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England’s Lee Westwood heads the field for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf betting this week in Doha. This is the second of a three event swing out in the middle east, with Robert Rock picking up the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship last week, holding off strong challenges from Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods. For Lee Westwood, he could only muster up a seventeenth place finish in the first tournament of the year for him out in Abu Dhabi, but insists that he is ready to take the challenge in the Qatar Masters. There is evidence to back this up, because Westwood is generally a bit slow out of the blocks, not really making a mark in the first third of the season last year. But he has pulled out some good results here, landing a fifth in 2008 and a third in 2010. He carded his worst ever entry at this event last year, finishing down in 77th. With his failure to really make a mark last week, Lee Westwood has seen his world number two ranking slip away to Rory McIlroy as well, so there is incentive for Westwood to go strong. It wasn’t that he played badly, he just looked a little rusty, especially with the putter. Still, the event will have served as a good loosening up event for Westwood to break into the new season, and having done well at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf betting before, he has been pencilled in as favourites with the bookies this time around as well. The Doha track is likely to be the toughest of the three on the Middle East swing, especially with the strong winds predicted. So this will be a great test to see just where Lee Westwood is at for the new season. There’s never any doubt over his talent or motivation, and the form he showed at the back end of last year proves that he is still one of the best in the world. There’s no mention of the neck injury which was bothering him last week, so he should go strong.

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Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who is really rediscovering some of his old magic, started his season off well with a 12th place finish at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship last week, and that puts him among the front pack this week. Garcia has a great track record at this event too, with three top ten finishes out of his last four outings there. So he makes for a very good solid bet at this event at 14/1 with Bet365. Garcia is showing a tremendous amount of control in all aspects of his game at the moment, and there really is no reason why he cannot make a decent splash here this time around. The bookies are concerned enough to have reined in his odds here and he is full of confidence at the moment with his game. Germany’s Martin Kaymer is also trading well despite a pretty terrible start to the new season. After all the hype of his great record at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, he missed the cut in a surprising turn of event. Kaymer is very much a confidence player, when he is on his game he is majestic, but that result last week will have knocked him for six, struggling badly at a tournament which he has pretty much owned. Kaymer at 16/1 with SportingBet will really have to dig deep mentally to get over that block, and so there may be better options for form and confidence to look at for your Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf betting. Like Graeme McDowell. The G-Mac struggled for most of last year, but came out with a bang landing a T3 finish in Abu Dhabi last week. That was the kind of performance we have come to expect from McDowell, who was swinging freely and accurate in his approach work. McDowell is good value at 16/1 with Bet365.

Swede Tomas Bjorn is going to be worth a look most likely as well in Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf betting this week, because he returns as the defending champion. Was one of the few multiple event winners on the European Tour last season and with a T3 in Abu Dhabi last week alongside Tiger Woods and Graeme McDowell, Bjorn makes a very solid bet. He is generally never too far away from the top ten and always seems to fly under the radar at events. Has the ability to go all the way again here, as he has good form and a winning record at the event. Definitely should be one to watch and at a price of 24/1 with BetFair, makes great value. So too does Spaniard Alvaro Quiros at 18/1 with Bet365. The Spaniard was beaten into second place at last year’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters by Bjorn. Is a proven winner out in the desert in the Middle East, but like Kaymer, missed the cut in Abu Dhabi last week. But you can’t ignore the record Quiros has produced in the Desert Swing of the European Tour before, and being one of the biggest hitters on the European Tour, he could have the game and confidence to blast his way to victory here. Hunter Mahan at 22/1 with Bet Victor is making his debut in the Qatar Masters open. Generally you look for the European based players to take precedence at their own events. But Mahan is a fantastically consistent and strong player and you can’t totally rule him out in a tight contest, and this year’s Qatar Master could be tight with the windy conditions really testing the players. That’s when you need controlled, cool heads, and that is what Hunter Mahan can bring to the table.

So a wonderfully entertaining field in the mix for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf betting, with Lee Westwood the bookies favourite to take the title. There are some good form players at the moment in the field, and if you are looking for form, how about Branden Grace at 66/1 with SportingBet, who has won back to back titles this year? He came a bit unstuck in the desert last week in Abu Dhabi, but for a man who won the Joburg Open and the Volvo Golf Champions back to back in January, could be worth a look for a top ten finish.

