Article Courtesy of Fairway Jay, A Professional Sports Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you bet on golf, be sure to purchase Fairway Jay’s Expert Golf Betting Predictions.

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England for the eighth time with the last champion being American Mark O’Meara in 1998. Without Tiger Woods in the field, I can’t recall the American representation ever being weaker in terms of top betting odds at the top. Only two American golfers are listed at odds to win below 35-1, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, while Stewart Cink is 35 or 40-1. No need to waste your money on Anthony Kim (45-1). The young American star is having a terrific year that includes two victories, but he’ll undoubtedly find his first rounds of links golf at an Open Championship a bit ‘rough’. Cink has been playing at a very high level this season and has a ‘shot’ this week. He managed a career best Open finish of t-sixth last year at Carnoustie. Don’t care for the match-ups he’s facing against Furyk and Robert Karlsson, who is playing the best golf of his career despite sub-par driving accuracy overall. Ranking No. 1 in scrambling on the European Tour has clearly helped him succeed while his putts per Greens-in-Regulation (GIR) is among the best. Still, don’t consider him ‘top class’ and his putting weakness on the short putts is a legitimate concern. Jim Furyk has finished fourth on three separate occasions at the Open Championship, including on this course in 1998. He has the accuracy, putting, patience and experience needed to contend this week at Royal Birkdale, and the last two winners at Royal Birkdale both hit it straight and were top putters at the time. However his success will depend on how he too handles the wind and weather conditions. That will be key for everyone, and have to rule out Mickelson in that regard as Phil has just one top-10 finish at the Open in 15 tries, three missed cuts and seven finishes outside the top-40; hardly what you would expect from the No. 2 player in the world.

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Sergio Garcia is the betting favorite this week despite no major wins. His record at the Open is impressive despite no victories, and he loves links conditions. Had he made the 10-foot putt on the 72nd hole last year at Carnoustie, we might still be talking about Padraig Harrington’s ‘fade’ over the closing holes that included a double bogey on the 72nd hole. No betting on Harrington this week, as he’s suffering from a strained wrist he injured over the weekend and will be far from his best. With the exception of a missed cut in 2004, Garcia has finished in the top-10 every year since 2001. Royal Birkdale requires solid iron play and ball striking with the ability to control trajectory and distance. Garcia excels with those, and along better driving from the tee and improved putting that has him ranked fifth on the PGA Tour in scoring, he looks like a very legit contender.

The player in the field with the best Open Championship record is Ernie Els, who won in 2002 and lost in a playoff in 2004. He has a total of nine top-10 finishes at the Open, and while he may not be at the peak of his game or overall golfing confidence, there have been more recent signs that he’s on the improve and could excel yet again at the Open. Els finished t-14th at the U.S. Open and 9th at last week’s Scottish Open. A pair of English stars have to be considered at Birkdale, as Lee Westwood lives just an hour away and has the game to succeed. He’ll have tremendous fan support, and he’s generally considered a fine driver of the golf ball while also ranking no. 1 on the Euro Tour in GIR. His putting is fairly good overall, but his short putting is suspect and he generally lacks consistency on the greens over four days. His record at the Open does not reflect the quality of player he is, and his overall form this season has been excellent. He finished just one shot out of the playoff at the U.S. Open and 19th last week at the Scottish Open. An interesting note on Westwood in the majors is that he has never shot under par in a final round of any major championship. Still, he’s playing some of his best golf in years. Justin Rose is the other Englishman that will be getting plenty of support this week, and you might recall that he finished 4th at Royal Birkdale as an amateur in 1998. Expectations continue to grow for Rose, who led the European Tour Order of Merit in 2007 and is currently ranked top-10 in the world. Recent form has been mixed, and he’s been plagued with back injuries. Not getting my support, but no surprise if he makes a little noise.

