August 5, 2011
Hello I’m currently looking to replace my t-reg mk4 golf (which has been pretty unreliable) I was thinking of either a Toyota celica (7th gen 140bhp model) or a Hyundai coupe (the 2.0SE) My budget is only about £2000-£2500 so I was wondering what people think is a better bet. I would really like something reliable and I know Toyota’s have legendary reliably (however all their other cars are so boring) but for my budget I would have to get an older higher mileage model than with the Hyundai coupe. Also the insurance on the Hyundai is lower which would save me about £200 over the year. What do people think would be a better choice and how do the two cars compare in regards to how they drive and what they’re like to live with?
Any help would be really appreciated and thanks in advance.
I’m mainly interested in how the cars are mechanically. And what they’re like to drive.
both really girly cars, but judging from your user name you are a girl…soo its got to be the celica.
best answer 
Get the Celica, it will be reliable and if you ever want to sell it, you could get a little money for it. Hyundais are very cheaply made and will not be reliable in the future.
Both suck but the Hyundai sucks less so get that.
.
Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota !!!!!!!!!!
I got one ; BEST EVER!
Celica 2001 gt
It’s depends on your age and where you live as well, type of car, etc. I would shop insurance coverage online and get quotes from various insurance companies. Try a reputable site like:
http://www.getaffordableinsurance.net
August 3, 2011
3 players play a round of golf , each put up 100 . player A and B play even, player C gets one stroke from player B, Player A and B each shoot 75, player C shoots 76, how is the 300 split up
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110 for a and b and 80 for c
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if A and B play even and gives C one stroke all the money goes into burgers fries and pitchers of cold beer and everyone is happy, great game
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For Players A and B, they each get $101. As for player C, he gets $98.
Hope this helps and may god bless you all! ^_^
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Well i’m slightly confused. If player C gets a stroke from B, why doesn’t he get a stroke from A if A and B are playing even? But anyway, if all the money goes to low score, the following should happen:
A and B split the pot 150 to 150.
Now if you split up the money it should go like this: technically each 100 is split into 2 bets of 50 as all the players are playing against one another.
A should get his 100 back, and receive another 50 from C. So that’s 150 for A
B should get his 100 back from A and C because he gave C a stroke and tied with A so that’s 100 for B.
C should get 50 of his back from tying with B and giving 50 to A. So that’s 50 for C
So, if you need to give all the money away, then A gets 150 and B gets 100 and C gets 50
Otherwise,
A and B split the pot 150 to 150.
July 22, 2011
Online betting players are witnessing golf like we haven’t seen in a long time: after the dominance of Tiger Woods, golf is now completely wide open and anyone can win on any given weekend, especially in the major championships, which has had six straight first-time winners. Look for a veteran American to make it seven when the 93rd edition of the PGA Tournament returns to Atlanta Athletic Club for the first time in 10 years.
What: Golf Betting
When: Thursday, August 11th - Sunday, August 14th
Where: Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta, GA
Pick: Steve Stricker +2050
The Favorites
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (+715) is coming off a T-25 at the British Open after romping through the U.S. Open, and he seems to love the PGA Championship, finishing T-3 in each of the last two years. Phil Mickelson (+1015) is a threat after coming in T-2 in England, and he had a real shot at winning, but four bogeys on the back nine ruined his chances. Mickelson, who won the 2005 PGA Championship, finished a stroke behind David Toms when this event was last held in Atlanta in 2001, and he should be confident after playing well in a tournament where he usually doesn’t perform to his abilities. The world’s top players, Luke Donald (+1215) and Lee Westwood (+1015), both missed the cut in their home country last weekend, and both have T-3 finishes at the PGA Championship (Donald in 2006, Westwood in 2009), but they’ve got their hands full trying to bounce back from their disappointments at the British Open.
Defending champion Martin Kaymer (+1615) is also in the mix, and he is coming off a T-12 at the British Open in a performance that should have been worse, but Kaymer made a number of clutch shots and the German never seems to be flustered at these events. Sometimes his swing lets him down, but it’s not nerves: Kaymer doesn’t have any, and that’s why he’s always a golf betting threat. Tiger Woods (+1615) is also listed as a golf betting option, but it would be surprising if he even played. He has skipped the past two majors because of his leg injuries, and it may be best for the 14-time major champion to sit out the rest of the year.