Commercial Bank Qatar Masters golf betting odds
Lee Westwood: 10/1 at SkyBet
Sergio Garcia: 14/1 at Bet Victor
Martin Kaymer: 16/1 at SportingBet
Graeme McDowell: 16/1 at Bet365
Alvaro Quiros: 18/1 at Bet365
Robert Karlsson: 22/1 at Bet365
Hunter Mahan: 22/1 at Boylesports
Thomas Bjorn: 24/1 at BetFair

The Hong Kong Open golf betting this week will primarily concentrate on just what US Open winner Rory McIlroy will be able to do. McIlroy, who is coming in off the back of a World Cup campaign with Graeme McDowell is the only man who can catch Luke Donald in the European money list. There is just two events remaining and the general consensus has been looking at wins at both the Hong Kong Open and the season ending Dubai World Championship next week for McIlroy to top the list. But a second place in Hong Kong and then a win in Dubai could be enough for McIlroy because of the exchange rate, as the European money list is based on Euros. So it could all come down to a matter of exchange rate at the end of the day. But McIlroy needs to go out and gun hard for a win in order to catch Luke Donald. McIlroy really looks up to the achievements of Donald, but you have to look at McIlroy’s own game and just enjoy what he can deliver. He is so consistently good that he should be in a challenging position here. McIlroy is the outright favourite in your Hong Kong Open golf betting this week and has to be worth a punt, even though there is a competitive field lining up with him. What should help McIlroy is that it is such a busy week in golf, with the Chevron World Challenge and the Nedbank Challenge (which Luke Donald is attending) going on, the top players have been pulled away from the challenge in Hong Kong which should help give him a leg up in his challenge to win. Can McIlroy win the UBS Hong Kong Open? The answer has to be a big positive yes because he looks very positive. The Northern Irishman didn’t putt too greatly at the World Cup but his length off the tee and approach work will always keep him in contention.

Where is the main challenge coming from this week at the Hong Kong Open? Well, you will have to look at defending champion Ian Poulter, who really enjoyed himself here last year. Poulter, a bit hit and miss, has had a quiet year but has slowly been working himself back in to form and should be geared up here. His success was largely based on an incredible round of 60 on the second day of the challenge at the Hong Kong Golf Club, going on to win the event by just one stroke from Simon Dyson and Matteo Manassero. Should be pretty confident, because he and team mate Justin Rose came from nowhere on the final day of the Golf World Cup to land a second place finish. So he will be fired up for this one, but just wonder about his overall consistency. But his fellow countryman Justin Rose may well be worth a look because he is a touch more consistent to his game, and the Hong Kong Golf Club plays quite short and accuracy is needed because the greens are quite short. Like watching Rose because he is generally pretty solid at getting from the tee to the green, with solid enough accuracy to put himself in contention. There should be a chance at some low scoring again here and would like to think that Rose is going to be in contention with his iron work, and Poulter too because he is a little more maverick with his approach.

There is a really good field here for Hong Kong Open golf betting, with young Italian Matteo Manassero looking keen to reproduce the form he showed last year here. He finished tied in second place with McIlroy behind Poulter last year. The young Italian is still highly regarded as one of the best young talents in the game. He went alright in the tour of Spain recently, but only fired in just below the top seventy. He has won once on the European Tour this year and probably hasn’t done quite enough recently to really suggest that he is going to push for the title here. You also have the experience of Padraig Harrington, YE Yang, Peter Hanson and Miguel Angel Jimenez in the running as well. Really enjoy watching Peter Hanson’s game as he is pretty solid. Has been in pretty sharp form actually and played very well in Spain. Hasn’t picked up a win this season, but expecting him to show very well here. The tall Swede is definitely worth looking at in your Hong Kong Open golf betting. But all eyes will be on Rory McIlroy and his chance for money supremacy over Luke Donald. With that kind of motivation in the back of his mind, McIlroy should go well. He is pretty driven and very cool under pressure. Needs a good showing with the putter and he should be right up there.