Vijay Singh has been nearly forgotten in this year’s discussion, and his form and results are pretty good (five top 10s) despite not being up to past year’s success. Eight top-15 finishes at the Open is a record worth consideration.  Adam Scott may make more noise by season’s end, but don’t expect top results at this years Open. A broken finger prior to the U.S. Open has hampered him, and his one top-10 finish in eight tries at the Open is hardly encouraging given his health and current form. Fellow Aussie Geoff Ogilvy is up to No. 3 in the world rankings, but three missed cuts in five Open starts is a bit of a concern.  Still, he’s a contender that is often less considered and discussed.  His current form and iron game is sharp, and he did finish fifth in 2005 and his last three PGA Tour finishes including the U.S. Open were all top-10.  His tee ball and accuracy must ’straighten out’ to be there on Sunday.

Some notes on other players, longshots and those pros less discussed. Andres Romero has only played in two Open Championships, but finished top-10 each of the last two years. The young Argentine is an exceptional putter and made an amazing 10 birdies over a 14-hole stretch during last years final round at Carnoustie before finishing a shot out of the playoff. Australian Robert Allenby is an excellent ball striker but a very sub-par putter. He’s quietly having a renaissance season with six top-10s and is No. 1 in ball striking and No. 2 in GIR on the PGA Tour. Legit sleeper. Fellow Aussie Stuart Appleby seems to ‘fade’ at crunch time, and did so again after leading the U.S. Open through 36 holes. He finished second at the 2002 Open Championship for his lone top-10 in 11 starts. Graham McDowell won the Scottish Open at Loch Lamond last week and has played generally well this season. Must search out for match-up wagering and listed in the ‘field’ to win. Australian Richard Green finished fourth at Carnoustie last year following a final round 64, and is playing well again while also placing third last week at Loch Lamond. Retief Goosen is one of 13 South African’s in the field and does have six top-10s in 13 starts at the Open. He’s proven capable in the past, but just one top-10 on the PGA Tour this season and modest current form does not offer much confidence. Rory McIllroy was brought up on Irish links courses and was the top amateur at Carnoustie last year as an 18-year old. He finished top-15 at the European Open and while a longshot this week, he’s one to watch and a future star.

On to the golf course. There is not much trickery at Royal Birkdale, a pure links course where you can generally see all the way to the greens from the tee box; a rarity on the Open rota. The fairways are fairly flat as they wind around the rolling dunes rather than meandering over them. Plenty of doglegs and bunkering in the fairway’s, so precision over length is preferred. There will be more premium on accuracy with some of the course changes, and players will need to hit more imaginary recovery shots around the putting surfaces. The greens will not be as problematic with less speed this week.  Weather will be a definite factor this week, as it looks like plenty of wind and tougher weather conditions. The luck of the draw with inclement weather the opening two rounds can have a direct impact on player performance and scoring.

I’ve done plenty of research and review for this year’s Open, while also having conversations and correspondence with some of the top European golf writers and handicappers. Some specific writings and details are not available on the net, although there is plenty of other ‘opinions’ and information on the golf course and Royal Birkdale readily available.

When analyzing the players and field at the British Open, know that for a majority of the European, Australian, South African and other foreign players, the British Open was the first major championship they saw televised. It is widely considered the most special major for those players. The European and foreign players are also more accustomed to links style golf, tighter fairways, heavier rough and uneven weather patterns

The bottom line is that scoring will depend on the wind and weather conditions, and players that have consistent and solid ball striking will challenge for the Claret Jug. Second shots and positional play will be additional keys this week along with battling the weather, and experience is very telling at the Open, as players with proven success at past British Open’s have demonstrated an affinity for the unique challenges of links golf.

2008 British Open betting odds are currently available from betus.com, which accepts golf wagers online. Historically the British Open is the most wagered on sporting even in the United Kingdom. Sergio Garcia is the current favorite to win the tournament due to the lack of Golf phenom Tiger Woods sitting out the rest of the 2008 season due to injury. Currently Garcia would pay out $900 for every $100 bet if he should win the tournament. Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood round out the next shortest odds in the field with Padraig Harrington (last year’s winner) paying out a whopping $1400 for every $100 bet to win.

