Golf Betting: Westwood a must for Florida flutter

Golf Events / Tareq Quiroz / 11 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

The Doral Golf Resort in Miami posseses plenty of elements that will the add to the drama as a distinguished field battle it out in the sun this weekend, says Tareq Quiroz.

The big tournaments are coming thick and fast now. Boasting a fantastic field, this week's WGC event promises a thrilling spectacle which will hopefully have the heartbeat racing as it was last Sunday when Y.E Yang fell over the line. The Korean wasn't in full control of his game down the stretch but there was no more deserving winner. I think it is fair to say he will be feeling the after affects this week and you can safely discount him as the big boys flex their muscles in the build up to the years first major.

The Course

The Doral Golf Resort and Spa in sunny Florida is a cracking place to play golf. It isn't the most difficult course but it does have plenty of qualities that will add to the excitement of the event. The course now measures 7,266 yards after being extended in 2004 but is still on the short side. For those of you playing in-running it is important to note that the first hole is by far the easiest hole on the course and a birdie there really doesn't mean much at all.

The Favourite

No prizes for guessing the jolly this week as the Tiger is back and he is on the prowl. This is a course and a tournament that Tiger really likes so he has to be given all the respect that he deserves. Sure, there are nagging doubts about how he has recovered from his knee surgery and that is reflected in the odds. He is currently trading at [4.6] but you can be sure he would be half that price if you could guarentee he was back in top form. It is important to remember that this is a man who won the US Open on one leg. Nothing is beyond him. This course is right up his street and at his current odds he should be backed. You should also play very close attention to the Masters market as his current [4.2] won't last long.

The Next Best Bets

There are a few tempters out there this week but there are also a few to be avoided. Near the top of the market you can put a line through Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington until they show signs of a return to form. One guy that really takes my fancy this week is Lee Westwood. The Englishman is all set for a big year. He had a lot of close calls last season but this year he will convert his opportunities. At odds of [55.0] he is a must for my staking plan.

The Massive Outsider

With such a top class field on display this week we find ourselves in the pleasant position of being able to back good quality players at big odds. First stop must be Sean O'Hair. The young American has had a difficult time with various problems hindering his development but he is a fantastic talent and with any luck he will prove that in a big event pretty soon. He was going very well in the WGC Matchplay a couple of weeks ago only to get ill before his match with Casey. Watch out for this kid in the coming weeks and most importantly this week as he is a must bet at odds of [120.0].

Interesting Info

We have the top 10 players in the world on show this week and that is an all too irregular occurence. The international game is comprehensively represented by 19 countries. That this field has won 35 majors between them tells just how hot a field this is.