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US Masters Odds, The Weekend

Timothy Masters — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:46:25 +0000

So, with two rounds down at a surprisingly benign Augusta things are starting to become a little more clear in terms of potential winners. At the very top of everyone’s list still appears to be Rory McIlroy (10/3, WilliamHill), and I will personally admit I also want to see him in contention out of morbid curiosity. His meltdown was a spectacular, wonderful thing to watch, and a win this year would provide closure to an incredible year or so.

It’s not that much of a shock he is favourite, and with the course slightly soft the young tyro seems to be revelling in the attention. His play has been sharp a quite powerful, and his 69 on Friday was a really composed, mature round of golf that also displayed the raw talent and ability everyone knows he possesses. One shot behind Fred Couples (22/1, BoyleSports) and Jason Dufner (16/1, SkyBet), who are at -5 after two rounds, McIlroy knows he has done enough hard work for the weekend to be very interesting.

Freddie himself seemed a bit surprised at his own progress, but the oldest man ever to lead at the halfway mark must be overcome by someone. Unfortunately for the veteran the men around him are powerful, young and fit, so he’ll need to have the weekend of his life. Likewise Bubba Watson (12/1, BetFred), who has made it to the pinnacle of the leaderboard, but many think could slip back. The obvious movers are Phil Mickleson (6/4, BoyleSports) and Peter Hanson (4/1, SkyBet), and we can also probably expect to see someone come in with a hot round on Sunday to spice it up further.

Sergio Garcia’s (14/1, BetFred) long road to redemption may just be at an end, and the Spaniard was looking like his old self as he went around in 68 shots on the Saturday. It’ll be great for Sergio to be at the top, even with his sore finger, but I personally wonder if he might be a bit rusty when the pressure starts to mount and his arms get tight. The same probably goes for pre-tournament favourite Tiger Woods (100/1, SkyBet after being their 5/1 favourite pre-tournament), who is hovering around par and not currently looking like he’s going to start playing like the Tiger of old.

Two of the guys to have come up as he slipped down the rankings were Louis Oosthuizen (16/1, BoyleSports) and Lee Westwood (13/2, BoyleSports), and they had mixed rounds on the Friday, but still sit at -4. The consistency and ability of the Englishman has never been in doubt, but it is weekends like this where he is yet to shine. If Westwood were to win the green jacket, beating Rory and the like, it would finally legitimise him in the eyes of the golfing world as a genuine number one.

For me McIlroy is still the man to beat, but with Paul Lawrie and Miguel Angel Jiminez (50 and 35/1 respectively with BoyleSports) sniffing around the leaders there will be heat on his heels and nothing will come easy. What is certain is that the next couple of rounds he plays could well catapult him to the top of the golfing world for some time. With the old master increasingly peripheral, despite sponsors efforts to keep him in view, Augusta may see a coronation as well as someone getting a new blazer on Sunday.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

US Masters Odds, The Weekend

US Masters 2012 Odds

Timothy Masters — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:50:00 +0000

A press-conference prior to the opening rounds of the 2012 Masters exposed the still anachronistic and slightly bigoted nature of the institution, with Billy Payne getting all defensive about the fact half of the population of the world are still denied membership to the course, but for the next five of so days Augusta stops being a bastion of backward bigotry, and becomes home to the greatest golf show on earth as men come from far and wide to try and conquer the astonishing slopes and slides on the greens.

Now we know the groups for Augusta, and the green grass is just hours away from having the focus once more upon it the time has come to see what’s what with potential winners. One man the American press would love us to be talking about is Tiger Woods, 5/1 to win outright, 5/6 to finish in the top 5, but in reality the lecherous former leader will need to play as well as he has in years to trouble the young guns of today and the prices on him are extremely short. There is a bit of value if you fancy him to miss the cut though, with 8/1 on that.

Woods will go out on the first day with Korean Bae Sang-Moon and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiminez, a fairly benign setting for a recovering champ, and as much as the media would have liked to see him in a bigger-name trio it will do Tiger no harm to stay away from the men setting the standards over the first few days, if only for his own mental strength. Charl Swartzel is the current holder of the title, although at 40/1 it’s clear not many fancy him to defend it, and the South African will go off just before Woods in a group containing PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley (nice name).