2008 BRITISH OPEN BETTING ODDS
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Sergio Garcia +900 
Ernie Els +1200 
Phil Mickelson +1400 
Lee Westwood +1400 
Padraig Harrington +1400 
Jim Furyk +2200 
Justin Rose +2000 
Vijay Singh +2500 
Adam Scott +2500 
Geoff Ogilvy +3000 
Robert Karlsson +3000 
Retief Goosen +2500 
Andres Romero +3000 
Stewart Cink +3300 
Anthony Kim +4000 
Robert Allenby +4500 
Trevor Immelman +3500 
Luke Donald +4000 
Miguel Angel Jimenez +5000 
Henrik Stenson +4000 
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Buick Open Tournament Preview Courtesy of Fairway Jay, A Professional Sports Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com
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Located in Southeastern Michigan 80 miles North of Detroit, Warwick Hills is an old traditional golf course with stately hardwoods and a beautifully manicured landscape. While the fairways are tree-lined and can present problems to wayward drives, the landing areas are fairly generous and the greens are oversized with subtle slopes. Many birdies await, as the winning score the past four years is minus (-15), -24, -24 and 23-UNDER par. Since 1990, the average score of the winner at the Buick Open is 19-under par. Since the 2000 event, 94% of the players that completed 72 holes have finished ‘under’ par. Length has its advantages at Warwick Hills, but shotmakers and players that can make ‘birdies in bunches’ and continue to be aggressive will contend. Brian Bateman, ranked 408th in the world, pulled a surprise victory last year when he birdied the final hole Sunday to finish 15-under par. However, Bateman has been way ‘off course’ this year while missing the cut in nine of 16 starts.

Warwick Hills is a 7,127-yard par 72 layout that features many straightaway holes with reachable par 5’s and some short par 4’s. The 2007 tournament yielded 1,786 birdies, which was the second highest tournament total on Tour. In fact, no lead is safe on this golf course, as over the past five years, Warwick Hills has ranked in the top-4 in birdies allowed for the week among all PGA Tour courses. The par-5 13th hole yielded 18 eagles during the 2007 tournament to rank as the easiest stroke average hole while the par-4 15th is annually the most difficult hole on the course.

Jim Furyk’s dominating performances at Warwick Hills would seem to justify accuracy over power. His last six appearances read 2, T6, T6, Win, T10, T2. He’s finished at least 16-under par in five of those tournaments, and has a streak of 37-consecutive rounds under par at Warwick Hills. However, power usually takes precedence for most players in this event who want to go really low. Following a week of rain in the area and a forecast of scattered showers (30-50%), the course should play ‘soft’ again and scoring should be plentiful.

Buick became the first corporate sponsor of the PGA Tour in 1958, and to this day remains the largest and longest standing corporate sponsor as they celebrate a 50-year partnership with the PGA Tour. However, without lead spokesman Tiger Woods and other top-ranked pros in the field, another first-time winner will have a greater ‘shot’ at breaking through.  Just one top-10 player and only two of the top-25 in the world rankings tee-it-up this week at the Buick Open, but 11 total past champions will take their ‘shot’ for another title including Jim Furyk, Justin Leonard, Woody Austin, Kenny Perry, Scott Verplank, Rocco Mediate and Billy Mayfair. See the player performance table below to ‘chart’ some of your strategy this week, and get on my ‘bag’ as we continue to ‘shoot’ for more profits in head-to-head match-up wagering.

Here is the latest update on defending champion Brian Bateman. During his visit to the interview room at the Buick Open media center, Bateman disclosed that he has been playing all season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury that is eventually going to require surgery — probably sooner rather than later for the 35-year-old Louisiana native. “It hurts on every shot,” Bateman said Tuesday afternoon. “It’s caused me to shorten my swing, which has taken me out of my natural swing. My mechanics have changed. Because of that, my ball-striking has not been very good. I thought in the last few weeks that it was time to just have the surgery and then call it a year. But I really wanted to play here and really wanted to try and defend. You don’t have many opportunities to defend out here and I thought I owed it to the Buick and to the people here at Warwick. As far as surgery, it might be in the next few weeks. I may try to play through a couple of the majors and maybe the FedEx Cup and take the fall off.”

