Open Betting Preview

Tiger Woods is the 10/1 (ladbrokes) favourite to claim the 141st Open Championship which gets underway this Thursday (19th July). Will anyone be able to stop him in his quest for a fourth Open Championship?

Woods calls the Open ’his favourite major Championship’ and will go into the event in good heart. Tiger has played better Golf in 2012 and has previous course form finishing in the top 25 on the two previous occasions the Open was played at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The course requires a player to drive the ball well, accuracy in hitting the greens and control the speed of their putts. In 2012 Woods ranks fifth in driving and ninth in greens in regulation, his putting is also one of the strongest on the tour. Woods will be dangerous, but at 10/1 (ladbrokes) the price might be a little short and with the last 15 majors having been won by 15 different players it may pay to look around for the betting value.

After Woods the next six in the betting are all British and Irish golfers. Lee Westwood is 16/1 (general) to claim his first ever ’major’ victory. It seems inconceivable that someone of the talent of Westwood can go throughout a career without winning a ’major.’ Westwood will always give you a run for your money, but he did not shine here in 2001. Padraig Harrington is 20/1 (general) and has been well supported. Harrington loves a links course, has played well in recent majors and knows how to win the Open (he is a two-time Open champion). Luke Donald is 20/1 (general) and like Westwood is still searching for that elusive ’major’ victory. Donald has had a terrible time of things in the Majors this year and a question mark exists over his mentality in the big events. Rory McIlroy is a 25/1 (Totesport/betfred/ladbrokes) hope and the Northern Irishman is a real talent, but he himself has admitted that he plays his best Golf in sunny conditions, which is unlikely to be the case in Lancashire this weekend. One player who does like the tricky weather conditions though is Graeme McDowell who is a 33/1 (general) shot after recent seconds in the US Open and Volvo World Match Play Championship. Englishman Justin Rose is 33/1 (general) to be lifting the trophy come Sunday. Rose has five top ten finishes from his last six starts and has two top 25 finishes in majors this season and was a respectable tied 30th back here in 2001. Rose has, pardon the pun, bloomed since then and looks like being one of the contenders.

Other players who could be expected to go well are Phil Mickelson at 35/1 (general), Sergio Garcia 40/1 (BetVictor/ladbrokes) and the in-form Francesco Molinari who is priced at 40/1 (general). Ernie Els is a 45/1 (general) shot to land the British Open and has improved recent form and a great course record here, finishing second here in 1996 and third in 2001. The last two Open titles at this course have been won by Americans and after Woods and Mickelson their charge will be led by Rickie Fowler at 40/1 (general) and Jason Duffner at 50/1 (general).

Fans of statistical trends will be interested to note that when David Duval (2001) and Tom Lehman (1996) both won their Open at this venue they had finished in the top 20 in the two previous major tournaments. A number of players fit this pattern including Fredrik Jacobsen who has two top 20 finishes in his last three Open Championship starts and with three top 16 finishes in his last three tour starts he looks a big price at 90/1 (general).

Go To bet365

#Ad

17/07/2012     © Frixo 2024