Golf Betting Tips: Four improvers to follow in 2013

Paul Krishnamurty
08 January 2013

Seung-yul Noh is set to become a household name

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As the golfing season gets underway in earnest, Paul Krishnamurty offers his annual advice regarding the players set for significant improvement...

"Still only 21, Noh really caught the eye during the second half of his rookie season, making his last 17 cuts and registering ten top-25 finishes. These are notably consistent figures for one so young and the fact he's settled so quickly into the American scene could be significant."

One of the best edges a golf punter can create involves spotting players on the verge of significant improvement, just before their odds tumble. So, as we enter the new golfing year, I've set out to identify four players fancied to take the 2013 markets by storm, make significant progress and hopefully win a big prize. Happily this year's quartet are all still frequently available at decent odds for their respective targets.

Dustin Johnson

World number one Rory McIlroy may be miles ahead of his closest rivals, but it is unimaginable that he won't be seriously challenged in due course. The question, therefore, is by whom. Most of the current top-ten seem too exposed to suddenly find the necessary improvement, so we may be best served looking further down.

23rd place in the rankings is largely the consequence of an injury-ravaged 2012 and does not reflect Dustin Johnson's standing in the game. Six wins before the age of 28th birthday and a series of near-misses in majors is a record to be proud of and there should be much, much more to come. The key point is that Dustin's not inconsiderable achievements to date have come in spite of some glaring weaknesses. Like so many prospects still learning their trade, Dustin suffers from poor distance control with his irons and ranked a miserable 185th for scrambling last season. Consequently, a weak second shot often negates the invaluable advantage earned by his prodigiously long driving. Reportedly, he's been working relentlessly on his wedge play all winter and if it pays off, the dividends will be huge. Look out for a breakthrough in this year's majors.

Seung-yul Noh

Given the sport's vast expansion in the Far East, we are bound to see plenty of world-class Asian stars emerge and at this early stage, Seung-yul Noh looks the most convincing. Noh's extreme potential has been clear ever since he won on the Asian Tour aged 17 and even more impressively, the Race to Dubai ahead of his 19th birthday. Still only 21, Noh really caught the eye during the second half of his rookie season, making his last 17 cuts and registering ten top-25 finishes. These are notably consistent figures for one so young and the fact he's settled so quickly into the American scene could be significant. Whereas the previous generation of Asian players needed much time to adapt or had to juggle their careers between different continents, Noh looks completely at home in the USA already.

Ryan Moore

When trying to spot the moment where these young prospects will reach golfing maturity, a useful rule of thumb is to wait until they hit 30. Many recent top stars - Luke Donald and Vijay Singh, for example - improved markedly around this age. After all, not everybody can be Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy and make an instant impact - it takes years to iron out any flaws and master the art of course management.

Expectations on Ryan Moore were huge after he finished 13th as an amateur in the 2005 Masters and, weeks after his 30th birthday, he finally looks ready to deliver. One had to be impressed with the way he closed his 2012 campaign, saving his best run for the FedEx Cup and gaining just rewards by winning his final start during the Fall Series. In particular, Ryan's skills around the green will be an important asset at major venues.

Thorbjorn Olesen

As prize money forces the world's best to migrate to the USA, the European Tour increasingly resembles a lottery and there is definitely a vacuum at the top, waiting to be filled by our continent's next big thing. Step forward Thorbjorn Olesen, for my money the best long-range prospect Europe has to offer. His first two seasons on the main tour have caught many an eye and 15th on the 2012 Race to Dubai represents excellent progress. Olesen's swashbuckling top-ten performance at the Open conjured memories of Seve Ballesteros and second place at the Dunhill Links confirmed his liking for links golf. That suggests the Open Championship is his best chance of impacting a major but more realistically for now, I'm expecting the young Dane to rack up at least a couple of Race to Dubai victories.