Open Season on Golf’s Majors
Golf is enjoying a boom period at the moment with some of the best players that the sport has ever seen.
That theory can be backed up by the betting markets for Major tournaments where it’s tighter at the top of the outrights than ever.
However, this is also one of the most unpredictable games to bet on. That’s a fact and it’s one which is proven by the winners of the opening two Majors of 2021. So, just how can you make profits on a sport where players can come through at +10000?
Tight at the Top
A quick look at the markets for the 2021 US Open shows a clear leader in Spain’s Jon Rahm who is quoted at industry best odds of +1000. Behind the favorite, however, there are no fewer than eight players who are available at the same price of +1800 in places.
Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth at the eight in question. Ironically, Rahm is one of only two players in that bunch who have yet to win a Major.
Once the US Open is complete, attention will turn to the British Open Championship in July. Early suggestions from the best arabian betting sites as sourced by arabianbetting.com indicate that the outright winner markets here will be just as tight.
Betting for both of those Major tournaments will adjust in the lead up to the first tee time and that will be reflected by arabianbetting who will provide updates on odds as they come in. News and opinion pieces on the world of golf will also be in place and readers could take their interest further by signing up with anyone from a panel of sportsbooks.
Those bookmakers have a range of funding options and a choice of welcome deals. It is, therefore, a useful site for anyone betting on golf but it may not make the task of picking a winner any easier.
Outside Value
Markets for the 2021 US Open showed that Hideki Matsuyama was quoted at +4000 to win the US Open. He would have been even longer for the US Masters where he claimed the Green Jacket at Augusta in April. The Japanese is a talented golfer who has enjoyed some success on the PGA Tour but that Masters victory represents his only Top Ten finish in seven months.
Unlike Matsuyama, Phil Mickelson was a former Major winner prior to 2021 but few punters would have got behind ‘Lefty’ for the PGA Championship. From the list of outsiders, Mickelson came through to win and, at the age of 50 years, 11 months and 7 days, he became the oldest Major winner of all time.
Mickelson is on offer at +7000 for the US Open and it begs the question as to how anyone can pick a winner in this sport. It is tough but there are options.
Trends and Statistics
Around two days before every golf tournament on the PGA Tour, the association publishes a set of figures which they refer to as ‘Power Rankings’. These rank golfers in order from 1 to 15 based on their form and suitability for the course that’s coming up.
So, for example, if they are leading the Tour rankings in Greens in Regulation, they may head the Power Rankings if that is a desirable quality for the next competition. Form is naturally important while it can also be useful for the golfer to have a strong record at the tournament in question.
Bettors can do their own research which may go above and beyond this type of information but the Power Rankings are a great place to start. The favorite for the tournament doesn’t always come out on top of those rankings which can provide some seriously valuable insight.
Remember too that there are prop bets such as Top 5 Finish and Top 10 Finish where the odds are smaller but the chances of landing any return are enhanced.
There are no guarantees in any sport but the unpredictability of golf means that many bettors choose to stay away. However, it can also mean that big winners can land across the course of a golfing year. Those rankings, together with your own detailed research can help turn the odds in your favor.