The men who those in the know are talking about are the likes of Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy, and the Englishman goes out with Nick Watney and Francesco Molinari. If you fancy Donald to take the overall title he’s 12/1, or 11/4 to finish in the top five, but you can bet all the attention will be on McIlroy as long as he’s in contention. Grouped with Angel Carbrera and Bubba Watson (what is it with American golfers and stupid names?) the Ulsterman must overcome his own demons, but his 13/2 to win is massively more realistic than the odds on Tiger.

Come Saturday we’ll have a proper look at who is taking the trophy, but for now we can just be excited that this has rolled around to thrill us all, or at least those not relying on the BBC for our sports coverage. Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and many more will be vying to get into contention, and this is shaping up to be one of the best majors in recent memory.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

US Masters 2012 Odds

Rory McIlroy, World Number 1

Timothy Masters — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:00:59 +0000

After seeing off a resurgent Tiger Woods to win the Honda Classic, Rory McIlroy finally fulfilled his golfing destiny (it seems) to become world number one, and the young Irish star looks set to hold that position for a fair while now as the rest of the field consolidate behind him. As well as Kaymer, Westwood and the rest have played for their own spells at the top, Rory is rather a different beast.

The victory at Pebble Beach was dominant, skilful and powerful, and in the minds of many was reminiscent of the young Tiger in the assurance shown. McIlroy is currently playing in the WGC Cadillac Open (11/2 to win it, SkyBet), and while the money and points on offer there would be a boost to his new position, it is when looking ahead you realise that this could be a big season for him.

There are a few decent specials to be had on the youngster, but I’d say the 9/1 with WilliamHill on him winning 2 majors this year is a fairly poor-value indication of just what the world of golf is expecting from Rory, and how good he can be if he keeps his focus. The same bookies reckon he could have more than four majors by 2020 (7/4, WilliamHill) and that is with Tiger taken into account.

He is also favourite to win the money list (11/2, BetFair) and Race to Dubai (5/4, StanJames) for the season, and he would be having an historically great year if he pulled all that off, not to mention a very financially rewarding one. The only bet I don’t really think is worth the money is the 16/1 on him beating Jack’s record of 18 majors (WilliamHill), as the competitiveness means he’ll struggle to win as regularly as some of the greats of yesterday.

Having said all that, he young gun from Northern Ireland could well be at the top of the game for some time now, and comparing him to the most recent incumbents of the tops spot it is more of a feeling of inevitable coronation than excellent form. Westwood is his main threat unless Tiger gets back properly, and the road ahead is clear for Rory to dominate the sport.

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Rory McIlroy, World Number 1

Caddie unhappy with Wood’s split

Bet123 — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:32:44 +0000

Steve Williams, the caddie dumped by Tiger Woods earlier today, has reacted angrily to the news that he will no longer partner the former world number one after 12 years of service.

Williams has been by Wood’s side for the majority of his career and was there to celebrate 13 of hiss 14 major wins, but has found himself surplus to requirements as the American goes in search of recovering the form he lost through injury and distractions in his personal life.

Speaking on a TV show in his home country, New Zealender Williams described the last two years as “wasted” and admitted that he was shocked that his loyalty in sticking by Woods during a tumultuous period in his career wasn’t repaid.

“You could say I’ve wasted the last two years of my life.” He told Television New Zealand. “I’ve stuck with Tiger and been incredibly loyal. I’m not disappointed I’ve been fired – that’s part of the job – but the timing is extraordinary.”

“I am extremely disappointed, given that the last 18 months has been a particularly difficult time,”

“With the scandals, a new coach, a swing change, I’ve stuck with him through thick and thin and been incredibly loyal – and then this happens.

“I wouldn’t ditch someone when the chips are down. I’ve stuck by Tiger and put myself and my family in a difficult position.” He added

Williams will now caddy for Adam Scott and was on duty with the Australian during last week’s Open championship, a tournament Wood’s had already pulled out of because of a persistent knee problem.

