 Betting
on the 2008 British
Open
Gambling911.com has
been stressing just
how big betting on
the 2008 British
Open really is.
It's the biggest
single betting event
in the United
Kingdom and that
alone should have
online bookmakers
excited. Last
year's win by
Ireland's own -
Padraig Harrington -
caused a major dent
in
Paddy Power's
financials during
the 3rd quarter.
Paddy is Ireland's
biggest bookmaker.
Padraig Harrington's
British Open victory
cost Paddy its
biggest ever payout,
at €5m.
Without Tiger Woods
playing at the 2008
British Open, none
of the bookmakers
can correctly
predict who will win
(not that they could
last year). As
such, the favorite -
Sergio Garcia - is
listed with odds of
10/1 at one of the
UK's largest and
most successful
online gambling
firms -
Bet365
Ernie Els came in
with 11/1 odds; Lee
Westwood 16/1; Phil
Michelson 16/1 and
last year's winner -
Padraig Harrington -
had odds of 20/1,
promising yet
another substantial
payout of
€2000
for every $100 bet
In Great Britain,
betting on sports is
legal and readily
accessible since
there is a bookmaker
on practically every
corner, though most
Brits will be
placing bets online.
The golfers
themselves are known
to place bets on
themselves.
None bigger than
two-time Open
champion Lee
Trevino, according
to Bob Harig of
ESPN.com.
For years, a story
floated about that
Trevino won more
money betting on
himself to win than
he did for first
prize.
Not exactly true,
but a good tale
nonetheless. It
relates to his 1972
victory at Muirfield,
where he held off
Jack Nicklaus a year
after the Merry Mex
got his first Open
win, at Royal Troon.
"I made a small
amount of money
betting on myself,"
Trevino said in a
recent interview.
"But here's what
happened. I had six
couples with me; we
all went over from
El Paso on the same
plane. We ended up
renting this house,
an old castle that
belonged to an
antique dealer. We
leased it from him
and took all the
bedrooms. We had
this butler named
Nicholas, and I
remember telling the
media that I
promised him a
lesson. Well, all
the headlines the
next day said that I
promised Nicholas a
lesson. But it was
spelled different.
They thought I meant
Jack [Nicklaus].
 "In
any case, when we
got there, my odds
were like 14-1. I
bet 100 pounds. But
all the other guys
bet a lot of money.
I didn't play very
well the first
round, and my odds
went up. So we bet
again. And I ended
up winning. That
night, I invited a
bunch of people over
to that castle --
including the media
-- and everybody was
whooping it up. Then
about midnight, the
local bookmaker
comes over with a
suitcase full of
pounds and paid
everybody off. Those
guys that came with
me made more than I
won."
Tiger Woods absence
has already impacted
British bookmakers -
perhaps more than it
would have if he
were participating.
He was a 5-2
favorite to win the
British Open. Now
British-based
William Hill
lists Ernie Els and
Sergio Garcia as
betting favorites at
12-1.
Bookmakers are
making refunds on
wagers that Woods
would win two or
three majors this
year. Those who bet
he would win four
already have lost.
Those who bet he
would win one
already have won.
Ironically the
betting on the
British Open
actually could
increase because the
tournament appears
to be wide open.
----
Alistair Prescott,
Gambling911.com
Originally published
July 15, 2008 8:04
pm EST
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