Fairway’s Followers won’t be taking any weeks off.  We’ll ‘fire’ away again this week with a 20* Big Drive play (4-1 this year) and ’shoot’ for more profits and ‘green’. 

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As its name implies, the TPC at River Highlands sits atop a ridge overlooking the Connecticut River, just 14 miles South of Hartford and 90 minutes from Boston. The par 70 layout features fairway’s that meander through the gorgeous rolling estate with the signature TPC mounding and natural amphitheaters providing unobstructed views. Holes number 15-17 play around a four-acre lake, known as the ‘Golden Triangle’. Banked by large hills, the closing stretch of holes offer great fan viewing options for the exciting finish.  The 296-yard 15th is a fun, driveable risk/reward par 4 followed by hole 16, a dramatic par 3 over water. Holes no. 4 and 17 ranked as two of the top 50 toughest holes on Tour last year, and the closing two holes are two of the strongest par 4’s that require accurate drives with water running along the entire right side of the signature hole no. 17.

TPC River Highlands is the third shortest golf course on Tour at 6,820 yards. Yet the past seven winners have all ranked in the top-15 in driving distance, allowing them to attack the pins with short irons and strong wedge play getting them in position for shorter birdie putts. The past three winners have shot 15, 14 and 14-under par, so ‘shooting’ for birdies should be a welcome relief for those players that competed in the U.S. Open last week.

While the argument can be made that players that competed at the U.S. Open may not be as sharp mentally to compete the following week, some pretty strong results show that solid play at the U.S. Open often carries over the week following the Major Championship. Since 2000, the winners of the event following the U.S. Open have five top-25 finishes at the U.S. Open. The following players are listed in match-up betting this week and come off a solid performance at the U.S. Open. Check out their course results below and consider them in your match-up wagering this week.

Hunter Mahan – Defending Travelers champ finished T18 at the U.S. Open and is an excellent driver of the golf ball. He currently ranks 4th on Tour in Greens-in-Regulation (GIR – 68%), but putting problems (69th of 79 at U.S. Open) have led to sub-par results by his standards this season. His win last year at the TPC River Highlands was part of a solid stretch of 9-straight top-25 finishes, and the less severe and sloped greens should be to his liking again this week.

DJ Trahan – Finished 4th at the U.S. Open and also 4th in all-around stats at the U.S. Open. No top-20 finishes at TPC River Highlands however, but a solid ball striker and ranks 10th on Tour in driving. Short iron play holding him back from better results, and prefer one of his opponents in a pair of listed match-ups. Still, confidence soaring after his high U.S. Open finish which also earned him a trip to next year’s Masters.

Stewart Cink – Another solid finish for Cink at the U.S. Open (T14), and he’s now finished top-25 ten times in fourteen events this season including six top-10’s (tied for first on Tour with Tiger). His game is sharp and overall stats place him near the top in many categories as he’s enjoying his best year on Tour. Only a victory is lacking, and Cink won at TPC River Highlands in 1997 and has four top-10’s in ten starts at the Travelers Championship.

Carl Pettersson – Fresh off a T6 at the U.S. Open and a final round 68, the Swede often excels on shot-maker courses. Additional top-10’s at Byron Nelson and Memorial and T33 at Colonial has big Carl in good form and feeling confident knowing he’s qualified for next year’s U.S. Open while also earning an invitation to the Master’s with his top-8 finish last week.

Jerry Kelly – The University of Hartford graduate is short off the tee but accurate, and he’s found River Highlands to his liking with four top-15 finishes. Jerry has been very inconsistent this year while missing the cut in 8 of 17 events including last week’s U.S. Open. Possible ‘bounce back’ this week, but prefer his opponent in the match-up this week, as Woody Austin is a solid ball striker and iron player with a past victory here and three top-10’s. Woody’s woes continue to be putting and scoring however.

With the Boston Celtics having just won the NBA Title, the area fans should again be wild and supportive for the largest sporting event in New England with nearly 300,000 fans in attendance.

