Tiger Woods Attracting GOAT-Like Betting Action for 150th Open Championship

Posted on: July 11, 2022, 01:41h. 

Last updated on: July 11, 2022, 01:53h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
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Tiger Woods is either the best or second-best human to ever play the game of golf. The debate often boils down to the age of the individuals discussing whether Woods or Jack Nicklaus, the latter who won his last major in 1986, is golf’s GOAT (greatest of all time).

Tiger Woods Open odds golf St. Andrews
Tiger Woods tees off on the 18th hole at St. Andrews during a practice round for the 2022 Open Championship. Woods is moving the betting needle despite only playing in two professional tournaments this year. (Image: Getty)

Woods needs three more major victories to tie Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships. The 46-year-old Woods will try to add to his esteemed trophy case this week at St. Andrews, the home of golf, where he’s won two of his three Open Championships.

This week marks the 150th playing of The Open Championship, golf’s oldest major. To commemorate its playing, the Open is returning to St. Andrews’ Old Course, where the modern game originated.

Woods continues to recover from the February 2021 automobile accident that nearly ended his life. But he hasn’t played anywhere near well enough since then to win a premier golf tournament. Bettors are hoping for a miracle come Sunday.

Woods Again Tops Action

Unless Tiger Woods does the seemingly unthinkable this weekend and wins his first major since the 2019 Masters — which certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility, considering who is swinging the club — oddsmakers will fare well with the 2022 Open. That’s because Woods is commanding much of the pre-tournament betting action.

BetMGM told Casino.org today that Tiger is the book’s biggest liability for the fourth and final major of the year. The MGM Resorts sports betting unit says Woods is responsible for 5.8% of its Open tickets, and 8.4% of the overall money on the tournament.

With Tiger still a lengthy 66/1 to win come Sunday at the “Home of Golf,” Woods hoisting the Claret Jug and being declared the Champion Golfer of the Year would be a devastating outcome for BetMGM.

At 66/1, a $100 bet and a Woods win would net $6,600. BetMGM oddsmakers aren’t overly concerned with Tiger’s chances, as the book recently lengthened his Open odds from 40/1 to 66/1 to garner as much handle on the 15-time major winner as possible.

Before the book extended Woods’ line, a bettor plopped down $4,500 on Woods at 40/1. The bet would net $180,000 should Woods win his fourth Open Championship.

BetMGM isn’t alone in taking a boatload of Open bets on Woods. DraftKings has an even larger liability, with Tiger behind 14% of its Open bets and 13% of the handle.

Tiger Status

Woods played an 18-hole practice round yesterday at St. Andrews, and was back on the Old Course again this morning for 9 holes, where he posed for a photo with Nicklaus on the 18th hole’s iconic Swilken Bridge. Despite Woods’ prep, reports have surfaced from on-site media suggesting Woods is far from 100%.

Woods skipped the last month’s US Open because of lingering problems with his right leg, which was severely injured in the 2021 wreck. He sat out the tournament because of the importance this week brings, with the Open celebrating its 150th playing at the Old Course.

This is a pretty historic Open,” Woods told reporters in Ireland last week. “I don’t know when they are ever going to go back while I’m still able to play at a high level. I want to be able to give it at least one more run at a high level.”

The consensus favorites include Rory McIlroy (+900), Xander Schauffele (+1200), Scottie Scheffler (+1400), and Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, and Jon Rahm (+1600).

The Open tees off Thursday.