The Second Tier
Dustin Johnson (+2050) will be remembered for grounding his club in an unknown bunk at Whistling Straits in this event last year, and after the British Open, Johnson has now played in the final group three times in the last six majors. However, Johnson just can’t seem to solve Sundays when it comes to major championships, which shows that he has some mental issues to work out. It’s definitely not physical because Johnson is one of the top players in the world when it comes to natural talent. Steve Stricker (+2050) doesn’t have Johnson’s talent, but he’s steady and a T-12 at the British Open was his fourth top-20 in a row in a major. In 11 stroke-play starts in 2011, Stricker has finished outside of the top 20 just once and he has two wins in his last four starts.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia (+2550) burst on the scene with a second-place result at the 1999 PGA Championship, and he finished T-10 in Atlanta in 2001. Garcia is on a roll after finishing T-9 at the British Open, his second straight top-10 in a major, and if he can keep his putter under control, he could finally win a major championship and as 42-year-old Darren Clarke proved over in England, there is always time to win a major, even though golf is getting younger.
The Longshots
Masters champion and South African Charl Schwartzel (+2850) has finished in the top 20 of all three majors this year after a T-16 at the British Open, and he finished T-18 in the PGA Championship last year, so he’s no flash in the pan. Rickie Fowler (+3050) came in T-5 in England, his best finish ever in a major, and like his fellow 22-year-old McIlroy, Fowler has an incredible amount of talent and he seems to have the mental fortitude: all he needs is experience.
Another young gun, 23-year-old Jason Day (+3250) from Australia, came in T-30 at the British Open after back-to-back runner-up finishes in the first two majors of the year, and if it’s warm in Atlanta, it shouldn’t bother Day, who lives in Texas. The real longshot for golf betting players is David Toms (+5250), who edged Mickelson to win the PGA Championship in 2001 here, but he has struggled since a playoff loss at the Players Championship and winning at Colonial, missing the cut twice (including at the U.S. Open), he withdrew from the John Deere Classic due to injury and he sat out the British Open. Be sure to check the field to see if he’ll actually play ahead of the tournament.
Prediction
Non-American players have won the last six major championships, with Northern Ireland winning three, South Africa taking a pair and then Germany in last year’s PGA Championship, so that will be a prevailing storyline ahead of this event. However, the Americans really threatened at the British Open, which was a huge surprise, and they could be preparing to take back the majors.
The pick here is Stricker, who has been as steady as anyone all season long, he has great all-around stats and he has long been considered the best putter on the PGA Tour (Stricker ranks first in putting). He doesn’t hit it long, but Stricker is straight and if it’s hot, that will dry the course out and he’ll get length that way. From tee to green, you may not find a better player than Stricker, and another thing to consider: the last six major winners have been first-time champions. Look for the 44-year-old American to make it seven, and lay a wager on Steve Stricker in your Golf Betting book.
PGA Championship Betting Pick: Steve Stricker (+2050)
June 28, 2011
With Tiger Woods suffering a noticeable injury, the legend’s chances of being competitive, let alone victorious, are slim to none at the 2011 United States Open golf championship.
U.S. Open Golf Betting Odds Update
Phil Mickelson 12
Lee Westwood 16
Rory McIlroy 16
Luke Donald 20
Martin Kaymer 20
Dustin Johnson 28
Hunter Mahan 28
Nick Watney 33
Geoff Ogilvy 33
Graeme McDowell 33
Jim Furyk 33
Anthony Kim 33
Paul Casey 40
Justin Rose 40
Matt Kuchar 40
Charl Schwartzel 40
Adam Scott 50
Because sports betting gurus are all too aware of the severity of the injury suffered by the 35-year-old Woods, they know they have to re-adjust the betting calculus in time for the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Golf Club in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital city. Sure, Phil Mickelson is always a threat to be at the top of the leaderboard on the final Sunday, but Mickelson is a creative player whose attacking and stylish game is tailor-made for Augusta National and the more wide-open PGA Championship, not the U.S. Open with its proliferation of thick roughs and narrow fairways. When you look at the odds for this tournament, don’t gravitate to star power; look for the kinds of players who can rack up a lot of pars and play steady golf. This is why Mickelson, at the top of the odds list above, should not be your selection.
If you want to make a better betting play in this U.S. Open, consider a steady type like Geoff Ogilvy, who once won this tournament and made a late charge at the 2011 Masters before Charl Schwartzel eventually won the year’s first major. If not Ogilvy, who is Australian, the majority of contenders are Europeans. Lee Westwood is likely to knock the door down at a major before too long, and should probably be the consensus favorite even if the raw odds might gravitate to Mickelson. Justin Rose and Paul Casey are two steady players who are flying under the radar and are poised to make a move at this tournament. Graeme McDowell is the defending U.S. Open champion, and he’s rounding into form, so he could make some noise. Yet, with that being said, it’s hard to view McDowell as the favorite coming into Congressional.