Hong Kong Open Golf Betting Odds
Rory McIlroy: 9/2 at Bet365 (Place Market 10/11 at Boylesports)
Justin Rose: 12/1 at SkyBet (Place Market 5/2 at Totesport)
Ian Poulter: 14/1 at BetFred (Place Market 3/1 at Unibet)
Padraig Harrington: 22/1 at Bet365 (Place Market 9/2 at Bet365)
Peter Hanson: 25/1 at SkyBet (Place Market  9/2 at BetFred)
YE Yang: 25/1 at Totesport (Place Market 5/1 at BetFred)
Miguel Angel Jimenez: 30/1 at BetFred (Place Market 6/1 at SkyBet)
Matte Manassero: 35/1 at BetFair (Place Market 7/1 at Boylesports)

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If you want to get away from the high pressures of the FedEx Cup play offs, then the Vivendi Seve Trophy is being played this week. This is a head to head Ryder Cup style clash between Great Britain & Northern Ireland v Continental Europe. So you can see a lot of the European PGA stars battling it out for honours here. However, there are two notable absentees from the Great Britain and Northern Ireland side, with Luke Donald contesting the PGA BMW Championship as he is in with a great shot at the FedEx Cup title, and US Open Champion Rory McIlroy who is not competing. So, Great Britain and Northern Ireland will have the steady guiding hand of Lee Westwood to lead the way for them, and with the likes of Ian Poulter, Darren Clarke, Ross Fisher and Robert Rock in the side, you may think that Great Britain will be strong favourites. However, Lee Westwood, and team captain Paul McGinley don’t appear to think so. The main threats from Continental Europe are three players inside the top thirty, namely Anders Hansen, Francesco Molinari and the in form Thomas Bjorn. Throw in the experienced Miguel Angel Jimenez (who will be the very first to tee off) and youngster Matteo Manassero, Continental Europe do look strong. They will have home advantage here as well in Paris, and have the higher ranked players in their team collectively than Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Maybe if McIlroy and match play expert Luke Donald were appearing alongside Westwood then this wouldn’t be in question but they aren’t so this renewal of the event is interesting. One thing which may influence your Vivendi Seve Trophy golf betting is the fact that Great Britain and Northern Ireland have won the last five tournaments. There should be some great match play golf ahead, entertaining and all in the cause of honouring the sadly departed Seve Ballasteros.

Vivendi Seve Trophy Golf Betting
Continental Europe to win: 4/5 at Bet365
Great Britain & Northern Ireland to win: 23/20 at Sporting Bet

The European PGA Tour has firmly laid down a marker in terms of status over the US Tour. Thursday sees the tee off at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, and all four current Major holders are there. Over in the US PGA Tour, there is the Bob Hope Classic, which has a host of celebrities playing in it, but out in Dubai, on their new look course, all four of the Major winners from last season are competing. Graeme McDowell, winner of the US Open, Phil Mickelson, winner of the US Masters, Martin Kaymer, winner of the US PGA Championship and Louis Oosthuizen, winner of The Open Championship are all battling it out in this fiercely contested tournament. Will the stars out in force, including world number one Lee Westwood as well, it is no wonder that the tournament is upstaging the Bob Hope Classic. So what is in store out in Abu Dhabi? A feast of golf, that is for sure, with three of the world’s top four all participating, this almost feels like it is a major. It is certainly going to be a major deal. The course has been tweaked a little, with some pins being pushed back deeper, meaning that only the really big hitters may be able to reach some greens in two, but the fairways are narrow with heavy rough, so it will take some bravery. This tournament is going to be all about accuracy off the tee. But, with the star studded line up, here are the front runners for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

Martin Kaymer: 8/1 at Unibet

Germany’s golf star is out at the front of the pack in the outright winner odds, and that is because he is a two time champion at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Raced home with a -21 under par last season, and although the course has been revamped a little bit, the defending champion should take some beating. It is hard to back against a player who has a won the same tournament twice in four attempts, as it is that old sporting thing of certain players liking certain sporting arena’s more than others. Had a chance to finish as world number one in 2010, but couldn’t and while he is generally understated when the big names like Mickelson and Westwood roll into town, Kaymer is a class act. It is his good consistency which has made him one of the best in the business, but just on occasion, has blown it when the pressure has been on. Still, the German will be good around the course in Abu Dhabi, and has to be worth a punt. He is a proven winner here.

Lee Westwood: 9/1 at BetFred

The world number one, thanks to his incredible consistency. He just never looks flustered or bothered, and somehow has that amazing knack of making everything look easy. Finished second at the WGC-HSBC Champions in November, and then 3^rd at the Dubai World Championship. You would expect a winner this year to be close to finishing -20 under par, and if that is the case, then you expect Westwood to easily be around the top of the leader board. He has had a good month and half away from the golf courses though, so will need to get off to a good start so that he doesn’t have to play catch up to the likes of McDowell who is well into the swing of things. There is pressure on him, having never won a Major of course, but he is officially best in the world, and you will see many reasons why in Abu Dhabi.