Tiger woods hit a 12-foot putt at the 18th hole on Sunday evening to force an 18 hole playoff of the 2008 U.S. Open against Rocco Mediate to be played at noon ET on Monday.

Tiger Woods vs. Rocco Mediate Playoff Betting Odds (Subject to Change)
Tiger Woods -370 Odds (Bet $370 to Win $100)
Rocco Mediate +300 Odds (Bet $100 to Win $300)

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Mediate hasn’t won an event since the Greensboro Classic in 2002 and started the U.S. Open at 126th on the PGA Tour money list. If Rocco can survive 18 holes of playoff golf against the best golfer in the world, it will be his first major ever.

Tiger Woods knee noticeably bothered him in the final round on Sunday, as he started with a double bogey on the first hole followed up with a bogey on the second. A win at the U.S. Open seemed out of reach until Tiger rallied and ended up leading the tournament for a short while after the 11th hole. Tiger Wood needed an eagle on the eighteenth hole at Torrey Pines to win the 2008 U.S. Open, but after an errant drive, layed up and knocked a close approach shot to end up forcing the playoff.

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Article Courtesy of Fairway Jay, A Professional Sports Handicapper at Touthouse.com
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Since the 2000 PGA season, the U.S. Open has ranked as the toughest tournament in golf with a scoring average of 74.34. The past three Opens at Oakmont, Winged Foot and Pinehurst were all par 70 courses that had a field scoring average of 74.16 to 75.70. The philosophy of the United States Golf Association (USGA) is to make the U.S. Open the most rigorous, yet fair examination of golf skills while testing all forms of shot-making. So the USGA likes to set up the golf course to not only test the top player’s skill level with difficult course conditions, but also test players’ mental makeup and survival skills. Efficiency, endurance and energy no doubt play a large part in a player’s ability to excel and execute in a pressure-packed environment.

The 108th U.S. Open at Torrey Pines will play to a par of 71 and be set up at 7,643 yards – the longest layout in U.S. Open history by nearly 380 yards. The South Course will be a tremendous challenge, and if the wind picks up off the Pacific Ocean, the short-to-moderate hitters will be at an even greater disadvantage. You must come into the greens high and soft to have a chance to attack the pins; many of which will be tucked on the tiered greens. The ability to hit long, high iron shots will be a big asset. The ‘power’ players should prevail this week.

I’ll be traveling to San Diego to attend the opening round action Thursday at Torrey Pines. With nearly 50,000 fans and media members in attendance, I anticipate only a few good looks at Tiger on the tee and Phil’s famous flop shots, as those two will be paired together alongside Adam Scott for the opening two rounds. Regardless of my experience and close-up look at the PGA players and Torrey Pines, you can bet I’ll be firing for the flag and “green” with more match-up winners. Following last week’s 20* Big Drive winner on Justin Leonard, who won the Stanford St. Jude event outright, Fairway’s Followers (and myself) have now cashed four straight 20* Big Drive winners (4-0) this year while chipping-in more “green” with over +9 units of profit for the season. With another 20* Big Drive likely this week (16-5 on those Big Bombers the last 3+ years), you’d be wise to join Fairway’s Foursome for more winners this week. Be sure to check out my blog at sportsmemo.com for additional U.S. Open coverage.

Fairway’s Favorites

Phil Mickelson – Injured entering last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, Mickelson is a definite favorite on his home course at Torrey Pines, where he has had plenty of past success (3 wins) at the Buick Invitational. Despite the redesign by Rees Jones in 2001 that took away some of Phil’s familiarity to the course, the added length for the U.S. Open will only separate Mickelson from most other players while his short game, scrambling and putting, rate among the game’s best. He leads the Tour in scoring average (69.48) and is No. 2 in birdie average and all-around ranking. Mickelson’s driving accuracy is the only potential negative, but he’s top-10 in Greens-in-Regulation (GIR) and his course knowledge and past U.S. Open success and experience (4 runner-up finishes) will have him in contention Sunday with huge crowd support in his favor.