The caddy continued to put the boot into Wood’s and questions his integrity, saying the man was once favourite with free bets placed to break Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 major wins had to earn his respect all over again having done so after his much publicised extra marital affairs last year.

While there are still plenty of free bet offers on Wood’s breaking that record, having not won a tournament since the Australian Masters in November 2009, the 35-year-old is now a longshot to get near that number.

“I’m a very big stickler for loyalty and I stuck with Tiger through his difficult period when a lot of people thought I should have left his side.” He explained.

“That was the most difficult period that I’ve ever been through in my life.”

“I’m pretty hard headed and took it probably a lot better than my wife and family did, but there’s no way that I should have been put through that.

“My name should have been cleared immediately. It wasn’t and that’s what makes it even more disappointing what’s transpired.”

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Caddie unhappy with Wood’s split

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British Women’s Open Betting

Bet123 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:17:53 +0000

The British Open is one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world, whether it’s in the men’s or women’s form of the game. British Women’s Open betting at skybet.com is always extensive and lets you bet on the tournament from start to finish.

The event takes place in August and in 2009 will be held at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s Golf Club. It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport and is classed as a major on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour.

British Women’s Open betting always makes the tournament more exciting, and Sky Bet makes sure that all the action is covered.

You will be able to bet on the tournament, which was won last year by South Korean, Ji-Yai Shin, from well in advance of the event at skybet.com. The most popular bet is usually who will win The Open, but other special bets are also popular.

Sky Bet usually offer 2, 3, or 4 ball betting for the early rounds of the event as well as mythical betting where different players are matched together for betting purposes. On most golf events they also offer special bets such as whether there will be a hole in one, and what nationality the winner will be.

The British Women’s Open betting in 2009 is sure to be bigger than ever at skybet.com, who continue to expand their already impressive range of golf betting markets and events.

Click here to open a new account with Sky Bet!

Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

British Women’s Open Betting

2008 Ryder Cup Betting

Jason Tynan — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:17:52 +0000

RYDER CUP BETTING – 19th to 21st SEPTEMBER

The 37th renewal of the biennial battle between Europe and the USA takes place at Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky, in the third week of September. The Valhalla course, par 71 and 7496 yards in length, has a front nine that is links-style, while its back nine is more traditional. The signature hole is the 13th, a 350-yard par 4, requiring a tee shot to a small landing area, then an approach over water to an island green. There are 28 points to be played for, the first two days being made up of 4 four-ball matches and 4 foursomes matches, with 12 singles matches on the final day. Captain Nick Faldo and assistant Jose Maria Olazabal lead the European team, who have won six of the last ten Ryder cups outright, as well as retaining the trophy with a 14-14 tie at The Belfry in 1989. Importantly, three of those victories have come on American soil. Given their exemplary recent record the Europeans are favourites to win the Cup, at Evens with Paddy Power. The USA are 13/10, with the tie priced at 12/1, both with SkyBet.

Team Europe

Nick Faldo has expressed his satisfaction at the 12-man Ryder Cup Team that he will lead to Valhalla Golf Club. With the ten automatic qualifiers, Sergio Garcia, Soren Hansen, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robert Karlsson, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and Oliver Wilson joined by English duo Paul Casey and Ian Poulter, Faldo’s “wildcard” picks, the European Captain is confident that he has readied a sufficiently gifted squad to win a fourth successive Ryder Cup against Paul Azinger’s USA team. Faldo readily admitted that selecting just two players from a host of talented and in-form performers was a well nigh impossible task. He essentially based his selections on performances in the Major championships, given his belief that the Ryder Cup takes players to “another level.” The Captain firmly believes he has a team with the right balance and dynamic to take Europe to only their fourth victory on American soil, since the establishment of the competition in 1927. It is essentially a veteran side, with just 3 debutants and the remaining 9 players boasting 19 Ryder Cup appearances between them. Faldo believes that each of his players has a unique contribution to make to the Ryder Cup effort. In particular he noted the outstanding achievements of Padraig Harrington and the passion that Sergio Garcia brings to his team. He has asked Lee Westwood to play a key role in supporting the rookie players. Asked if he thought Europe could repeat their nine-point winning margins from the last two Ryder Cups, Faldo responded, “14 will do me very nicely!” (A 14-14 tie would mean, as holders, Europe would retain the Cup).