Rory McIlroy: 11/1 at Boylesports

Still one of the most exciting and adventurous players around. Pretty solid run of form though November last year, with two fifth place finishes and a six. He really should always be worth a look at a top ten finish at least, and this year will be a big one for him. He really needs to push on and turn his incredible potential into victories. Has just one European Tour win to his career, and is gutsy enough to push here. The course is a little tight at Abu Dhabi though, and if he pushes the boat out a little too far, he will get hurt with the deep rough. Growing in experience and stature all the time, and has every ability to produce.

Paul Casey: 14/1 at Unibet

Well worth a look here as Casey has won the Abu Dhabi Championship twice before, picking up the title for the second time in 2009, with a great finish of -21 under par. Another player for whom consistency really maketh the man. He always looks solid and dependable, and when he gets his game going, he just seems to simply roll along on momentum. Was hitting balls a bit longer with less accuracy last year, and needs to up his greens in regulation to stay the course here. Good with the putter though, and rescuing apparently lost situations from the bunkers.

Graeme McDowell: 16/1 at Unibet

Well worth a bet, as he always looks good and comfortable out on the course. McDowell really made his mark on Tour when holding onto his lead to win the US Open last year. He almost came from nowhere, but it is hard to look at the Tour now and imagine him not there. He started his season off in Hawaii, where his fourth round was a remarkable -11 under par, 62. It wasn’t enough to take the title by that stage, but it almost squeezed him into the playoffs there. He has changed his club and ball sponsor, but it shouldn’t do him any harm, and he is going to take a break after this one, so you should expect him to really step up up to the market. Incredibly positive about everything, and the World Number Four is one of the most in form players really, and with the fairways being a lot narrow and the rough thick, accuracy will be key.

Ian Poulter: 16/1 at BetFred

Last year’s runner up, and always colourful and always confident. Looked pretty good during practice, and after posting one of his best seasons last year, he should be in a good mood for this one. The colourful dresser won the UBS Hong Kong Open at the end of November, and then ran in second at the Dubai World Championship. He is going to be in good form here, and has real potential to mix it up well at the top of the leader board. Perhaps a win here is asking just a little too much with the likes of Westwood and Kaymer around, but he will make himself noticed for one reason or another. He did beat the field including Westwood in November, and makes for a great outside tip.

Phil Mickelson: 22/1 at Boylesports

Has been out of action pretty much since the end of last November, but this is the first of six consecutive outings which he is entering. This is all start with his tee off at the Abu Dhabi Championships, where he makes his debut, as he looks to pick up the pieces of a tough second half of 2010. After winning The Masters, he really just never looked himself for the rest of the year. Last August he announced that he was suffering from arthritis and admits that it did affect him, and that is he is still working on his game, and hoping to get back to the kind of form that made him on the most dangerous players on Tour. The big leftie will probably take a while to get back into the swing of things, hence the price on him. This course isn’t going to be about the big hitters (well, maybe on a few of the adjusted holes), and Mickelson has a big chance to work some magic back into his game.

Louis Oosthuizen: 16/1 at Boylesports

Experience and accurate driving. That’s what he will bring to the table. Well, Louis Oosthuizen has started well this season, winning the Africa Open, with four pretty solid rounds, finishing -16 under. That will have been a big boost to him after winning The Open last year in such spectacular style. Struggled over the rest of the season really, and an injury didn’t help him either. However, he looks as if he is back, full of confidence and in good nick. Has one of the best driving techniques on the Tour, and his accuracy really should put him in contention again here. It is what is need here, and he clearly has the early season form with him. Solid performer here, and has to really be worth a look.

