Tiger Woods On Five Year Tournament Slump, But Still Betting Favorite at Quicken Loans National

Posted on: June 26, 2018, 04:00h. 

Last updated on: June 26, 2018, 03:55h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
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Tiger Woods hasn’t won a PGA Tour event in nearly half of a decade, but heading into this week’s Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, he still has the second-shorts odds of winning among the 120-player field.

Tiger Woods odds golf Open
Despite shooting 78-72 at the US Open, Tiger Woods is a favorite at this week’s Quicken Loans National. (Image: Frank Franklin II/AP)

Rickie Fowler (7/1) is the favorite at the Westgate SuperBook. He’s followed by Woods at 12/1.

After Fowler and Woods, Francesco Molinari and Marc Leishman are next at 16/1. Kyle Stanley rounds out the top five at 20/1.

Fowler has nine top-10 finishes in 14 starts this year. He additionally won the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial PGA Tour event last December that also benefits Woods’ foundation.

The short odds on Woods and Fowler are due to a relatively weak Quicken Loans field. That’s a result of many star players venturing to France for the HNA Open. Players there include Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, and Sergio Garcia.

Tiger is the tournament host this week outside DC, with the PGA Tour event benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation. He’s won the event two times in its 10-year history.

Value Players

Although he hasn’t won since 2003, sports bettors routinely bet on Woods to win each time the 79-time PGA Tour winner tees it up. Tiger said in March his continued short odds are due to “a lot of gamble-oholics out there.”

In the 2018 wraparound season, Woods has made the cut in eight of the 10 tournaments he’s played. He’s finished in the top-25 six times, and has two top-10s. He’s amassed earnings of $1.5 million, and currently stands 61st in the FedEx Cup rankings.

Better Play, Longer Odds

Kyle Stanley (20/1), the Quicken Loans National defending champion, has 10 top-25 and four top-10 finishes in 2018, and has won over $2.3 million. He’s 34th in the FedEx Cup.

Gary Woodland (40/1) has two top-10 finishes, plus a win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and sits in 33rd on the points list.

Stewart Cink (40/1) is coming off a T2 finish at last week’s Travelers Championship, which included a final round 62. His previous tournament was a T4 finish at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

A $100 bet on Woods nets $1,200. The gambler who makes the same wager on Stanley would pocket $800 more at $2,000. A bet on Woodland or Cink would return $4,000 should they be the victor on Sunday.

Wooed by Woods

Nevada and online sportsbooks have benefited from Woods’ game finding respectability. Interest and golf handle skyrocket when Tiger is inside the ropes.

The key for oddsmakers is to have Tiger play well enough to spur bets throughout the four days, but then not win. He’s done a lot of that recently.

Oddsmakers additionally serve up numerous prop bets to increase handle. For this week, the SuperBook asks if Woods will make the cut (Yes -700, No +500), if he’ll finish in the top-10 (Yes +150, No -180), and whether he’ll conclude the tournament in the top-20 (Yes -150, No +130).

With The Open Championship less than a month out, Woods is at 25/1. Dustin Johnson is the favorite at 12/1.