A word about Schwartzel is in order: The Masters champion will be under pressure to validate his win. Past Masters champions who came from nowhere to win the tournament – think of Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman – have not done anything in the golf world since their respective triumphs at Augusta.
If you’re wanting to make a pick that can rival anything that MLB baseball betting experts have done so far this season, don’t go for Rory McIlroy, who is also high on the big board. The odds might view the Northern Irishman as an elite contender, but the 21-year-old’s final-round collapse at The Masters will likely shatter his confidence and require a longer period of psychological readjustment. McIlroy is too talented to miss out on a major over the next five years, but he’s not likely to win this U.S. Open in 2011.
Jim Furyk has won a U.S. Open before and he’s contended at others because of his workmanlike style, which is made for this event. However, the American is getting on in years and has not shown staying power at the highest level. Other Americans such as Hunter Mahan, Nick Watney, and the erratic Anthony Kim need to prove themselves before being entrusted with the status of favorite.
U.S. Open Golf Betting Pick: Paul Casey
June 27, 2011
Online betting players would have never thought they would see the likes of this: is Tiger Woods done? His -18 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was the worst score of his professional career, and while it is completely possible he could come back, here are five reasons why it isn’t likely (and none deal with his marital life directly).
1) Lack Of Mental Strength
This is the most surprising aspect of this entire situation. For years, we talked about how mentally tough Woods is, but it may have just been a hoax. Everything is fine when Woods is winning: all 14 of his major championships have come when Woods was leading after 54 holes. But he showed a chink in the armor when Y.E. Yang came back to win at last year’s PGA Championship, then the “accident” on Thanksgiving, and it’s been pretty much downhill since. At Firestone last weekend, we watched Tiger Woods give up on the course for the first time in his career. And it could still get worse.
2) Age
Woods will be 35 on December 30th, so he’s no spring chicken and not even in the prime of his career anymore. He isn’t the first golfer to see his game deteriorate with age, and he won’t be the last. He can overcome this, but it’s tough. Vijay Singh had a good run as he got older, but age has definitely caught up to him. Phil Mickelson is 40 and possibly playing the best golf of his life, but that could come to an end at any time. Even Jack Nicklaus struggled as he got older, and golf betting players know that it’s going to come eventually for Woods, maybe just a bit earlier.
3) No Coach
Woods won eight majors with Butch Harmon, and another six with Hank Haney, but since he split with Haney in May, it’s been terrible. Woods may know his swing better than anyone, but it always helps to have an extra set of eyes on you, watching for things you can’t see. It’s one thing to know how to swing a club, and one thing altogether to be able to fix a swing, and Woods has no idea how to fix his.
4) Injury
Woods has had a lot of injuries in the last few years. His knee problems have been well documented, along with back and shoulder ailments, and he had to withdraw from the Players Championship earlier this year with a neck injury. This ties into the age factor from above, because as you get older, your body breaks down more easily, and it doesn’t recover as easily. These injuries could be playing a bigger role in Woods’ decline then he lets on.
5) The Tour Has Caught Up To Him
The loss to Yang showed that Woods wasn’t invincible, and that is a trend that has been coming for the last couple of seasons. The rest of the PGA Tour, thanks to technological advances in equipment, and the fact that players are just getting better, which catching Woods in a downward spiral. Woods also exploded on the scene as a 21-year-old phenom with his win in the 1997 Masters. Now it’s guys like Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Ryo Ishikawa and a host of other kids that grew up watching Woods. These kids are now trying to chase down their idol.
However, for all of these reasons we’ve discussed, we wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see Woods boost his Golf Betting chances within the next year.
June 27, 2011
The azeleas are in bloom. Augusta National Golf Club is manicured and waiting to host the best golfers in the world for the most beloved tournament on the planet.
Masters Betting Overview
Online betting pundits are certainly going to take a lot of action on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson simply because those two global superstars generate a lot of publicity and are magnets for the betting public. The Golf Betting community, however, needs to be attuned to matters far beyond pure popularity. Sure, March Madness betting is a popular drawing card in Las Vegas, and the NCAA Tournament still creeps into the week during which The Masters is contested, but by the time Thursday arrives at Augusta National, the college basketball season has been fully put to bed. It’s time to focus on four magical days deep in the American South, tucked away in a forest of Georgia pines. Here’s a look at the top 10 betting favorites for the tournament created by the legendary Bobby Jones in 1934.