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England’s David Howell shows off some old magic and Rock is rocked by disqualification

The 3 Irish Open is being led by an unexpected name, after David Howell rekindled some of the old glory days by shooting a round of 64 to lead the way at the close of the first round at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. It has been quite a large fall from grace for the player who once graced the European Ryder Cup team, as he is languishing down at nearly 500 in the world rankings, and that is after being a top ten player a few years ago. He produced a great round of five birdies and an eagle, to put in the round of -7 under, one shot clear at the top of the leader board. Still, it was a long way short of the 59 that US Open Champion Graeme McDowell predicted could happen this week at the Irish Open, but there were a host of good scores posted none the less. Ireland’s top performer on the day was neither McDowell (who finished just -1 under), Padraig Harrington or tournament favourite Rory McIlroy, but the little mentioned Damien McGrane who shot a nice round of -6 under along with Kiwi Richard Green. McGrane, who is down at 168th in the world rankings, also had a bogey free round like Howell, to play his way into contention. McGrane has one European tour title to his name, coming in 2008 at the Volvo China Open.

Out of nine players T3 for the tournament, there are couple of names which stand out, who could go on to build upon a solid first round. The first is Northern Ireland star Darren Clarke, who was recently named one of Colin Montgomerie’s vice captains for the Ryder Cup this year. Clarke, who finished second recently at the Barclays Scottish Open, hit a bogey free -5 under par for the first round, along with Scotland’s Paul Lawrie who had more of a mixed day. Lawrie picked up three pairs of birdies along the way but also weighed in with two bogeys on the sixth and notably the 18th which slowed his progress down a little bit. Lawrie, who has five tour wins to his name through his career, but is currently ranked down in the 200’s hasn’t made much of an impression this year, with only two sixth place finishes on tour. Things are still tightly packed and things should start stretching out on day two. There really was not much to write home about, nothing being too outstanding on the day of golf, just the story of England’s Howell rediscovering some of that old magic. Is he worth backing in a bet? Well maybe as a long punt still, as he himself admits he hasn’t been playing well. The fact that he’s still back in the sports betting says a lot.

Perhaps the biggest story of the day was England’s Robert Rock who hit a six under par, but was disqualified after signing and incorrect score card. Rock was leading at the time, and the very same thing happened to Francesco Molinari at the event last year when he was leading. Rock, who lost in a play-off last year at the Irish to Open, but walked off with the prize money as winner Shane Lowry was still an amateur, was devastated by blamed himself for mixing up scores on two holes. It was a shame and a harsh way to go out after such a good round.

Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy got off to a flyer, hitting four birdies through the first seven holes and looking primed to take a grip on the Irish Open right from the off. Things went a little pear shaped though a he bogeyed the eighth, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth (but birdied the 10th) to drag him back. He will be a bit disappointed with that, but he is good enough to overcome that and it’s not as if he is far off the lead, just two shots so far, so he is still worth backing in the golf betting. As is Italian Francesco Molinari who had put in a solid round, and only two bogey’s on the back nine spoilt his day a little bit. Looked pretty consistent with his stroke play and another solid round would keep him in contention. Former Irish Open winner Padraig Harrington is still worth a punt, and he had a bogey free round to finish at -3 under. He will be pretty happy with that, and it gives him a solid base to move up the board on day two, and safely make the cut without any fuss and bother. He should be around in the hunt in the final two days, is well worth backing, especially now as he’s down the leader board a bit. But three shots back in an Open really isn’t much to get panicked about.

Betting tip: Well worth looking down the top ten in betting at the moment, as there are good players in there. Harrington for example represents some great odds, and Ross Fisher in particular who is at -2 under makes even better value. Darren Clarke is a great performer and should be buoyed by the confidence placed in him by Colin Montgomerie for the Ryder Cup. McIlroy still may prove to be the man to chase, but there is a very good pack of players chasing him.

3 Irish Open Outright Odds

Rory McIlroy: 7/2 at Bet365
Damien McGrane: 14/1 at SkyBet
Francesco Molinari: 14/1 at Boylesports
Darren Clarke: 14/1 at BetFred
Richard Green: 16/1 at Stan James
Padraig Harrington: 18/1 at BetFred
David Howell: 25/1 at SportingBet
Ross Fisher: 28/1 at Stan James
Graeme McDowell: 28/1 at Bwin

Strong Irish presence to dominate leader-board?

The Irish Open is the golf focus for the week on the European Tour this Bank Holiday weekend, as Europe’s best go toe to toe. There is actually a good strong Irish contingent going for glory at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. There is a fair chance that there will be another Irish Winner here when you look down the list of front runners. The sheer presence of Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington will ensure that there is a great atmosphere at the tournament. Last year’s Irish Open was a thriller which went down to the wire in a sudden death play off. Four exciting days of golf are expected and here we cast an eye over the front runners in the golf betting for the big event.