Darren Clarke has called for an end to the sniping surrounding Ian Poulter’s selection as one of European captain Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup wildcards. Faldo added the 32-year-old Englishman and Paul Casey to his team at Valhalla, ignoring the claims of veterans Clarke and Colin Montgomerie. There was some resentment over Poulter’s decision to skip a final chance of automatic qualification at Gleneagles, with Montgomerie claiming the Englishman had a “hotline” to Faldo. Although Clarke believes Faldo “changed his mind” on selection criteria, he does not believe Poulter should take any flak. “He’s a great player, ranked 24 in the world. Both Paul Casey and Ian Poulter are ahead of me in the world rankings. That’s the yardstick to which we’re all measured, and that’s the way it is. I do feel he’s been given a lot of stick, a lot of criticism through no fault of his own.” Elaborating on his belief that Faldo did not hold true to his original plans for his “wildcard” picks, Clarke added, “Earlier in the year, Nick stated that he wanted his players to be in form and wasn’t going to pay particular attention to the rankings. I thought I was in good form, my record this year has been a couple of wins and lots of top 10s, but unfortunately he changed his mind, and you know, I’ve got to bank with that. But I’ve never had a problem with Nick. I’ve played with him a lot over the years, and he’s been the best player we’ve ever produced. I have no personal issues with Nick whatsoever.”

Team USA

United States captain Paul Azinger completed his 12-man Ryder Cup team by selecting Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, J.B. Holmes and Chad Campbell. Azinger, awarded four “wildcard” picks after the USPGA of America granted his request to alter the selection process, said he wanted players in form to make up his squad. Throughout the qualification process, Azinger has stressed that making the Ryder Cup team would be very difficult without winning a tournament. Ten of Azinger’s twelve players have done just that, the exceptions being Jim Furyk, who has played consistently well throughout the season and Ben Curtis, runner-up in the USPGA and in the top-ten at The Open. Stricker, Mahan, Holmes and Campbell join the eight automatic qualifiers, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley. Azinger will take an inexperienced team to Valhalla in two weeks, with only six of its twelve members with any Ryder Cup experience, and all of those with overall losing records.

Of his four choices, Azinger said Stricker, who finished ninth on the Ryder Cup points list, after being pushed out of the top eight by Ben Curtis’ late charge at last month’s USPGA Championship, had rubber-stamped his place first, while JB Holmes, a native of Kentucky, was another who had been catching his eye for a long time. “Steve has a little experience Presidents Cup-wise, he won a matchplay event down in Australia a few years back and statistically he’s a fantastic player. Had the selection process continued over the last few weeks, Steve Stricker would have actually made the team and so I’m really happy to have Steve.” JB Holmes led the USPGA at Oakland Hills after 54 holes before an opening triple bogey on his final round. Azinger said, “He’s from Kentucky, has a terrific Walker Cup record and won in Phoenix this year. I really like his personality, he fits matchplay and he knows Valhalla like the back of his hand so maybe that will help.” Azinger also sang the praises of Mahan, who in July saw scathing comments about his perception of Ryder Cup players as “slaves” published in an American golf magazine. Chad Campbell was perhaps the one surprise pick having finished 20th in the Ryder Cup points list. However, his previous Ryder Cup experience spoke in his favour.

Ryder Cup Betting Opportunities

In addition to the outright betting, online layers are offering various other bets related to the Ryder Cup. Betfair are the only layers offering Correct Score betting at the time of writing. They have Europe priced at 54/1 to win 18.5 – 9.5 (the winning score in the last two Ryder Cups), while the USA are 74/1 to win by the same margin. Perhaps more realistically, a 15-13 win is 11.5/1 for Europe and 12.5/1 for the USA, the same price as the 14-14 tie. Doubtless, the “traditional” online bookmakers will have prices in the immediate future. Betting on the Top Points Scorers for each team and overall seems to be popular with punters. All the leading online layers, such as William Hill, Ladbrokes, VCBet, SkyBet etc. have prices available. On the European side, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington dominate the market at 9/2 and 5/1 respectively, with SkyBet. Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk are joint-favourites to top-score for the USA, with SkyBet and Paddy Power respectively. Unsurprisingly, these four players lead the market for the overall top scorer, with Garcia the 9/1 favourite with SkyBet. A Hole in One occasionally occurs during the Ryder Cup and Paddy Power offer 4/1 about this eventuality. 888sport offer 1/6 about no aces at Valhalla. When the pairings and matches are known, prices will undoubtedly be available on all the Ryder Cup matches, including “in-running” betting.

