Golf Betting

The Open

In the days before Jesus was born, all the best magicians in Jerusalem would put on great shows of trickery for the local lepers and tax collectors. It was to raise moral. But then along came Christ to blow everyone's minds with his sorcery, and the magicians, as you can imagine, were gutted. Some probably became Roman guards, others deliberately caught leperosy. Tough times. Speaking of which, the golfing community must think all their Easters have come at once, because without the messiah, Tiger Woods, it's anyone's game at the Open...

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The six front-runners

Sergio Garcia
The Spaniard is still searching for his first major win despite nine years on the PGA Tour but the bookies make him the favourite in Tiger Woods' absence. Garcia has finished in the top four of all four majors and came agonisingly close to winning this event last year, losing out on a play-off to Padraig Harrington. Only one Spaniard has ever won the Open before, Seve Ballesteros, who won in 1979, 1984 and 1988.

Ernie Els
The last of his three previous major wins came at the Open back in 2002 and in the five Opens to have taken place since he has finished in the top four on three occasions. Never before have two South Africans won majors in the same year, which is bad news for Els considering Trevor Immelman has already won the Masters this year.

Phil Mickelson
Based on rankings, you'd expect Mickelson to be the favourite considering that, with Tiger Woods out of the way, the Californian is the top-ranked player at the event. However, the world number two has been to the Open on 15 different occasions and has only once finished inside the top ten. However, Royal Birkdale has proved an American-friendly course in the past. The last time the Open was held there, in 1998, fellow American Mark O'Meara was victorious.

Lee Westwood
Westwood is considered the most likely candidate to end the run of 16 years since an Englishman (Nick Faldo) last won the Open. 49 majors have passed since the last time an Englishman (Faldo again, 1996 Masters) became champion. If he manages to help England avoid a dreadful 50, Westwood will also become the first Brit to win at Royal Birkdale, the only course on the Open rotation yet to boast a homegrown winner.

Padraig Harrington
The reigning champion became the first golfer from the Republic of Ireland to win a major last year is available at 20/1. Only once in the last 24 years has the Open been retained and that was by Tiger Woods. The last time Harrington contested the Open at Royal Birkdale (1998), he failed to make the cut.

Justin Rose
The Englishman's major performances have progressively got worse over the last 12 months. Tied twelfth-placed finishes at the Open and the PGA Championship last year were followed by tied 36th at the Masters and failing to make the cut at the US Open. However, there is a chance that a return to Royal Birkdale will re-energise Rose. It was there at the 1998 Open, his first ever major, where as a 17-year-old he finished fourth - a performance he has yet to better.

The Chickendinner Outsider

David Toms
The 2001 PGA Championship winner is our pick of the outsiders. Toms has finished in the top five of four previous majors and failed to make the cut at the Open last year - as did the last two winners excluding Tiger Woods. Americans also prosper at the Open - having won ten of the last thirteen - and not since 1994 have two years passed without an American winner. Royal Birkdale is a lucky course for Americans, with them having won four of the last five Opens held there, so if Mickelson underperforms again, Toms could be America's best hope of success.

14/07/08

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