BETTING: Woods heavy favorite in British at 9-4 odds; no one else less than 20-1

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Jul. 15, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

BETTING: Woods heavy favorite in British

Tiger at 9-4 odds; no one else less than 20-1

By MATT YOUMANS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Picking the favorite in a golf major does not require the brain power of an astrophysicist. The top spot automatically goes to Tiger Woods, and the only debate is whether the smart money should follow him.

Woods is a 9-4 favorite to win the British Open, which begins Thursday at Turnberry in Scotland, and he's due to win after falling short in the year's first two majors.

A wager on Woods offers little value at less than 5-2 odds, but the quandary is figuring out who can beat him.

"It's easy to say Tiger's going to give you a run for your money on Sunday afternoon," Las Vegas Hilton golf oddsmaker Jeff Sherman said. "Everybody else is a crapshoot. Outside of Tiger, everybody else is 20-1 or higher."

The strongest trend seems to favor Padraig Harrington, who won the British Open the past two years. Harrington, a 25-1 shot, has been in poor form recently, however.

The second choice on the board is Sergio Garcia at 20-1, but Garcia is a head case, and he's never won a major. Phil Mickelson, normally the No. 2 choice, is not playing this week.

That leaves long-shot bettors with choices such as Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood (25-1), Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan and Steve Stricker (30-1).

Sherman said the British Open is considered the "most wide-open of all the majors," and that proved true when Ben Curtis won in 2003 and Todd Hamilton took the title in 2004. European books offered Curtis at 500-1 odds before he shocked the field.

Woods, who has won three of his past seven tournaments, finished tied for sixth in the U.S. Open in June despite an unlucky draw that forced him to play in the poorest weather conditions.

Sherman said his best bet this week is Woods, who won the British Open in 2005 and 2006.

"Tiger probably would have won the U.S. Open if all things were equal," Sherman said. "I would fully expect him to win this tournament if he gets an equal shot at it. Even though he hasn't won the majors, his game is right there."

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138TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Can anyone take out Tiger?

World No. 1's biggest foe might be course

FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES • July 15, 2009

Padraig Harrington believes his experience winning the British Open the past two years will give him an advantage over almost everyone at Turnberry, site of this year's Open that begins Thursday. The hard part will be giving himself a chance.

The Irishman is trying to become the second player in the past century to win golf's oldest championship three successive years. He has won three of the past eight majors, the highest rate since 2007 of any golfer, including Tiger Woods.

The trouble is Harrington has obsessed so much with retooling his swing that his game is out of sort. He has missed five straight cuts on the U.S. and European tours entering Turnberry, although he did win the Irish PGA last week outside Dublin.

"The one thing I know is that if I get in position, I can win. That's the nice thing," Harrington said Tuesday. "Others can get there, but they won't win. So at least I can do it if I can get into position.

"Can I get into position is what's in doubt."

Other story lines to watch:

Learning the 'Turn'

Tiger Woods makes his return to the British Open, missing golf's oldest championship last year while in the early stages of recovering from knee surgery that sidelined him eight months.

He had never seen Turnberry until arriving Sunday, and he played the last of his three practice rounds Tuesday morning beneath a mixture of clouds and sunshine, fickle weather that likely will continue for the week.

What he has learned -- as have the rest of the players who were not at Turnberry in 1994, when it last hosted the British Open -- is that it is more important than ever to keep the ball in play. Beyond the fairways is grass so thick it might be difficult to get the ball back into play, if it can be found.

The bunkers also stand out as a threat. Masters champion Angel Cabrera is among the big hitters in golf, and he spoke of caution.

"I think I'm going to be playing short of the bunkers pretty much all week," Cabrera said. "That will be my strategy."

Tiger vs. the field

The William Hill betting house is offering 13-5 odds on a Woods victory, with second favorite Sergio Garcia at 30-1. Woods is such an overwhelming favorite that oddsmakers are trying to find other ways to bring in money.

That includes offering 9-4 odds on Harrington making the cut. Those who see a three-peat in Harrington's immediate future can get 40-1 on him winning.

One major absence

Phil Mickelson will skip the tournament so he can be with his wife as she starts her recovery from breast cancer, ending the longest active streak of majors played at 61. His mother also has breast cancer.

Additional Facts
British Open

What: Third of golf's four annual majors.



When: Thursday-Sunday.



Where: Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Scotland; par 70, 7,204 yards.



TV: Thursday-Friday -- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (TNT); Saturday -- 7-9 a.m. (TNT), 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (ABC); Sunday -- 6-8 a.m. (TNT), 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (ABC).



Purse: $6.82 million (winner's share: $1.22 million).



Defending champion: Padraig Harrington.



Key tee times: Tiger Woods -- 4:09 a.m. Thursday, 9:20 a.m. Friday. Harrington -- 9:20 a.m. Thursday, 4:09 a.m. Friday.