In what is inevitably a fascinating and exciting three-day contest, the USA team looks particularly weak this time around. If recent form is any guide, the European side certainly look the value at Paddy Power’s Evens. Given that Europe are likely to win reasonably comfortably, it seems sensible to look at Nick Faldo’s troops for the overall top points scorer. Garcia and Harrington are obvious choices, but cigar-chomping Miguel Angel Jimenez is likely to play a fair bit, and provides some entertainment value at SkyBet’s sporting 33/1. Europe to win by 16 points to 12 makes some appeal at BetFair’s 12/1.

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Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

2008 Ryder Cup Betting

Deutsche Bank Championship Betting

Max Hammond — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:20:57 +0000

DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING – AUGUST 28th

TPC Boston is a private golf club located in Norton, Massachusetts forming part of the TPC Network operated by the PGA Tour. The Club opened on June 28, 2002 quickly rising in stature, partially due to hosting the Deutsche Bank Championship over Labor Day weekend since 2003. The top 120 players in the FedExCup points standings after the first PGA Tour Playoffs event, The Barclays Classic, play in the Deutsche Bank Championship, with total prize money of $7 million. The top 70 players move on to the BMW Championship continuing their quest for the FedExCup. Defending champion and world-ranked no. 2, Phil Mickelson, in better form of late, is 9/1 favourite with William Hill.

Leading Contenders

Along with Mickelson, who shot rounds of 70, 64, 68 and 66 for a thrilling two-stroke victory in 2007, Padraig Harrington (18/1 with William Hill), winner of consecutive Open Championships and USPGA Champion, 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman (125/1 with Stan James), resurgent stars Kenny Perry (50/1 with William Hill) and Stewart Cink (50/1 with William Hill) and rising star Anthony Kim (33/1 with Stan James) all chase the $1¼ million first prize.

South African Immelman, 2006 Rookie of the Year, already identified as a rising star, won The Masters by three shots from Tiger Woods. His only other top-10 came in the Stanford St. Jude Championship, losing in a playoff to Justin Leonard. He has, however, made 11 cuts in nineteen 2008 tournaments played.

Perry is a likely candidate for the Tour’s comeback player of the year award, with three victories and seven top-10 finishes. This is a remarkable achievement considering that Perry failed to win and has posted just three top-10 finishes over the last two years. Perry, 48, won at the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley, the Buick Open and the John Deere Classic. He rests comfortably in second place in the FedExCup points standings, with 20,878 points and is a strong candidate for PGA Tour “Player of the Year” honours as well.

Cink is another player who could be considered in the same category as Perry. With seven top-10s and his first victory since 2004, at the Travellers Championship, he is sixth in the FedExCup points standings. 35-year-old Cink has also finished second twice and third twice, collecting more than $3.7 million in 19 events this season.

Kim, one of the most promising young stars in the game, has truly come into his own this season, his second full tour campaign. At 23, the Californian picked up $1.1 million and 4,500 FedExCup points at the Wachovia Championship and repeated the dose at the end of June at the AT&T National. He boasts six top-10 finishes from sixteen events played.

2004 Deutsche Bank Championship winner, Vijay Singh (16/1 with Paddy Power) returns, fresh from a playoff victory over Sergio Garcia in the Barclays Classic. Garcia, (11/1 with Paddy Power) is enduring a frustrating run of “seconditis,” having finished tied second behind Harrington in the USPGA.

