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.