The US master is coming next week and sports betting enthusiasts are eagerly wondering if anyone will mount a serious enough challenge to stop Tiger Woods from taking a fifth green jacket away from Augusta this year. The almost unstoppable Woods is looking to grab all for majors this year and it would be a brave online betting fan who would bet against this happening. There’s no shortage of those though and golf, being the game that it is, can cause many a brilliant player to have a shaky period where nothing seems to go right.

There’s also no shortage of players ready to cash in if Woods falters and players such as Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson will be high on people’s lists in such an event. Mickelson is second favourite at 9/1 with most bookies, and his steady hand and temperament have already led to a win in the Northern Trust Open. This must be a good bet and reflects perhaps a little too much belief in the Tiger’s infallibility.

My own favourite, Ernie Els is available at around 16/1 with sports betting site Blue Square and they are throwing in a free £5 bet too, also a good price, and with his recent return to form, may well produce a surprise. Australian, Adam Scott, ranked fifth in the world, is being touted as successor to Greg Norman though one hopes he won’t buckle under the strain as the Great White once did on the back nine against Faldo.

Padraig Harrington is a great guy and will surely don the jacket one day. This may the year for him and, at 25/1 will attract a lot of support. South African, Retief Goosen is right in form and will figure large on the leader board. At 28/1 from Sportingbet.com you could do worse. And let’s not forget Geoff Ogilvey who just won the WGC-CA Championship. He’s at 33/1 and that’s got to be a good bet because, now who did he just beat into second place? Oh yes, that’s right, a Mr T. Woods!

The US Masters was first played in 1934 and its home site, the Augusta National is a very tough golf course indeed. Extended over the years to limit the impact of new equipment and balls on its level of difficulty, the course offers one of the hardest challenges in golf. This is not least because of the state of the greens and the almost impossible pin positioning. The greens are cut to such an extent that you’ve only got to look at your ball and it rolls a mile. A good shot to a yard from the pin can turn into a nightmare as your ball rolls gently back forty yards into the water. Only the best can dominate here and it’s all about the approach shot and the ideal positioning of the ball on the green.

The course features the famous Amen Corner comprising the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes on the course. These holes are hugely hard to play and water often kills a leading players hopes. It’s well known that the tournament is usually decided on the back nine on the final day and Amen Corner is partly responsible for this. Sports betting fans should not count their chickens before their man has shown he can handle the pressure from this.

It’s a fantastic tournament to watch and is fully covered on the TV. Why not give yourself a treat and sit down for four days with your laptop and enjoy the live betting on offer while you sip your cocktail and marvel at the beauty of this great course.

All odds taken from Blue Square Online Betting

 
The 2008 golf season is well under way with Tiger Woods dominating the field as never before. Woods has won his last seven tournaments and all but one of the last ten where he came second. Never have his chances of a grand slam looked so good and the smart money is moving his way. Sports betting fans will be aware that he has won four green jackets at the Augusta Masters, the first of the majors, and that he loves to play in Britain on the classic Open Championship courses.

Royal Birkdale is the venue for this year’s event and he regards the course as one of his favourites. The US Open is at Torrey Pines where this year’s Buick was won by Woods and, if he has three majors in the bag by the time he hits Oakland Hills for the USPGA, there will be no stopping the man.

Shrewd online betting fans will recall that Oakland Hills was the venue for the spectacular collapse of the US Ryder Cup team in 2004 and Woods may thus have an even greater resolve to carry sweet memories away from this course. Many online betting sites carry a wide range of bets on his possible accomplishments this year and my own chosen site Blue Square offers all possible combinations of his potential Major wins.

But let’s not ignore the other contenders. Great though Woods is, golf is a mind game and we’re all prone to off days where nothing goes right. Ready to leap in if such a thing occurs is Phil Mickelson, the former amateur champ, who plays second favourite to Tiger at the Masters.

European hopes come in the shape of Lee Westwood, Nick Dougherty, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Niclas Fasth, Henrik Stenson and Colin Montgomery. Montgomery has yet to win a major but, at forty four, he will struggle now in today’s very competitive golf world. Justin Rose is picking up Ryder Cup points here and there and can never be discounted. South African Ernie Els is my own favourite golfer and is in the bookies number three slot for the Masters. Els has a superb temperament and is showing strong signs of a return to form.

There are many tournaments over the forthcoming year and most online betting sites cover them. You can also access sites which offer the latest news and gossip or statistics and analysis of form. Tips abound and also many offers of free bets from betting sites to new customers registering with them. In all cases, registration is an easy matter with just a simple form to fill in and a deposit to be made. Sites such as Free Betting Online will help you to find the right betting site to suit your needs.

The ultimate golf tournament returns later in the year with the Ryder Cup at the Valhalla Course in Louisville, Kentucky. There are a few truly exciting sports events such as the FIFA World Cup or close scoring in the Ashes matches, but it’s hard to beat the Ryder Cup on the final day when the scores are tight. Make sure you have a ringside TV seat and laptop close to hand for this event. Get a few friends round to join in the fun and enjoy one of the truly peak moments in sport.