General / Paul Krishnamurty / 22 December 2008 /

Paul Krishnamurty looks back on some of the golf trading highlights of 2008....

Tiger Woods lands his third US Open after an epic play-off

In my view, the most amazing tournament ever seen. Not just for the thrilling finish, with Woods draining a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force a play-off with Rocco Mediate. Nor the ups and downs of that 18-hole play-off. Nor even any single one of the dozens of incredible recovery shots from the greatest sportsman alive.

The fact is, it would be impossible to single out isolated moments from Woods' performance because it was amazing from start to finish. He was so obviously suffering from serious injury, that there was constant speculation that he would withdraw at any moment. With all the dramatic betting implications panicking traders, four days of market mayhem ensued. It became impossible to read the short-term fluctuations in the market on virtually every hole. Golf, sport and Betfair at their very best.


Harrington breaks Garcia's heart....again

Even when Sergio Garcia was seemingly storming to his first Major title at Oakland Hills and trading at heavily odds-on, anyone with a memory could see the potential for disaster. Not only has Sergio developed a reputation as a bottler, but one of his two main rivals for the PGA title was the man who'd hunted him down at Carnoustie a year earlier, Padraig Harrington.

And so it proved to be. Sergio found the water on 16 to open the door, and Ireland's finest gave a demonstration in how to close the deal with an outstanding par on the final hole. And lets not forget the third man in that memorable day of topsy turvy trading, Ben Curtis.

David Smail turned over at [1.01] in the Australian Open

Four shots clear with four holes to play, with his nearest challengers already finished, some of us decided that it was game over and time for a well-earned sleep at 4.30am. Bad move; Smail duly dropped five shots in three holes to drop back to third place. The lucky recipients were Tim Clark and Matthew Goggin, who watched in amazement as a play-off opportunity arrived from nowhere. Well done to anybody who backed Clark in running at [220.00].

Thomas Levet sneaks through the middle as Westwood and Fisher crumble in Andalucia

Going into Sunday, the scene was set for a showdown between two very different Englishmen; experienced, in-form world star Lee Westwood and 19-year old prodigy Oliver Fisher. Westwood quickly shortened to [1.5], before losing the plot as victory presented itself (not for the last time in 2008), and the youngster pulled away for what appeared to be a breakthrough first title. However after trading at [1.09], nerves got the better of the youngster, who drove into the water on the 72nd hole. A grateful Thomas Levet, who had never led and traded at [150.00] in running, landed the resulting play-off.

Vijay throws it away at Pebble Beach

If there's one player you'd want to be on your side down the stretch, (OK, bar Tiger), it would have to be Vijay Singh. One has to sympathise, therefore, with the poor punters who piled into Vijay at [1.08] over the closing stages of the A T & T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.

A comfortable lead was whittled away by a trio of late bogeys, enabling Steve Lowery to reach a play-off. Even then, on all known form Singh had to be fancied against a journeyman not best known for his temperament under pressure. But to the delight of punters who got on at up to [410.00], the American won on the first hole.

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