of the options involving Tiger and others:
Bridge City’s Matt Bryant, who is part of another prop involving a game-winning field goal, is pitted against the number of Tiger’s fourth-round birdies. The bet is whether Tiger makes more birdies in the fourth round than Bryant kicks field goals against New England.

Another Tiger prop features Patriots QB Tom Brady. What will be higher, Tiger’s 72-hole score (par is 288) or Brady’s gross passing yards minus 18.5.
If Woods shoots par, the winning number of passing yards for Brady would be 307 or more.
Phil Mickelson, who has the reputation of being the biggest gambler on the PGA Tour, is also involved in one of the props. Which will be higher, Mickelson’s fourth round score in Phoenix or New England’s total rushing yards minus 44.5? If Mickelson shoots 70, New England would need to rush for 115 yards to win.
One final golf/Super Bowl prop pits the hottest golfer on the planet, Justin Thomas, vs. New England’s leading receiving leader, Julian Edelman. The bet is Edelman’s receiving yards minus 29.5 vs. Thomas’ final round score in Phoenix. If Thomas shoot 70, Edelman would need 100 or more receiving yards.
Vegas, incidentally, has 1/8 odds on Bryant kicking the game-winning field goal in the final minute. If I happened to be in Vegas this week, I’d get something down on the 41-year-old Bryant to deliver the Lombardi Trophy to the Falcons.
Bet or no bet, that’s how I would love to see the game play out. So the call from here is Falcons 37, Patriots 34 on a game-ending Matt Bryant field goal.
CHIP SHOTS

Port Neches-Groves ex Braden Bailey’s star continues to rise in collegiate golf. Golfweek announced its Big 12 Mid-Season All-Conference team recently and Bailey was on it. In Golfweek’s individual rankings of college players, Bailey is No. 29.
Only Texas’ Doug Ghim (3) and Scottie Scheffler (4) rank higher among players from the Lone Star State. With Bailey leading the way, Baylor has climbed to 10th in the national rankings, two slots above the Longhorns. …

PN-G senior Karlei Hemler, who plans to play collegiate golf at McNeese State, offered up a preview for folks in Lake Charles Saturday. She shot a 76 to win Girls 16-18 as the Texas-Louisiana Junior Winter Tour crossed the Sabine River to play its second event at Mallard Cove. Hemler won by 15
shots.
Three other Texans won their flights. Jack Burke of Orange shot a 78 to best Victor Aponte of Port Neches by eight strokes in Boys 14-15, Xander Parks of Orange edged brother Lincoln by one stroke — 38 to 39 — in Co-Ed 10-11, 9 holes, and Riardo Cardenas of Beaumont shot 27 to edge Foster Cecka of Port Neches by 3 in Co-ed 7-9, 6 holes.
Players 14 and over competed at Mallard Cove while those 13 and under teed it up at The National.
Robert Rigmaiden of Lake Charles paced the Louisiana winners with a 78 that edged Daniel Cormier of Nederland by two strokes in Boys 16-18. Carly Whittington of Kinder ran away with Girls 14-15 by 15 strokes with an 84.
Chelsey Shaheen of DeQuincy shot 105 to win Girls 12-13 and Luke Hightower of Sulphur prevailed in Boys 12-13 with a 96.
This week’s tournament is set for Saturday at Babe Zaharias. …
Monday’s Senior 50 Plus Game at Babe Zaharias produced the lowest scoring of the year. On the front, the team of Steve Picou, Bob Byerly, Raymond Darbonne and Gene Hardy posted minus 7, only to be tied by the foursome of Benny Sharpe, Terry Jones, Ron Mistrot and Jim Cooper.
The back was won in minus 6 by the team of Mike Norris, Don Bryson, Tony Trevino and Billy Thillet.
In the Saturday Super Senior 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Craig Geoffroy, Cap Hollier, Don MacNeil and Cole Lee won the front in minus 3. That was also the winning score on the back for the foursome of Adam Noel, Earl Richard, Craig Fontenot and James Trahan.
The Friday Senior 2-ball at The Babe had the team of Bob Wactor, Gary Hanan, Lee Bertrand and James Trahan winning with plus 1. Even par took the back for the team of Noel, Hollier, Rick Pritchett and Thillet.
Format for the Thursday Senior 55 Plus game was Select Drive, All Points Count. The foursome of Jim Huebel, Hollier, Harold Wilkinson and Jobie Irvin won with 17 points. Closest to the pin winners were Harrell Guidry (No. 2), Huebel (No. 7), Gary Anderson (No. 12) and Irvin (No. 15).
The Wednesday Zaharias DogFight went to the team of Cricket Owen, Brian Guidry, Hardy and Terry Angelle with 16 points. Closet to the pin winners were MacNeil (No. 2), Sharpe (No. 7), Bob West (No. 12) and Hollier (No. 15).
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