British Open Betting – Donald Breaks Through At St. Andrews

September 1, 2010

Online betting players have been treated to a great year when it comes to major-championship venues in golf. First Augusta, then Pebble Beach, and now, the British Open will be held at St. Andrews. A familiar name has won the last two Opens at St. Andrews, but this year, a Brit will bring the title back to England for the first time since 1992.

What: Golf Betting
When: Thursday, July 15th-Sunday, July 18th
Where: Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
Defending Champion: Stewart Cink

The Storyline

The last two times the British Open was held at venerable St. Andrews (aka “the home of golf), Tiger Woods won the event in 2000 and 2005. Woods stumbled down the stretch of the US Open, like everyone else except for first-time major winner Graeme McDowell, who is from Northern Ireland. Stewart Cink held off 60-year-old Ton Watson in a playoff in last year’s British Open at Turnberry.

British Open Betting – The Favorite

Tiger Woods (+205): The three-time major winner romped a five-stroke win here in 2005, and he showed signs that his game was rounding back into form with a T-4 at Pebble Beach. Woods got everyone fired up on Saturday with a 66, but his putter cooled off and he finished with a final-round 75. Woods missed the cut at Turnberry last year, and he’ll be eager to avenge that at St. Andrews.

Phil Mickelson (+1015): Another US Open heartbreak for Mickelson, who finished T-4 alongside Woods and could never make a serious push to threaten McDowell. “Lefty” finished T-16 at St. Andrews at 2000 and T-33 in 2005, and you would think he would be good at St. Andrews, with its massive greens. However, like Woods, Mickelson is wild with the driver, and that could really hurt him here.

Lee Westwood (+1215): Westwood, an Englishman, finished T-16 at Pebble Beach, his first finish outside the top three in his last three major championships. He finished T-3 at Turnberry last year, and is widely considered to be the best player without a major. Westwood hasn’t had the best track record at St. Andrews, finishing T-64 in 2000 and missing the cut in 2005, but he should be around for the weekend after a solid season.

British Open Betting – The Second Tier

Padraig Harrington (+1415): Harrington has won two of the last three British Opens, and he seems to get better as the weather gets worse, which it will at St. Andrews. Harrington finished a decent T-22 at Pebble Beach, but he’s been up and down all year as he’s been working on things to prepare him for St. Andrews, where he will play for the first time since 2000, when he was T-20.

Ernie Els (+1415): Els stumbled down the stretch at Pebble Beach en route to a third-place result, but he’s returning to a place where he’s had success before. Els, who won the 2002 Open at Muirfield, finished T-3 in 2000 and T-34 in 2005, and he has been alternating between great finishes and missed cuts over the last month.

Rory McIlroy (+1415): The 21-year-old didn’t make the cut at Pebble Beach, but he won’t be afraid of St. Andrews. Growing up in Northern Ireland, McIlroy is used to playing in windy conditions, which it will be at some point at St. Andrews. However, he has to get back on track after missing the cut in two of four events since his first PGA Tour win at Quail Hollow.

Ian Poulter (+2050): The loud-dressing Englishman finished T-64 here in 2000, and T-11 in 2005, but he’s been all over the place since March, missing the cut in three events with just one top-10, which came at the Masters. Poulter has been struggling with the irons, which is a skill you need to have at St. Andrews.

British Open Betting – The Longshots

Sergio Garcia (+2850): If Garcia is going to win a major championship, it’ll likely be the British Open, where he has six top-10s since the turn of the century, including a playoff loss to Harrington in 2007, but he’s failed to crack the top 35 in his last two appearances. Garcia finished a respectable T-22 at Pebble Beach, and it’s the same old story for the Spaniard: the putter fails him at the most inopportune times.

Luke Donald (+3250): Donald was a trendy darkhorse pick at Pebble Beach, but finished just T-47. He missed the cut in 2000, and finished T-52 in 2005, but Donald came in T-5 at last year’s British Open, and he’s been consistent as he’s ever been this year. All he needs is a win.

Stewart Cink (+6550): You can get great odds on the defending champion, who finished T-40 at Pebble Beach, and he has just three-10s this season. Cink finished T-41 here in 2000, and he missed the cut in 2005, and while two straight golfers have won two British Opens in a row (Woods and Harrington), Cink won’t make it a third.

British Open Sports betting & Outlook

Woods’ game isn’t all the way back yet, while Mickelson has just one top-10 in his British Open career. Westwood may be getting frustrated by the close finishes, so we’re going with another Englishman: Luke Donald has a solid all-around game, and he’s been extremely close lately, he just needs a couple of breaks to go his way. Take Luke Donald in your sports betting picks.

British Open Betting Pick: Luke Donald +3250