Rory McIlroy: 6/1 at Bet365
He is favourite to win here, and that tag as tournament favourite won’t bother the young lad one iota. A genuine world talent, and should have been in with a chance of winning The Open recently at St Andrews until a horrible second round in the wind and rain destroyed the whole event for him. McIlroy is the top ranked player at the event, and with two Irish winners in the last three years there will plenty of backers for him. Has yet to pick up a title this year on the European Tour, but he has been getting better and better in form over the last month or so. Has bags of talent, and he will have learnt a big lesson about controlling his emotions and focusing on the game at St Andrews. No reason he can’t walk out of this one a winner.

Justin Rose: 14/1 at SkyBet
The Englishman is enjoying something of a great season. He went into The Open with a strong backing from a lot of golf experts thinking that his form would really put him into contention. It didn’t as it happened and he missed the cut, but after Rose had won back to back tournaments in America, he elevated his status once again. He has four European Tour Wins to his name in his career, and doesn’t put in an appearance in Britain too much on the Tour, so he must fancy his chances here. It’s the first time since 2002 he has played at the Irish Open, but with a bundle of World Ranking Points on offer at the tournament, Rose could back up his two US PGA Tour wins by securing an automatic place in this year’s Ryder Cup team with a good tournament here.

Graeme McDowell: 14/1 at SportingBet
Was mightily impressed with the way he handled himself at The Open at St Andrews, after going into the tournament with a lot of unexpected hype surrounding him. The Irishman won the US Open quite unexpectedly and naturally that put a lot of new pressure upon him. Held everything together for a steady -3 under par at the end of the tournament, and like many others, had one sticky round which hampered him. He has six European Tour titles to his name, and with wins at the US Open and the Celtic Manor Wales Open, he has fired up to 11th in the Official World Of Golf Rankings. In good form and should be in the hunt for yet some more accolades. European Player of the Month, and hard to argue with that. Believes that the record round of 59 for a European Tour event could go here. Be something if it was him, but more likely it would come from McIlroy.

Padraig Harrington: 18/1 at Coral
Won the event in 2007 and will be another strong Irish challenger for the honours. One of the favourites to step out onto the golf course wherever he goes, he will be looking to pick up his first win of the year here. His best finish this year on the European Tour was a third place at the WGC – CA Championship, and he is ranked 32 on the Tour. He is probably a bit better than that, and a fan favourite. Probably hasn’t quite got his driving accuracy where he wants it at the moment, but his averages are down a little bit. When it comes to Harrington, you can throw the form book out of the window, as he is a star who can walk his way to titles. Well worth a serious punt here at the Irish Open. He is on a bit of a drought at the moment, not having lifted a title since winning the US PGA Championship in 2008, but he has been hitting the top ten finishes. This is just the type of big event in the right place at the right time which could see him tick all the right boxes.

Ross Fisher: 20/1 at Paddy Power
A little bit up and down in his form, but finished at -1 under at The Open. Has every chance at the Irish Open, but he will just need to find a little more consistency in his top form. His stroke average is a little high, suggesting that he won’t be close to the finish, but is a steady player once he gets into his groove. An outside punt, but worth considering if he has a couple of decent opening rounds. He’ll be reliant on a confidence game.

Francesco Molinari: 20/1 at Stan James
The Italian had a big blip at The Open where he failed to make the cut after a bad second round. That was a little unexpected as going into the tournament, he had secured himself a second place and then a fourth place finish in his previous two tournaments. Has only one European Tour win to his name, but ranked 14th on the Tour. Playing some good averages at the moment, but looking to recreate the kind of driving accuracy which he had last year. Like Fisher, needs some solid rounds to build upon, but capable of threatening the top of the leader board if he gets going.

Shane Lowry: 45/1 at BetFred
The defending champion of the Irish Open, winning the tournament as an amateur and didn’t win any Tour money for it. Never really threatened to back up that win with anything on his first full season of the European Tour, but is finding his feet a little more in 2010. His average stroke play really hasn’t changed much and at 71.02 it suggests that he’ll need something special again to retain his crown.