Phil Mickelson +595
Mickelson is naturally a popular choice after scoring a PGA Tour win in the lead-up to The Masters this past weekend. However, a win one weekend is hard to follow with yet another victory the following weekend. This is not a sport in which regular weekly dominance is easily established. Mickelson is extremely likely to card another top-10 finish, but is he likely to take home a fourth Green Jacket and defend his title? No. That flies in the face of the odds.
Tiger Woods +1050
Tiger is by far the great uncertainty of this tournament. In 2010, it was very hard to expect the former world No. 1 to play at his best. The fallout from the 2009 incident at his Florida home, combined with the subsequent revelations of his marital infidelity and the divorce which soon followed, clearly weighed on Woods’ mind over the course of the season. No normal human being would have been able to display mental clarity and inner peace under such circumstances. Woods was merely as mortal as the rest of humanity. Now, in 2011, he might be able to bounce back, but no one will know for sure until he handles three rounds at Augusta. If he’s within two shots on Sunday, look out. Still, he’s not the number one pick to win this tournament.
Lee Westwood +1500
This is the best bet to win the Green Jacket. Westwood has come on strong over the past two years at the majors. He’s accumulated a lot of top-three finishes and has found himself in the thick of the fight on many Sundays, but he just hasn’t been able to close. The odds say that if you put yourself in position to contend for a championship on enough occasions, you’re going to break through at some point. Westwood has come closer than anyone else in the field to claiming a major without actually winning a title. The European’s chances are very good at Augusta.
Nick Watney +1700
The young American owns a world of talent, but he hasn’t smelled the aroma of victory the way a guy like Westwood has. A top-15 finish is very realistic, but this is just not Watney’s time.
Martin Kaymer +1900
The German has more majors in his future, but the 2010 PGA Championship winner needed a break on an obscure rules provision to secure that major title last August. Can Kaymer win back-to-back majors by breaking through on a hallowed golf course? The odds would seem to tilt against him.
Luke Donald +2800
Like Watney, Donald hasn’t come within a fraction of winning a major. He shouldn’t rate too high on anyone’s list.
Dustin Johnson +2800
This is one of the more intriguing possibilities at Augusta National. Johnson’s stroke penalty when hitting from an “open bunker” at the PGA Championship ruined his chances of winning. The American handled his situation with grace, but it still remains that he’ll face a mental challenge when he returns to the major spotlight. Don’t count on Johnson to succeed, though a victory would make for the single best story of the week.
Rory McIlroy +3000
The Irishman will win a major in due time. He’s probably still too young and inexperienced to handle the unique pressure of the back nine at Augusta on Sunday.
Hunter Mahan +3200
File the American in the same category as both Watney and Donald. One just doesn’t see Mahan making it to the thick of the chase on Sunday afternoon.
Paul Casey +3400
Casey is being looked to as the Englishman who will succeed Nick Faldo and become the next great golfer from the non-Irish part of Britain. He has a legitimate chance of contending, but one wouldn’t expect him to grab the brass ring in the final round.
Pick: Lee Westwood
June 27, 2011
With Tiger Woods suffering a noticeable injury, the legend’s chances of being competitive, let alone victorious, are slim to none at the 2011 United States Open golf championship.
U.S. Open Golf Betting Odds Update
Phil Mickelson 12
Lee Westwood 16
Rory McIlroy 16
Luke Donald 20
Martin Kaymer 20
Dustin Johnson 28
Hunter Mahan 28
Nick Watney 33
Geoff Ogilvy 33
Graeme McDowell 33
Jim Furyk 33
Anthony Kim 33
Paul Casey 40
Justin Rose 40
Matt Kuchar 40
Charl Schwartzel 40
Adam Scott 50
Because sports betting gurus are all too aware of the severity of the injury suffered by the 35-year-old Woods, they know they have to re-adjust the betting calculus in time for the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Golf Club in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital city. Sure, Phil Mickelson is always a threat to be at the top of the leaderboard on the final Sunday, but Mickelson is a creative player whose attacking and stylish game is tailor-made for Augusta National and the more wide-open PGA Championship, not the U.S. Open with its proliferation of thick roughs and narrow fairways. When you look at the odds for this tournament, don’t gravitate to star power; look for the kinds of players who can rack up a lot of pars and play steady golf. This is why Mickelson, at the top of the odds list above, should not be your selection.