Sergio Garcia – Anyone that saw Sergio shoot his way to victory at the PLAYERS Championship saw an awesome display of tee-to-green play. He led the field in driving accuracy and GIR with exceptional ball striking throughout the week. While his putting is still a bit problematic, his stroke and confidence is improving on the greens. He was solid with the putter last week at the TPC Southwind, while finishing tied for 4th place and just 1-stroke back of the winner Justin Leonard. Sergio struggled mightily at the last two U.S. Opens while missing the cut in each event. However, he finished 3rd in 2005 and 4th in 2002, and the rough will not be as severe, nor will the greens be as fast or as sloped as the past two Open Championships this year. Garcia’s game is on course and his length, ball striking and ability to hit greens (GIR) should serve him well this week.

Stewart Cink – The 2008 season is shaping up to be Cink’s best on Tour. All that is missing is a victory, and he has the game and mental make-up to be a factor come Sunday. Cink has enough length (290+) to allow his solid iron skills to succeed. He’s 4th on Tour in GIR, although if he has a weakness with his iron game it’s from 180+ yards and out. Cink has six top-10s this season, including a T3 at the Masters and played in the final group with Woods at this year’s Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, finishing 3rd. He’s contended in past U.S. Opens, and could contend for a major breakthrough this week.

Padraig Harrington – The Irishman and British Open Champion has the length, putting and scrambling game to be a factor at Torrey Pines, and like Garcia, will welcome the wind if it begins to blow at higher speeds. He leads the Tour in putts per round and birdie average, and is No. 2 in scoring. His game has been on course this year with four top-5 finishes, including 3rd last week at the TPC Southwind. And while Harrington lacks course experience like the other “Fairway Favorites”, in my mind, Padraig can perform and persevere along the Pacific.

Contenders

Tiger Woods – World’s No. 1 player returns to competition for the first time since his knee surgery in April. Despite six victories on this course at the Buick Invitational and the big betting favorite, I can’t make a solid recommendation for Woods to win this week. Too much to overcome, not just physically as he tries to make the shots and maintain his touch around the greens over four grueling days, but mentally he must hold up in one of the most grueling environments in golf. Tough to fade Woods in any tournament, but even this week will be tough for Tiger.

Others to watch of interest –Vijay Singh, Robert Allenby

ODDS TO WIN 2008 U.S. OPEN
The 2008 U.S. Open golf tournament odds will be updated on this page throughout the week right up until Sunday’s final round. We expect the odds to win the U.S. Open to change, so be sure to check back often for live tournament odds throughout the week.
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The 2008 PLAYERS does not have the feel of a Championship that the players themselves call their own. With over a $9 million purse and $1.7 first place prize, the top of the leaderboard is more reminiscent of a ‘blast from the past’ than one reflective of the top players in the world. With 47-year old Kenny Perry (-6) leading at the halfway point and 50-year old Bernhard Langer (-5) just a shot behind, I’m thinking the Saturday TV ratings could prove to be a ‘bogey’ for the networks. After all, without Tiger Woods in the field this week, the interest level is ‘sub-par’ and the (lack of) financial gain to the networks, local merchants and other media outlets has to be a concern. In fact, the numbers for national media in attendance speak for themselves. None of the papers from Los Angeles or Chicago are covering the PLAYERS Championship. Even the Miami Herald, located just six hours down Interstate 95, took a pass. So did St. Petersburg, the state’s biggest newspaper. Sports strongholds like Charlotte, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia also failed to ‘step to the tee’. And media members from San Diego, set to host the U.S. Open in a month, decided not to make the trip to Florida.

Back to the tournament, first round leader Sergio Garcia (-5) and Paul Goydos are also just a shot back as the player’s tee-off Saturday. Garcia is leading the field in both fairway’s hit and greens in regulation through two rounds, as his tee-to-green game has been terrific; even while playing in the windy and blustery conditions Friday afternoon. I continue to read the players comments and listen to interviews to gather additional information and insight on how the players themselves are playing and adapting to the conditions. Sergio Garcia is in very good control of his game and golf ball and staying committed to his shots as the wind gusts make distance control more difficult. Solid ball striking is essential for success at Sawgrass, and Sergio has been stellar while his putting shows signs of improvement with the help of short-game instructor and putting guru Stan Utley.

