Tiger's Odds Drifting in US Masters Betting

Frank Doyle makes his picks for Augusta in a new era of golf betting wehre Tiger Woods is no longer the man to beat.

This is the first Masters in which Tiger Woods has competed in which he’s not the favorite. That’s how far the greatest player the game has known has fallen; that on the eve of the Tournament that suits him best and that he’s won on four occasions, Tiger Woods is just another guy.

In some years, Tiger Woods has had golf odds of 6/4 or 6/5 to win the Masters, nearly even money, an incredible price on a golf tournament and a measure of just how dominant he was. Now, the favorite tag is with Phil Mickelson, reigning Champion, three time winner and a man in form after shooting 63 last Saturday on his way to winning the Houston Open and leaping Tiger in the World Golf Rankings, as we can see below.

Mickelson is a worthy favorite, on form and on past achievement, but that’s a very short price on someone who isn’t Tiger at the top of his game. However, everything has its opposite and that short price on Mickelson means that there are big payouts when you bet on golf. Here are Sports Interaction’s four to follow at Augusta 2011:

Fore! to Follow

Nick Watney. (USA) 16/1. Watney could be a golfer whose time has come. He won at Doral a month ago, and he finished seventh in the Masters and the US Open last year. This weekend could be when he takes his place among the greats.

Martin Kaymer (Ger) 18/1. That’s a very big price on Kaymer, who is only the World No 1 right now and has been all year. There are questions over Kaymer’s recent form and his ability when the heat is on, but come on. The guy is German. Germans don’t really do pressure.

Matt Kuchar (USA) 33/1. The Masters has had some shock winners in the recent past – Johnson, Immelman, Cabrera – why not Kuchar? He’s got the most top ten finishes on the PGA tour this year, and lead the US Money list last year. He’ll be there or thereabouts at the finish.

Justin Rose (Eng) 33/1. Rose is one that generation of golfers if he hadn’t played in the Tiger Woods era. But while Rose hasn’t yet won a Major, he’s won in the States, he’s contended in majors and someday his ship will come in. Maybe it’ll be this weekend.

And if you’re convinced by none of the above, take a chance on the Sports Interaction Piñata Pick, where you’re assigned a random player with a guaranteed payout of 80/1!

World Golf Rankings, April 4, 2011