If you want to make a better betting play in this U.S. Open, consider a steady type like Geoff Ogilvy, who once won this tournament and made a late charge at the 2011 Masters before Charl Schwartzel eventually won the year’s first major. If not Ogilvy, who is Australian, the majority of contenders are Europeans. Lee Westwood is likely to knock the door down at a major before too long, and should probably be the consensus favorite even if the raw odds might gravitate to Mickelson. Justin Rose and Paul Casey are two steady players who are flying under the radar and are poised to make a move at this tournament. Graeme McDowell is the defending U.S. Open champion, and he’s rounding into form, so he could make some noise. Yet, with that being said, it’s hard to view McDowell as the favorite coming into Congressional.
A word about Schwartzel is in order: The Masters champion will be under pressure to validate his win. Past Masters champions who came from nowhere to win the tournament – think of Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman – have not done anything in the golf world since their respective triumphs at Augusta.
If you’re wanting to make a pick that can rival anything that MLB baseball betting experts have done so far this season, don’t go for Rory McIlroy, who is also high on the big board. The odds might view the Northern Irishman as an elite contender, but the 21-year-old’s final-round collapse at The Masters will likely shatter his confidence and require a longer period of psychological readjustment. McIlroy is too talented to miss out on a major over the next five years, but he’s not likely to win this U.S. Open in 2011.
Jim Furyk has won a U.S. Open before and he’s contended at others because of his workmanlike style, which is made for this event. However, the American is getting on in years and has not shown staying power at the highest level. Other Americans such as Hunter Mahan, Nick Watney, and the erratic Anthony Kim need to prove themselves before being entrusted with the status of favorite.
U.S. Open Golf Betting Pick: Paul Casey
September 1, 2010
Online betting players would have never thought they would see the likes of this: is Tiger Woods done? His -18 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was the worst score of his professional career, and while it is completely possible he could come back, here are five reasons why it isn’t likely (and none deal with his marital life directly).
1) Lack Of Mental Strength
This is the most surprising aspect of this entire situation. For years, we talked about how mentally tough Woods is, but it may have just been a hoax. Everything is fine when Woods is winning: all 14 of his major championships have come when Woods was leading after 54 holes. But he showed a chink in the armor when Y.E. Yang came back to win at last year’s PGA Championship, then the “accident” on Thanksgiving, and it’s been pretty much downhill since. At Firestone last weekend, we watched Tiger Woods give up on the course for the first time in his career. And it could still get worse.
2) Age
Woods will be 35 on December 30th, so he’s no spring chicken and not even in the prime of his career anymore. He isn’t the first golfer to see his game deteriorate with age, and he won’t be the last. He can overcome this, but it’s tough. Vijay Singh had a good run as he got older, but age has definitely caught up to him. Phil Mickelson is 40 and possibly playing the best golf of his life, but that could come to an end at any time. Even Jack Nicklaus struggled as he got older, and golf betting players know that it’s going to come eventually for Woods, maybe just a bit earlier.
3) No Coach
Woods won eight majors with Butch Harmon, and another six with Hank Haney, but since he split with Haney in May, it’s been terrible. Woods may know his swing better than anyone, but it always helps to have an extra set of eyes on you, watching for things you can’t see. It’s one thing to know how to swing a club, and one thing altogether to be able to fix a swing, and Woods has no idea how to fix his.
4) Injury
Woods has had a lot of injuries in the last few years. His knee problems have been well documented, along with back and shoulder ailments, and he had to withdraw from the Players Championship earlier this year with a neck injury. This ties into the age factor from above, because as you get older, your body breaks down more easily, and it doesn’t recover as easily. These injuries could be playing a bigger role in Woods’ decline then he lets on.
5) The Tour Has Caught Up To Him
The loss to Yang showed that Woods wasn’t invincible, and that is a trend that has been coming for the last couple of seasons. The rest of the PGA Tour, thanks to technological advances in equipment, and the fact that players are just getting better, which catching Woods in a downward spiral. Woods also exploded on the scene as a 21-year-old phenom with his win in the 1997 Masters. Now it’s guys like Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Ryo Ishikawa and a host of other kids that grew up watching Woods. These kids are now trying to chase down their idol.
However, for all of these reasons we’ve discussed, we wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see Woods boost his sports betting chances within the next year.
