Open Championship Odds & Betting Tips
The Open Championship is being held at St Andrews golf course in 2010. The odds and betting takes on a quite unusual shape this year, with Tiger Woods not the hot favourite of years gone by. Genie has checked out the form and has a few key tips to steer you in the right direction for making your picks in the British Open this weekend.
Key Betting Tips
St Andrews is a wonderful test of golfing prowess. As with all links golf, if the wind picks up then the low hitters and straight hitters should come to the fore. There are a few drivable par 4’s but power is not necessarily a requirement. Decision making is the key skill that will set apart the leaders this weekend. Tiger Woods barely took out his driver when winning around here in 2005 and an iron off the tee will be the weapon of choice for many of the field this week. The bunkers at St Andrews are infamous and an expert sand game, combined with a samll bit of luck, will be beneficial at soem stage this weekend. Lee Westwood is a below average bunker player among the pro ranks and he would be well advised to stay out of the pot bunkers at all costs. The winner will simply have to putt well and scramble tidily when called upon to get up and down from 20 yards.
The weather forecast for this week points to plenty of rain. Little wind is expected on Thursday but a gusty weekend is expected from Friday. Look for the straight shooters in the wind.
Another key betting tip is that Paddy Power are paying 7 places in the each way market so don’t be afraid to sacrifice a few points in the price for the extra place.
Players to Watch
Having won the Open on the last 2 occasions that it was held here, Tiger Woods is a deserving favourite. Having said that his form of late has been extremely poor by his lofty standards and this is not the course to forgive his swing imperfections. 11/2 is best avoided.
I expect a strong challenge from the Ireland and Britain this weekend. Padraig Harrington is in town and we all know how much he likes a British Open. He wears the label of ‘grinder’ as a badge of honour and Padraig will fight for every shot. If the wind starts to howl then Padraig could be your dawg. The 25/1 available from Ladbrokes and VC Bet is reasonable.
There is one man who tends to keep it together in the wind better than anyone else. The bad news is that he is not having a good season but the good news is that he finished 5th last time the Open was played at St. Andrews. The extra good news is that he has had 6 top ten finishes at the british open in the past 9 years. He has shown some glimmer of form at the US Open with a 22nd place finish. He steadily improved the more the wind blew. His name is Sergio Garcia and he comes into the tournament at odds of 100/1 with Ladbrokes. I’m absolutely having a piece of that.
An underestimated Open performer is Kenny Perry. The Kentuckian has turned down invitations to play in previous years because he is a creature of habit and likes to stay around Kentucky if he can. Kenny has played the tournament 5 times in the past 7 years and has finished in the top 20 on 3 of those occasions. The last visit to St Andrews resulted in a very respectable 11th place finish. Kenny has had some highly publicised eye trouble this year but he has no concerns over that and top 20 finishes in the states, coupled with a respectable 33rd place in Pebble Beach mean that at odds of 150/1 he could be worth a small e/w punt. Kenny hits the ball high which is not ideal in the wind but he does draw the ball which should be easier to control.
Camilo Villegas hits a low ball and putts well. Another whose form has tailed off of late but I have always seen this as his most likely major win, if indeed he is to claim one. Camilo should run close and is worth a look in the each way market at 80/1 with Ladbrokes.
Open Championship Betting Tips Summary
Here is the verdict of the Genie for those betting on the Open Championship at St Andrews. Odds quoted are at the time of publication. For a €100 staking plan:
€20 e/w on Sergio Garcia at 100/1 with Ladbrokes
€15 win on Padraig Harrington at 25/1 with Ladbrokes
€7.50 e/w on Kenny Perry at 150/1 with Bet365 (paying 6 places)
€7.50 e/w on Camilo Villegas at 80/1 with Ladbrokes
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