Who will win the Masters in 2009 - the odds

With the Masters just a day away, I am sure that every golfer is out trying to figure out who is going to win. There are pools in offices and golf clubhouses across the nation, and millions will pass hands in a few short days. So I thought I might help by showing some of the odds that are out there right now.

Tiger Woods is of course a favorite. With his recent win he is now at 11-5. And I think this is the ultimate winner by 3 strokes or more.

Relatively close behind Tiger are Phil Mickelson and Jeff Ogilvy at 8-1. Not bad choices either, though I think far from such sure bets. Padraig Harrington is the next up at 15-1.

Then we get a random anybody from the field at 20-1, a bet that I would always take, just in case. The numbers get worse as we look at the rest of the challengers.

Paul Casey 25-1
Sergio Garcia 25-1
Retif Goosen 25-1
Rory McIlroy 25-1
Nick Watney 25-1
Ernie Els 30-1
Jim Furyk 30-1
Anthony Kim 30-1
Zach Johnson 35-1

What about a few other big names? Way back in the bleachers:

Lee Westwood 50-1
Vijay Singh 60-1
K J Choi 80-1
Greg Norman 80-1
Rocco Mediate 100-1
Chad Campbell 125-1

For my money I think the smart bets are Woods, Garcia, and the field. But who do you think will win?

Tiger Woods at the Masters 2009

I was just browsing around the internet, thinking about the win of Tiger Woods recently and how that will affect the upcoming Masters. I recalled a television commercial that I think nailed it on the head.



But I decided to see if there was anything that better encapsulates the feeling. And I found this gem that I missed completely before. I love it.



It may be a year old but it had me laughing out loud. And it still captures the mood going into the Masters this year I think.

The supreme sweep – LPGA, PGA, and the Seniors all lead by Woods

Great news in the world of golf today. Tiger Woods is once again a proud daddy.

This fantastic news of the birth of a healthy son, Charlie Axel, is sure to make fans very pleased. And for those hoping to create a legacy or have their child attain the heights of being called the world’s greatest, the chances just got slimmer.

With a daughter and now a son, the Woods family might just be poised to do something no other lineage in golf has ever done. Have 3 members of the family become ranked professionals all at the same time. The bonus of this is of course the fact that Tiger’s daughter, Sam Alexis, could run the LPGA much the same as her father took over the PGA.

Now I will admit this is mostly my wish rather than any shred of fact, at this point. But still it would be something. If the Woods children were to follow in their dad’s footsteps, learning all the tricks and techniques he knows, with all the privileges that his fame and fortune can bestow upon them – just imagine.

You can be assured that if the kids even tried they would never fear monetary support as every company associated with golf would drool over the chance to have their name associated with a trio of Tigers.

Of course it is just as likely that the children of the arguably greatest golfer in the world, and perhaps the sport, might venture into another sport or none at all rather than be in the shadow of their dad. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I hope that they become successful and happy (not in that order) no matter what they do.

But as a fan, I can dream. I imagine that Tiger himself might occasionally harbor such fancies from time to time.

Whether or not Tiger plays at the Masters this year, or at all this year depends on the new baby Woods has said. And that is understandable. Family always takes precedence.

But I will just let the moment linger a bit longer until he does return. At the young age of 33, the potential of Tiger playing golf well into his 60’s means that there is time. Especially if word ever leaks out that the kids have gotten a Christmas gift of golf clubs. Just remember that you heard the idea here first.

Padraig Harrington sets records at PGA Championship

So what happens when the best golfer in the world isn’t playing in the majors? When that golfer is Tiger Woods the rest of the player get a second wind and amazing things happen. That may be the only answer as to why Padraig Harrington not only won the British Open, but now has also won the PGA Championship.

This is a huge accomplishment of Harrington as this makes him only the 4th player to accomplish a win at both majors in the same year. Of course Tiger Woods has done it twice. Still it’s a record that is impressive for any golfer. Add to that the fact that he is the first European player to win the PGA Championship in 78 years and the first to win back to back majors and it just makes the win that much sweeter.

But I wonder would this have happened if Tiger was around? Probably not.

That is not to say that Harrington is anything less than a great golfer. That’s obvious by his win. But when Tiger is on the course you have to notice how every player is completely different. They play with more pressure and virtually always fold when it comes to Sunday.

Given the pace of wins that Tiger has made in the past, and the sudden rush to victory for Padraig Harrington, the big question is what happens when the best player in the world gets healthy and pissed off that his thunder is being taken by someone else?

I’m looking forward to the next Masters. A showdown between these 2 men. A real challenge of wills and the imposing presence of Tiger. If Harrington can keep his composure, and fend off the rest of the world’s golfers as he has, that’s the Sunday we will see. And that will be a match for the record books I bet.