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
September 1, 2010
Online betting players know that you have to lose a few times to learn how to win, and that appears to be the case for England’s Lee Westwood as we head to the final major of the year, the PGA Championship. Westwood has come close this year, in and out of the majors, but he’ll finally come through at Whistling Straits.
What: Golf Odds
When: Thursday, August 12th- Sunday, August 15th
Where: Whistling Straits, Haven, WI
Defending Champion: Y.E. Yang
The Storyline
The last time that the PGA Championship was held at Whistling Straits was 2004, when Vijay Singh held off Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard in a playoff despite shooting a +4 in the final round. Y.E. Yang is the defending champion after storming back to beat Tiger Woods at Hazeltine in Minnesota, and we could have another surprise winner after what has occurred in the majors this year. While Phil Mickelson’s win at the Masters could have been expected, no one saw Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell taking the US Open at Pebble Beach, and especially, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen’s slaughter of the field in the British Open at St. Andrews.
PGA Championship Betting – The Favorites
Tiger Woods (+450): The signs are encouraging for Woods, who was T-23 at St. Andrews, and he’ll be hungry to avoid his second straight major-less year, the first time that has happened since 2003 and 2004. However, that T-23 was his lowest result in a major since Whistling Straits in 2004, when Woods came in T-24, and unless he figures something out with the putter, he won’t be able to lift his fifth Wanamaker Trophy. Put him down for a top-10, though.
Phil Mickelson (+815): We can throw out Mickelson’s T-48 at St. Andrews, as he never does well at the British Open due to his high ball flight. He was T-6 at Whistling Straits in 2004, but like Singh, he struggled on the Sunday with a 74. You get the feeling that Mickelson will challenge at some point, but his wayward driving could hurt him.
Lee Westwood (+1215): Westwood is turning into Mr. Consistency, or he can’t win the big ones, depending on who you speak to. Westwood’s second-place result at St. Andrews was his fourth finish of second or third in the last five majors, and both runners-up came this year at Augusta and St. Andrews. He missed the cut in 2004, but Westwood is a much better player now, and you would think he would have to come through at some point, right?
Rory McIlroy (+1415): The kid excited us with a Thursday 63 at St. Andrews, then the Old Course bit him for an 80 on the next day in insanely windy conditions, and McIlroy was left with a T-3 result. He’s going to win a major sooner than you think, but this year has been up and down for McIlroy, and we’re banking on a letdown at Whistling Straits.
PGA Championship Betting – The Second Tier
Paul Casey (+2550): Casey collapsed to a final-round 75 at St. Andrews to settle for a T-3, and he missed the cut at the Canadian Open, but he’s solid from tee to green, he just has to settle his nerves. Casey missed the cut here in 2004, but like Westwood, he’s far improved as a player.
Steve Stricker (+2850): Golf betting players may be apt to take the homefield advantage: Stricker is a Wisconsin native who loves playing in the Midwest, so he’ll be excited for this tournament. Stricker has made the cut in all three majors this year, and has never finished higher than 30th, but we’re taking him for a top-10, at least.
Luke Donald (+3550): Donald actually finshed T-24 here in 2004, and he followed up his T-11 at the British Open with a third-place result at the Canadian Open. Donald has been very consistent this year, and he may be finally ready to fulfill the promise many saw in him when he turned pro in 2001.
PGA Championship Betting – The Longshots
Henrik Stenson (+5050): Stenson is coming off a T-3 at St. Andrews in which he had a hot putter, and after a few injuries, the long-hitting Swede will be dangerous at Whistling Straits.
K.J. Choi (+6550): Choi’s year has been adventurous as he began with a T-4 at Augusta, and it declined from there until he won the Scandinavian Masters last weekend. Choi was T-6 at Whistling Straits in 2004.
Ryo Ishikawa (+8050): The 18-year-old shows no nerves whatsoever, going from a missed cut at Augusta to a T-33 at Pebble Beach, and a T-27 at St. Andrews (playing alongside Tom Watson at the last two tournaments, no less). He’s probably more likely to win than McIlroy, his 21-year-old colleague.
PGA Championship betting & Outlook
We’re taking Westwood to learn from his past mistakes this season and come through in the clutch at Whistling Straits. He didn’t lose the Masters, he was beaten by Mickelson. Even at the US Open, Westwood was T-16 and always in the mix. He played solid golf at St. Andrews, but no one was beating a red-hot Oosthuizen. It’s Westwood’s week in Wisconsin, so take him in your sports betting picks for the PGA Championship.
PGA Championship Betting Pick: Lee Westwood +1415
