British Open / Jamie "The Pacman" Pacheco / 19 July 2009 / Leave a comment

Pre-tournament 1000 chance Watson is matched at 1.11 but falls short at the death as 320 shot Stewart Cink wins his first Major....

Stewart Cink was matched at a high of [320.0] on Betfair to win The Open but all the talk of this year's tournament will be of a missed opportunity for 59 year-old Tom Watson. Having been matched at Betfair's maximum price of 1000 for £1632, Watson was matched at just [1.11] after finding the fairway on the last and needing to make just par to win the event. But there was no fairytale ending, Watson missing a putt to win it and falling apart in the subsequent four-hole play-off.

Major price movements on Betfair throughout the final round

14.51 - Fisher trades at a tournament low of [2.2] after birdying the first two but is out to [2.9] after running into trouble on the 3rd.

15.04 - Young Englishman Chris Wood trades at [10.0] as Westwood and Fisher both run into trouble on the 5th and are certain to drop shots. He also has a tough chance for birdie but misses. He's traded at [1000.0] for £28.

15.07 - Talk about Fisher's price. It drifts out to [10.5] as he finds awful rough on the right. His first attempt only moves a few inches, his second is sliced wildly right and he ends up making [8.0]. Chris Wood carries on performing minor miracles and on -2, he's matched at just [5.9].

15.16 - Huge changes in the winner market. Westwood somehow makes bogey which is a good result for him and he is the new favourite at [3.75]. Despite making 8, the market reckons it could have been even worse for Fisher and he's into [8.2].

15.35 - More trouble for Fisher as he goes into the rough again and his chances seem to go with it. He's out to 20 but Westwood, who has an eagle chance (which would put him two clear at the top of the leaderboard should he make it) is now just [2.6], the lowest he's traded at so far. It drops in and he's into evens. Like Fisher, Goggin is playing himself out of contention and is out to 24. Watson and Goosen are going strong and are both around the [6.0] mark.

16.02- After a wobble young Chris Wood is back in contention and trades at [20.0].

16.14 - Luke Donald is the new clubhouse leader on one under and trades at [100.0]. Having traded at a low of [1.82], Westwood is back to odds-against after going into the heavy rough on the 10th.

16.30 - Dropped shot for Westwood who is on three under. He's out to [2.5] and Goggin, courtesy of a birdie on the 10th, joins him at the top. He trades at 6 but Stewart Cink isn't to be ignored either as he goes about his business and trades at [13.0].

16.39 - Tom Watson and Stewart Cink both make birdies within a minute of each other. That means Westwood, Watson and Goggin are all tied on three under with Cink one behind. It's Westwood [3.65], Watson [5.5] and Goggin [6.0].

16.50 - Chris Wood is the new clubhouse leader on one under. He trades at [46.0].

17.04 - Stewart Cink drops one but makes it back right at the next. He's one behind the leaders and trading at [8.2]. Westwood is the favourite at [2.74].

17.17 - Westwood is evens again with both Watson and Goggin struggling to make par on the 14th. They both make bogey but Westwood's tee shot on the 15th goes in the bunker and he's back out to 2.4. Westwood makes bogey, is out to [2.7] and the three are tied on two under.

17.31- Watson is safely on the green on the par 3 15th but Goggin ends up in the exact same place as Westwood a few minutes earlier and is out to [5.8]. Difficult chance to save par. Goggin out to [8.4]. Trouble for Westwood on the 16th and he's out to [3.15] needing a miraculous putt to save par.

17.43 - Watson trades at 2.64 whilst sitting at the top of the leaderboard, the shortest he's traded at so far. Better still, he finds the green on the 16th whilst Westwood goes into the heavy rough off the tee on the 17th.

17.55- Wood won't be winning now. Stewart Cink birdies the last and is now the clubhouse leader on two under. He's [4.9] to win but Tom Watson has a par 5 up next.

18.01- Westwood misses making eagle by a whisker and instead makes birdie to join Watson and Cink on two under. Watson [1.72], Cink [6.0] and Westwood [4.0] but Watson has a good chance to make birdie. Westwood finds a bunker off the tee on the last and is now [8.0].

18.08- Watson makes birdie and leads The Open with one to play. He trades at a low of [1.26] but Westwood performs a minor miracle to give himself an outside chance of making birdie and is back into [7.0] from a price of [23.0]. Watson finds the fairway on the last, Westwood misses his birdie chance and the 59 year-old is just [1.18] to win.

18.22 - Watson is matched at [1.11] whilst sitting pretty on the fairway but ends up on the back of the bunker and leaves himself a 10-footer to make par and win. He's [1.49] but he misses. He will face Stewart Cink in a four-hole play-off, who is now the [1.8] favourite to win. Watson is [2.34].

Stewart Cink never trades at odds-against during the play-off as Watson implodes and the fairytale is over for the 59-year old.