Many more of the biggest names in golf also compete at TPC Boston. Jim Furyk (28/1 with William Hill), though winless in 2008, has achieved 6 top-ten finishes and has made the cut in 20 of 23 events played. Steve Stricker (40/1 with William Hill), who finished second in the 2007 FedExCup standings, has five top-ten finishes from 19 events played in 2008. Ernie Els (40/1 with Stan James) captured the Honda Classic, in Florida for his first win in over three years. He also finished in the top-ten in the 2008 Players Championship (tied 6th and British Open (tied 7th). Justin Leonard (50/1 with Paddy Power) won the 2008 Stanford St. Jude Championship and has a further five top-ten finishes, including a tied 7th at the recent Barclays Classic. Korean K.J. Choi (50/1 with William Hill) has a win (The Sony Open in Hawaii) and three top-ten finishes to his name in 2008.

These players make up part of the strongest field in the six-year history of the Deutsche Bank Championship, which has quickly become New England’s favourite Labor Day sporting tradition, featuring the only Monday finish of a PGA Tour event.

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Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Deutsche Bank Championship Betting

Johnnie Walker Championship Betting

Chris Olding — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:31:45 +0000

JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING – 28th AUGUST

The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles, itself the venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup, provides an appropriate setting for the climax to the race to be part of The 2008 European Ryder Cup Team bound for Kentucky in three weeks time. The Johnnie Walker Championship celebrates its tenth anniversary on the European Tour as the conclusion to the contest to be part of Nick Faldo’s side. Englishman Lee Westwood, world-ranked no.13 and second in the European Order of Merit, is favourite at 10/1 with Paddy Power.

Ryder Cup qualification adds an exciting extra facet to the battle for the winner’s cheque, which approaches ?300,000. While the players who currently occupy positions one to seven on the Ryder Cup list, namely Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell are have guaranteed places, there are still three automatic spots available. Examination of the entry list sees six of the seven men who can mathematically claim an automatic place scheduled to tee up. Places eight to ten are currently occupied by Justin Rose (18/1 with William Hill), Soren Hansen (22/1 with William Hill) and Oliver Wilson (50/1 with Paddy Power), but they will be keeping a careful eye on the chasing pack of Martin Kaymer (35/1 with bet365), Ross Fisher (35/1 with Paddy Power) and Nick Dougherty (50/1 with totesport). Ian Poulter is the surprise absentee, having chosen to play in the US, when a top-five finish at Gleneagles would probably have secured him a trip to Kentucky.

Nick Faldo will make his two Ryder Cup “wildcard” picks after the conclusion of the tournament. Ulsterman Darren Clarke (22/1 with William Hill) did no harm in promoting his cause when storming to a spectacular four-stroke victory over Paul McGinley in last week’s KLM Open in the Netherlands, his second win of the 2008 season following his success in the BMW Asian Open in April. A veteran of five Ryder Cups and the man whose emotion-packed performance inspired the European Team to victory over the United States at Ireland’s K Club two years ago, Clarke admitted he was taking nothing for granted. He is hoping for a good tournament at Gleneagles to underline his claims for a Captain’s pick, but is of the opinion that if there are more-deserving players (in Faldo’s opinion) they will be forming part of a very strong European team. Paul Casey, a dual previous winner of the Johnnie Walker Championship, does not play this year, but has been in decent form of late, finishing tied 15th in the USPGA, tied 8th at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and tied 7th at the Open. He must surely rank highly in Nick Faldo’s shortlist of possible “wildcard” picks. Ian Poulter may have “shot himself in the foot” by withdrawing from Gleneagles. He has denied himself the opportunity of qualifying automatically and is by no means guaranteed a “wildcard” place in the side.

Scotland’s Marc Warren was a Nick Faldo “wildcard” choice for the Great Britain & Ireland team in last year’s Seve Trophy. The 27 year-old was selected largely on the back of his superb performance at Gleneagles where he birdied the final hole and repeated the feat at the second play-off hole to beat England’s Simon Wakefield and win the 2007 Johnnie Walker Championship. Warren is particularly looking forward to defending his Scottish title, living in close proximity to Gleneagles. He said, “Obviously defending any tournament on The European Tour is massive, but to be going back to Scotland, to somewhere that is just 45 minutes from where I live and grew up, to defend a title is very special.” He played excellently to finish a tied fourth in Holland’s KLM Open, some seven shots behind Clarke and arrives in good form. He is a 50/1 chance with Stan James to repeat his 2007 success.

