Betting the British Open
By: Chance Harper | sbrforum.com
One of the most hallowed and revered events in all of sports gets underway this week when golfers from around the world tee it up at the famous Carnoustie links course. At stake is the Claret Jug and the British Open title, and as always drama will prevail in the tournament. Just ask Jean Van de Velde what happened the last time it was played here.
The British sure appreciate their dark comedy.
The Open Championship, more commonly referred to on these shores as the British Open, is anguishing enough for golfers from year to year. But this year is special. The Open returns this week to Carnoustie Golf Links on the east coast of Scotland, the site of Jean Van de Velde’s famous 1999 meltdown. This is a true links course, the kind that baffles many American golfers used to gentler conditions -- and, as Van de Velde can attest, its share of Europeans.
There is at least one American who appreciates the complex and often frustrating beauty that is Carnoustie. Tiger Woods looks at the venerable course as his canvas, one where he is free to be creative rather than clinical in his shot-making. Mind you, he didn’t feel that way in 1999 when he finished in seventh place, complaining afterward (but to his credit, not before or during) about not being able to bring out his driver often enough.
Woods has famously adjusted his game since then to make better use of long irons; he’s coming off two straight Open championships and is the clear favorite at 3-1 to make it three in a row.
Woods is also pleased to see that Carnoustie’s layout for 2007 is somewhat less treacherous than eight years ago. The rough is less pronounced, the greens are less protected, and the ground is fairly soft for a major. According to Canadian golfer Mike Weir (90-1 this week), the greens are registering a 10 on the stimpmeter.
"You have to be careful, and you have to think, but you do have options," Weir wrote on his blog. "That to me is the essence of links golf."
Because of the unfamiliar links, the British Open warmup events are even more crucial for golfers like Weir who don’t spend much time on the European Tour. The key tournament last week was the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, where Grégory Havret beat Phil Mickelson in a playoff. Ernie Els and Luke Donald were also in the hunt.
Havret’s win earned him a place on the Open futures market at 150-1; Els is the second favorite behind Woods at 12-1, with Mickelson 15-1 and Donald not far behind at 28-1.
Els has a leg up on Mickelson for two reasons. One, Lefty had a bit of a meltdown himself at Loch Lomond, bogeying the final hole of the fourth round to fall into a playoff with Havret. Two, Els is a true European Tour veteran, winning the Claret Jug in 2002. The South African is very fond of the links; in his 15 career Open appearances, Els has finished second on three occasions and in the Top 10 a total of nine times.
Els is one of several top golfers who chose to stay and golf at St. Andrews this week in preparation for the Open. Jim Furyk was among them. Currently No. 7 on the PGA Tour money list, Furyk (18-1) is on a roll, finishing in the Top 5 in four of his last five events, including second at the U.S. Open. He seems to thrive on tough courses, but his lighter drives (277.1 yards on average) are ill suited to the links in anything but the sunniest conditions.
Furyk failed to make the cut at five straight British Opens before placing fourth in 2006. Eight years ago at Carnoustie, he was tied for 10th. Els, by comparison, cranks out drives of 295.5 yards on average. Furyk also gave the Scottish Open a miss, taking a couple weeks off after finishing third at the AT&T National in Maryland.
Among the other familiar European Tour names playing the Open this week: Padraig Harrington (25-1), Retief Goosen (33-1), Colin Montgomerie (40-1) and U.S. Open winner Angel Cabrera (40-1).
As for the last man to win at Carnoustie, Scotland’s own Paul Lawrie, he’s dead last on the odds list at 200-1. That’s British humor for you.
By: Chance Harper | sbrforum.com
One of the most hallowed and revered events in all of sports gets underway this week when golfers from around the world tee it up at the famous Carnoustie links course. At stake is the Claret Jug and the British Open title, and as always drama will prevail in the tournament. Just ask Jean Van de Velde what happened the last time it was played here.
The British sure appreciate their dark comedy.
The Open Championship, more commonly referred to on these shores as the British Open, is anguishing enough for golfers from year to year. But this year is special. The Open returns this week to Carnoustie Golf Links on the east coast of Scotland, the site of Jean Van de Velde’s famous 1999 meltdown. This is a true links course, the kind that baffles many American golfers used to gentler conditions -- and, as Van de Velde can attest, its share of Europeans.
There is at least one American who appreciates the complex and often frustrating beauty that is Carnoustie. Tiger Woods looks at the venerable course as his canvas, one where he is free to be creative rather than clinical in his shot-making. Mind you, he didn’t feel that way in 1999 when he finished in seventh place, complaining afterward (but to his credit, not before or during) about not being able to bring out his driver often enough.
Woods has famously adjusted his game since then to make better use of long irons; he’s coming off two straight Open championships and is the clear favorite at 3-1 to make it three in a row.
Woods is also pleased to see that Carnoustie’s layout for 2007 is somewhat less treacherous than eight years ago. The rough is less pronounced, the greens are less protected, and the ground is fairly soft for a major. According to Canadian golfer Mike Weir (90-1 this week), the greens are registering a 10 on the stimpmeter.
"You have to be careful, and you have to think, but you do have options," Weir wrote on his blog. "That to me is the essence of links golf."
Because of the unfamiliar links, the British Open warmup events are even more crucial for golfers like Weir who don’t spend much time on the European Tour. The key tournament last week was the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, where Grégory Havret beat Phil Mickelson in a playoff. Ernie Els and Luke Donald were also in the hunt.
Havret’s win earned him a place on the Open futures market at 150-1; Els is the second favorite behind Woods at 12-1, with Mickelson 15-1 and Donald not far behind at 28-1.
Els has a leg up on Mickelson for two reasons. One, Lefty had a bit of a meltdown himself at Loch Lomond, bogeying the final hole of the fourth round to fall into a playoff with Havret. Two, Els is a true European Tour veteran, winning the Claret Jug in 2002. The South African is very fond of the links; in his 15 career Open appearances, Els has finished second on three occasions and in the Top 10 a total of nine times.
Els is one of several top golfers who chose to stay and golf at St. Andrews this week in preparation for the Open. Jim Furyk was among them. Currently No. 7 on the PGA Tour money list, Furyk (18-1) is on a roll, finishing in the Top 5 in four of his last five events, including second at the U.S. Open. He seems to thrive on tough courses, but his lighter drives (277.1 yards on average) are ill suited to the links in anything but the sunniest conditions.
Furyk failed to make the cut at five straight British Opens before placing fourth in 2006. Eight years ago at Carnoustie, he was tied for 10th. Els, by comparison, cranks out drives of 295.5 yards on average. Furyk also gave the Scottish Open a miss, taking a couple weeks off after finishing third at the AT&T National in Maryland.
Among the other familiar European Tour names playing the Open this week: Padraig Harrington (25-1), Retief Goosen (33-1), Colin Montgomerie (40-1) and U.S. Open winner Angel Cabrera (40-1).
As for the last man to win at Carnoustie, Scotland’s own Paul Lawrie, he’s dead last on the odds list at 200-1. That’s British humor for you.