I like Garcia over Kenny Perry as a short favorite in a single-day match-up Saturday. The weather will be hot (90 degrees) and windy (up to 20mph) Saturday, and worse on Sunday. Garcia has proven he can handle adverse weather and wind conditions in the past, although his mental makeup and putting have proven questionable. Garcia should hold steady and be in the hunt come Sunday. Big moves were made during last year’s third round from players farther off the pace, however the conditions were nearly ideal. With high heat and gusty winds combined with faster and firmer greens and fairway’s this year, it’s going to be ‘rough’ for a player too far back in the pack to make up ground. And the players that position themselves near the top for Sunday’s final round will have to battle not only the wind, but likely scattered showers and thunderstorms on Sunday.

Some big names and top-rated players missed the cut and will not be playing this weekend. Gone are Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy, Sean O’Hair, Steve Stricker, Justin Leonard, K.J. Choi, Padraig Harrington, Brandt Snedeker and Andres Romero among others. Plenty of match-up betting on many of these players, and fortunately we avoided the ‘rough’ and even ‘faded’ a few like Ogivly and Singh. In fact, we have our top-play 20* Big Drive in the bag before the weekend, as Stewart Cink has beaten Geoff Ogivly, who struggled while shooting 77-75. We ‘chipped-in’ an additional recommendation winner on Furyk over Singh, and have three others in the balance over the weekend. Those extra ‘chip-in’ recommended plays have now gone 8-1 and have produced plenty of profit while supporting the official ‘Fairway Forecast’ plays this PGA season. Now 2-0 on our rare 20* Big Drive plays this year and 20-6 the past four years on those ‘Big Bertha’ bombers, I encourage you to take a ‘shot’ with my PGA match-up plays that have produced over 55 units of profit the past four years. Plenty of ‘green’ to be made betting the PGA if you take the right ‘approach’ and stay on ‘course, and we’ll continue to take our ‘shots’ and try to ‘chip-in’ more winners and helpful information and insight.

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5Dimes, a leader in golf wagering selection, is gearing up for some of the most exciting tournaments of the year with early futures odds. You will also be able to choose from a variety of wagering options including player vs player matchups, updated odds on every single round, a wide variety of props and much more throughout the tournaments.

Other golf futures available include the World Golf Championship, the US PGA Championship, the PGA money list, the British Open, the European Order of Merit and several more. Take a shot and find great value in these early lines.

CURRENT 2008 MASTERS BETTING ODDS
(All Odds Subject to Change)
TIGER WOODS 7/5
FIELD (ALL OTHERS) 9/2
PHIL MICKELSON 8/1
ERNIE ELS 15/1
VIJAY SINGH 18/1
JIM FURYK 20/1
ADAM SCOTT 25/1
RETIEF GOOSEN 25/1
PADRAIG HARRINGTON 25/1
SERGIO GARCIA 25/1
JUSTIN ROSE 30/1
K.J. CHOI 30/1
LUKE DONALD 30/1
GEOFF OGILVY 30/1
CHRIS DIMARCO 40/1
DAVID TOMS 40/1
MIKE WEIR 40/1
RORY SABBATINI 40/1
ZACH JOHNSON 40/1
TIM CLARK 50/1
TREVOR IMMELMAN 50/1
PAUL CASEY 50/1
ANGEL CABRERA 50/1
HENRIK STENSON 50/1
JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL 60/1
CHARLES HOWELL III 60/1
NICLAS FASTH 60/1
STEVE STRICKER 60/1
STEWART CINK 60/1
STUART APPLEBY 70/1
SCOTT VERPLANK 70/1
STEPHEN AMES 70/1
KENNY PERRY 70/1
HUNTER MAHAN 70/1
DAVIS LOVE III 80/1
AARON BADDELEY 80/1
ROBERT ALLENBY 80/1
WOODY AUSTIN 80/1
DARREN CLARKE 100/1
IAN POULTER 100/1
FRED COUPLES 100/1

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