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Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Johnnie Walker Championship Betting

Barclays Classic Golf Betting

Sarah Connolly — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:56:45 +0000

BARCLAYS CLASSIC GOLF BETTING – 21st AUGUST

The Barclays abruptly leaves Westchester Country Club after 41 years, moving to Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey for the 2008 renewal. Phil Mickelson is the 10/1 favourite with Ladbrokes.

Ridgewood is a classic “Tillie” Tillinghast design that continues the tradition of rough-lined fairways, deep bunkers and frightening putting surfaces. The Championship Course is a composite affair, being composed of 18 of Ridgewood’s available 27 holes. Whilst it should feel similar to other Tillinghast courses like Winged Foot and Baltusrol, it is still an unknown entity to the vast majority of contestants this week. Although Ridgewood has a long history of hosting high-profile tournaments, including the 1935 Ryder Cup, the 1990 U.S. Senior Open and, most recently, the 2001 Senior PGA Championship, The Barclays Classic will mark its first official PGA Tour event.

The PGA tour decided last January to leave Westchester because of poor attendance and differences with the club over the tournament setup and member access. Since the tour’s plan was already to move the event to different venues over the next six years (a rotation that was supposed to begin with Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City in 2009) the tour had been in discussions with Ridgewood since late last summer.

Although the Ridgewood board had initial concerns about preparing for a high-profile tournament in less than eight months, it eventually agreed to host the 2008 Barclays, in a deal that was finalised in late January. What the club lacked in lead time it made up for with the strength of the golf course, which will play at a stout 7,319 yards producing higher scores than normally seen. While few players will have seen Ridgewood before, it has created a favourable impression with the minority that have.

“I think it’s a wonderful golf course,” Phil Mickelson said in a statement after playing the course in May. “. It’s one of the premier courses in the land. It’s spectacular, and it’s going to play long and difficult,” he added.

Mickelson has an impressive track record on Tillinghast courses, including second-place finishes in US Opens at Bethpage Black (2002) and Winged Foot (2006), and a win in the 2005 PGA at Baltusrol. One of those second-place finishes for Mickelson was a result of one of his classic “chokes” at Winged Foot. He may feel at home on a course like Ridgewood, or might be spooked before hitting the first shot. Given Ridgewood’s length alone, long-hitters are expected to have an advantage.

Leading Contenders

Sergio Garcia
Following yet another near-miss at the USPGA Championship, it will be interesting to see exactly how the young Spaniard, rated a 16/1 chance by SkyBet, fares at Ridgewood.

Padraig Harrington
Harrington, the hottest property in golf at the moment, with consecutive wins in Major championships, now takes aim at the FedEx Cup and is a tempting 14/1 with SkyBet for the Barclays Classic.

Anthony Kim
The self-confident young American has two impressive wins on difficult courses this year. A 33/1 chance with William Hill, success at Ridgewood would be an impressive third win of the season.

Kenny Perry
At the age of 48, Perry is enjoying a career-best season, with three wins already. He has been gearing up all season for the Ryder Cup in his home state of Kentucky next month and William Hill’s offer of 50/1 for the Barclays Classic looks generous.

Rocco Mediate
This Tour veteran won a legion of admirers when finishing runner-up to Tiger Woods at the US Open. Certain to be a crowd favourite. (175/1 with Stan James).

Phil Mickelson
Mickelson won the last event in New Jersey, the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol. However, despite Ladbrokes rating him the 10/1 favourite, “Lefty” has some mixed form of late and makes little appeal from a betting perspective.

Geoff Ogilvy
With Ridgewood’s comparisons to Winged Foot, Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open Champion, a 40/1 chance with Stan James, should be in familiar territory.

Vijay Singh
Singh, the only three-time champion in Barclays Classic history, has a chance to win a fourth at a new venue and rates a 33/1 chance with SkyBet.

Steve Stricker
The defending champion, who has failed to build on last year’s win at Westchester, but Ridgewood should suit his game.

