PGA Odds: British Open Betting Preview
The Open Championship returns St. Andrews' Old Course, and that's good news for Tiger Woods and his backers after Woods won going away the last two times the event was held on the course.
This is the moment of truth for Tiger Woods.
It’s as simple as that. The British Open is about to grace the Old Course at St. Andrews for the 28th time. The last two visits were in 2000 and 2005; on both occasions, Tiger Woods left victorious. It wasn’t even close, either.
In 2000, Woods finished eight strokes ahead of Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn. In 2005, Woods defeated Scotland’s own Colin Montgomerie by five strokes.
Those were the days. In the past two years, Woods has had reconstructive surgery on his left knee, he’s been embroiled in an epic sex scandal, and he’s had a falling out with former coach Hank Haney – the man responsible for successfully retooling Tiger’s swing in 2004. Woods has lost millions of dollars in sponsorships. He’s also lost all six of his PGA Tour events this year.
Does Woods still have what it takes, mentally and physically, to be the best golfer in the world? The betting odds say the public hasn’t entirely lost faith.
Woods is the 9-2 favorite – longer odds than he’s used to seeing, but still way out in front of second favorite Phil Mickelson (12-1) and European Tour veteran Lee Westwood (14-1). However, Woods is being chased by an unusually large second tier of contenders this year. Joining Mickelson and Westwood in this group: Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington at 16-1, plus rising star Rory McIlroy at 18-1.
Woods isn’t going to get a better opportunity to get his shine back than he has this week. As rough as 2010 has been to Woods, he stepped up his game at both his major tournaments this year, placing fourth at the Masters and at the U.S. Open. And St. Andrews is obviously in his wheelhouse.
“The first time I played it was in 1995… and I fell in love with it,” Woods told reporters last week while warming up at a pro-am event in Ireland.
While Woods tries to get his groove back, McIlroy comes into this event with some Tiger-like bona fides. The Northern Ireland native won at Quail Hollow this year, becoming the first player since Woods to earn his first PGA Tour victory before the age of 21. Back in February, three-time British open champion Gary Player called McIlroy “the best young player in the world today.”
McIlroy might also be the best choice out of that second tier of betting options. Mickelson has been on the verge of taking the World’s No. 1 designation from Tiger, winning the Masters and finishing second to McIlroy at Quail Hollow before tying Woods for fourth at the U.S. Open.
But Mickelson has never won the British Open. His best finish was third at the 2004 event, and in his warm up last week at the Scottish Open, Lefty failed to make the cut. He just doesn’t seem comfortable playing on the links-style courses in the United Kingdom – although Loch Lomond is actually a parkland course, which is why Woods and many others were warming up in Ireland instead.
Harrington has spent many years on the European Tour and raked in big cash for himself and his supporters while Woods was on the sidelines rehabbing his knee. He won the British Open in 2007 and 2008, but something’s not right with Harrington’s swing these days. His last win of any kind was the 2009 Irish PGA Championship, a minor non-Tour event that he’s won five of the last six years.
Westwood merits some consideration; although he’s never taken first place at a major tournament, the Nottinghamshire native finished in the top three at three of the last four majors, including the 2009 British Open. And Els is long removed from his last major victory at the 2002 British Open.
McIlroy has the highest payout of any of these non-Woods contenders. He’s on the ascendancy. But is it too soon to hitch your wallet to him? It’s your call – and Tiger’s.
The Open Championship returns St. Andrews' Old Course, and that's good news for Tiger Woods and his backers after Woods won going away the last two times the event was held on the course.
This is the moment of truth for Tiger Woods.
It’s as simple as that. The British Open is about to grace the Old Course at St. Andrews for the 28th time. The last two visits were in 2000 and 2005; on both occasions, Tiger Woods left victorious. It wasn’t even close, either.
In 2000, Woods finished eight strokes ahead of Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn. In 2005, Woods defeated Scotland’s own Colin Montgomerie by five strokes.
Those were the days. In the past two years, Woods has had reconstructive surgery on his left knee, he’s been embroiled in an epic sex scandal, and he’s had a falling out with former coach Hank Haney – the man responsible for successfully retooling Tiger’s swing in 2004. Woods has lost millions of dollars in sponsorships. He’s also lost all six of his PGA Tour events this year.
Does Woods still have what it takes, mentally and physically, to be the best golfer in the world? The betting odds say the public hasn’t entirely lost faith.
Woods is the 9-2 favorite – longer odds than he’s used to seeing, but still way out in front of second favorite Phil Mickelson (12-1) and European Tour veteran Lee Westwood (14-1). However, Woods is being chased by an unusually large second tier of contenders this year. Joining Mickelson and Westwood in this group: Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington at 16-1, plus rising star Rory McIlroy at 18-1.
Woods isn’t going to get a better opportunity to get his shine back than he has this week. As rough as 2010 has been to Woods, he stepped up his game at both his major tournaments this year, placing fourth at the Masters and at the U.S. Open. And St. Andrews is obviously in his wheelhouse.
“The first time I played it was in 1995… and I fell in love with it,” Woods told reporters last week while warming up at a pro-am event in Ireland.
While Woods tries to get his groove back, McIlroy comes into this event with some Tiger-like bona fides. The Northern Ireland native won at Quail Hollow this year, becoming the first player since Woods to earn his first PGA Tour victory before the age of 21. Back in February, three-time British open champion Gary Player called McIlroy “the best young player in the world today.”
McIlroy might also be the best choice out of that second tier of betting options. Mickelson has been on the verge of taking the World’s No. 1 designation from Tiger, winning the Masters and finishing second to McIlroy at Quail Hollow before tying Woods for fourth at the U.S. Open.
But Mickelson has never won the British Open. His best finish was third at the 2004 event, and in his warm up last week at the Scottish Open, Lefty failed to make the cut. He just doesn’t seem comfortable playing on the links-style courses in the United Kingdom – although Loch Lomond is actually a parkland course, which is why Woods and many others were warming up in Ireland instead.
Harrington has spent many years on the European Tour and raked in big cash for himself and his supporters while Woods was on the sidelines rehabbing his knee. He won the British Open in 2007 and 2008, but something’s not right with Harrington’s swing these days. His last win of any kind was the 2009 Irish PGA Championship, a minor non-Tour event that he’s won five of the last six years.
Westwood merits some consideration; although he’s never taken first place at a major tournament, the Nottinghamshire native finished in the top three at three of the last four majors, including the 2009 British Open. And Els is long removed from his last major victory at the 2002 British Open.
McIlroy has the highest payout of any of these non-Woods contenders. He’s on the ascendancy. But is it too soon to hitch your wallet to him? It’s your call – and Tiger’s.
