Golf - The open 2008

[chrisbruce]

The Open Championship is as wide open as I can ever remember. This is not just due to the absence of Tiger Woods, but also I think due to a lot of the established pros not continuing to perform at the level they once could. I will be looking to back value golfers who have a good chance at favourable odds of a least 50-1.

Here is my opinion of the main contenders

Sergio Garcia – A worthy favourite with a great chance but at 12-1 I will be looking elsewhere

Phil Mickelson - has never performed well on a links course -  I will be Laying

Ernie Els -  Just not the golfer he once was  -  I will be Laying

Padraig Harrington – Out of form, done nothing since winning the open last year.  -  I will be Laying

Lee Westwood – Ahh if only he could putt

Adam Scott – Probably the most talented golfer next to Tiger but very frustrating to back. Blows up very easily.


My picks (bets) are –

Graeme Mcdowell –  A golfer in top form with a good win in the Scottish open and a good run in the European the week before.  I lumped on big style at 80-1 last week. Still great value at 55/60 – 1

Ross Fisher – In great form with a recent win in the European open. One of the longest and straightest hitters on the tour. 65 / 70 -1



I have also placed a few small lottery bets at stupid odds –

Camilo Villegas 200/1
Rocco Mediate – 300/1
Johan Edfors – 300/1
Philip Archer – 1000/1
Charles Howell 3rd -  480/1
Kevin Stadler 800/1
John Daly 800/1


Good luck with  your picks and if your not sure back Graeme Mcdowell FTW -  you wont regret it -

[Colchester Kev]

All those bets and not a shilling on Poulter ... maybe you do know a bit about golf afterall

[AndrewT]

Fk me, Sergio 'El Choker' Garcia is favourite?

[Rooky9]

John Daly to be backed at 800 then layed massively after a good first round.

Jimenez for the win.

[Matt50]

This is a real tough one to call this year, so i have just gone for a few small bets to start with for interest and will probably re-evaluate on Saturday morning.

TO start with have gone with:

G Ogilvy @ 36
R Allenby @ 55
S Ames @ 130
N O Hern @ 200
S O'Hair @ 240
R Sabbatini @ 210

[bobby1]

I'm not usually prone to sentimentality when it comes to betting but if one player deserves to win an Open at Birkdale it is Stuart Appleby who's wife was killed between two cars at Waterloo station on their way back from the 1998 Open at Birkdale.

http://www.golftoday.co.uk/news/yeartodate/news98/appleby2.htm

http://www.signsofthetimes.org.au/archives/2004/november/article8.shtm

His head will most likely be all over the place returning this year but If there is a karma in sport I hope that he wins so I am on at 110 on Betfair.

[Matt50]

I'm not usually prone to sentimentality when it comes to betting but if one player deserves to win an Open at Birkdale it is Stuart Appleby who's wife was killed between two cars at Waterloo station on their way back from the 1998 Open at Birkdale.

http://www.golftoday.co.uk/news/yeartodate/news98/appleby2.htm

http://www.signsofthetimes.org.au/archives/2004/november/article8.shtm

His head will most likely be all over the place returning this year but If there is a karma in sport I hope that he wins so I am on at 110 on Betfair.

I'd forgotten about that.

I havent backed him but really hope that he plays well in light of what happened.  Could you imagine the emotion if he was to win it this week.
GL to the guy.

[dino1980]

Lee Westwood – Ahh if only he could putt

Chris, I don't follow golf that closely (except the Ryder Cup) but according to last Friday's Sport magazine Westwood is joint 7th is avg putts per green. This doesn't say over what time period (2008 perhaps?) but has he historically been a bad putter? He's also ranked no 1 in Iron play with 76.8% of greens hit.

P.S these stats can be seen in the mag which is online here: http://www.myfreesport.co.uk/images/stories/issues/83/Sport083.pdf   (page 7 fyi)

[TightEnd]

He's great tee to green, but often can't sink a putt for toffee...see last month's US open for evidence

[Karabiner]

He's great tee to green, but often can't sink a putt for toffee...see last month's US open for evidence

Golfers who hit a lot of greens often have what appear to be poor putting stats. simply because they have more long puts ergo more two-putt greens. I don't think Westwood is as bad a putter as he and many others make out.

[Colchester Kev]

He's great tee to green, but often can't sink a putt for toffee...see last month's US open for evidence

Golfers who hit a lot of greens often have what appear to be poor putting stats. simply because they have more long puts ergo more two-putt greens. I don't think Westwood is as bad a putter as he and many others make out.

You on Poulter Ralphy ya big dirty gooner ?

xxx

[Karabiner]

As Chris says it's a very open Open with many top players performing below their best thus far this term.

I've only had a couple of bets so far:

Andres Romero @ 55, and Hunter Mahan @ 75.

[brado]

Hunter Mahan looks interesting. He is a solid links player and is in good form. 66/1 on him has gone and is now trading around 50/1.  Still worth a bet though.

Garcia is, in my opinion, a worthy favourite. He is never far off at the open and seems to have sorted his head and putting out. His late tee time on Thursday may be a slight disadvantage but he'll be thereabouts on Sunday evening. 11's are available

I thought about backing Cink this year as he has looked good in the US and despite ropey opens in the past, performed well last year. I haven't backed him with any money though, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him romp home.

[chrisbruce]

Lee Westwood is a world class golfer who has a great chance of winning the open. I would definately not Lay him in this event.

I do feel Westwoods putting does let him down when it really matters. In the final round of the US open (as I remember) he did not hole one putt over 6 ft and he had numerous chances, a lot of which were left short of the hole.

Quite often I have seen Westwoods frustration at missed opportunities on the (putting) green go on to affect his long game.

I hope he does well as he really deserves a major title but at 20/1 he is not for me.

One more golfer I forgot to mention who has a great chance is Miguel Angel Jimenez. Unfortunately the smart money has already brought his price down to 38/1

[matt674]

In Open Championship

Ogilvy - 30/1
Cink - 33/1

my "Karabiner" - Finch 250/1

Also in US Bank Championship

Armour III - 25/1
Baird - 30/1

in various singles & doubles bets