Johnson Wagner
After a breakthrough win earlier this year in Houston, Wagner (300/1 with totesport) needs to play well in the next three events to qualify for the Tour Championship at the end of the season.

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Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

Barclays Classic Golf Betting

KLM Open Betting 2008

John Lamerton — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:46:20 +0000

KLM OPEN BETTING – 21st AUGUST

From August 21st to 24th, the KLM Open at the Kennemer Golf and Country Club will host some of the world’s best golfers on the PGA European Tour. Henrik Stenson is the 10/1 favourite (Ladbrokes), whilst Justin Rose can be backed at 12/1 (Blue Square and 888sport). The Kennemer Golf and Country Club, Zandvoort, Netherlands, was founded in 1910 and the 27-hole links course has been a European PGA venue since 1972. Past winners include Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and a 19 year-old Seve Ballesteros. The KLM Open has a unique place in the history of The European Tour. Winners Seve Ballesteros (1976, aged 19 and 121 days) and Paul Way (1983, 19 and 149 days), mean this event is the only one to witness two teenage winners. Wentworth Club’s Ross Fisher survived a worrying rules enquiry before knowing he had broken through as a European Tour champion by winning The KLM Open in 2007.

Fisher birdied the final hole for a closing three under par 67 and a 12 under par 268 aggregate, to take the title by a stroke from young Dutchman Joost Luiten. However, the 26 year-old Englishman had to return to the 12th hole to prove to officials he had not broken a rule by lifting a bramble runner and then check out the incident on video before he was cleared to collect the ?266,666 first prize. After a thorough examination of the incident, Fisher’s actions were not deemed illegal.

Ten years ago, Justin Rose used The European Tour’s annual trip to the Netherlands to launch his fledgling professional career. Now, ten years on, the Englishman is back at The KLM Open, hoping a dose of Dutch courage will aid his bid to secure a Ryder Cup debut. In 1998, Rose arrived at Hilversumche Golf Club in a blaze of publicity after his magnificent effort in The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale where, as an amateur, he finished in a share of fourth place after memorably holing his pitch at the final hole. Understandably, the clamour unsettled the young Englishman, whose first round in the paid ranks was a 77. Despite a gutsy 65 in the second round, he missed the cut, as he did in his first twenty-one starts as a professional. However, he arrives this year at Kennemer Golf and Country Club as the 12th ranked golfer in the world, on the verge of securing Ryder Cup honours for the first time.

The KLM Open, with its increased prize fund of ?1,800,000, remains one of the oldest and most prestigious titles in Continental Europe. The closeness of the tournament to Ryder Cup and the fact that it is the penultimate event counting towards qualification for the European Team means that any discussion of the tournament inevitably involves a discussion of Ryder Cup qualification. This is borne out by the entry list, which features seven of the eight players contesting what appear to be the last three automatic places in the European Team, which will travel to Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky in four weeks time, looking to win The Ryder Cup for the fourth successive time.

Conventional wisdom suggests that the players who currently occupy positions the first seven positions on the list, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, who plays at the KLM Open (10/1 favourite with SkyBet), Robert Karlsson, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Graeme McDowell, are pretty much guaranteed a place in the European Ryder Cup Team. However, there are still three automatic places up for grabs. The majority of the men occupying the next eight positions, namely Rose (14/1 with VCBet), Oliver Wilson (40/1 with Stan James), Soren Hansen (40/1 with SkyBet), Martin Kaymer (22/1 with Stan James), Ross Fisher (25/1 with totesport), Nick Dougherty and Soren Kjeldsen, respectively 30/1 and 35/1 with Stan James, will all tee up at the glorious Zandvoort venue, with the ?300,000 first prize, along with the accompanying Ryder Cup points, firmly in their minds.

Unsurprisingly, these players dominate the betting market. Reigning champion Ross Fisher, European Open Champion at the beginning of July, will have pressure of a different kind this year, as he attempts to produce another winning performance to make his dream of a Ryder Cup come true. It will, however, be pressure he shares with at least six other players and promises to be a fascinating week’s golf.

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Originally written by Bet123.net, an online Betting Guide

KLM Open Betting 2008