USPGA and PGA European Golf Betting Preview: There is plenty of golfing action over the weekend, with plenty of interest coming from European players too. Of course, the big golfing headlines over the last week, has been the announcements (through really ill timed press conferences) about the return of Tiger Woods. Woods will make his first appearance on the golfing scene at the Masters in a few weeks. The prestigious Augusta tournament tees off on April 8th, and Woods is wondering what kind of reception he will get. It is getting on for six months since Woods last appeared on the tour, and after stepping away due to his admission of extra-marital goings-on, the superstar is ready for his come back. Since his announcement to come out of his mini-retirement, Woods has shot straight to the top of betting for the Masters Tournament, which will be covered in full here. Woods is 9/2 at BetFred to win the 76th US Masters and pick up the famed green jacket.

Current USPGA action comes takes shape with the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The course at Bay Hill has undergone a lot of changes recently, with work being done on the greens, the sand traps and even on the tees. The length of the course has been adjusted as well, stretching the par back out to a 72 instead of a 70 which is where it has been at for the last few years. The changes should make the course more playable for everyone, and not favour the big hitters any more. The aforementioned Tiger Woods is pretty much the king of Bay Hill, but as he’s not taking part this year, the door is open for others. Leading the pack of runners is Ernie Els, where he has won before. He is picking up in form, and his consistency makes him always good to follow in golf betting. Got off to a good start, and lies in joint third after the first round.

American Steve Stricker is having a good season also, and is another exponent of high consistency this season. Well worth backing, even though he is more of an outsider given his poor track record at Bay Hill. But will the changes bring out the best in his game? England’s Justin Rose seems to have found his rhythm with his stroke play, but is still looking for his first tour win. He could be a contender, but needs a top performance. Phil Mickelson however is a previous winner at Bay Hill and could keep the trend of recent tour winners being veterans, going. Decent outside shots are Nick Watney and Camilo Villegas, both who have the ideal all round games to stretch away at the top of the leader board. Other veteran Jim Furyk, who just won a tour title, could also play his way into contention.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Odds
Phil Mickelson: 8/1 at SportingBet
Ernie Els: 8/1 at Stan James
JB Holmes: 11/1 at Boylesports
Steve Stricker: 12/1 at Bet365
Henrik Stenson: 12/1 at Totesport
Mike Weir: 16/1 at Sporting Bet
Davis Love III: 28/1 at Totesport
Nick Watney: 55/1 at Bet365

The Adalucia Golf Open, which is where the European Tour is at right now, is being led by Paul Lawrie and Soren Kjeldsen. They both finished on par 65, which is one stroke ahead of a pack of seven other players with a whole mix of nationalities. It has been a long time since Paul Lawrie has been at the top, as it was eleven years ago that he won a Major title, the last Britain to do so, and his last tour title came in 2002. He is way down in the world rankings right now, but perhaps his experience will enable him to see this one through. Kjeldsen pulled out some remarkable putts to put himself in contention, and the Dane, who is the World 51, could use the huge confidence booster ahead of the Masters in a couple of weeks. Kjeldsen won last year’s Andalucia Open and in betting terms, that puts him out in front on betting leader board. A good bet to take note of is Louis Oosthuizen, who needs a victory to gain entry into the Masters at Augusta, so he will be motivated. The South Africa lies two shots off the lead after the first round.

Open de Andalucia Outright Odds
Soren Kjeldsen: 13/2 at William Hill
Louis Oosthuizen: 13/1 at SportingBet
Ignacio Garrido: 14/1 at 888Sport
Francesco Molinari: 16/1 at Bet365
Alvaro Quiros: 16/1 at SkyBet
Bradley Dredge: 16/1 at Bet365
Paul Lawrie: 22/1 at Paddy Power

Could Tiger Woods be back in action sooner than most people had anticipated? Whispered rumours from an Australian press, which won’t seem to burn out, is that Woods will return to Tour action on February 17th at the WGC Match Play Championship in Arizona. Since admitting his transgressions, Woods has shied himself away from the public, and away from the game he loves. He has gone through a rough time, with sponsors dropping him, leaving his career in a sand trap, forcing him to take a wedge of time away from the game.

One baffling thing about these rumours is that the Match Play event in Arizona is sponsored  by one the sponsors who unceremoniously dropped Woods as the face of their advertising campaign. Maybe his return there though would show that he has been humbled and it really is all about the golf for him upon his return. The WGC Match Play Championships, is a little different from everything else on the tour, in that it is a knock-out event, leading to a final. The top 64 players on the tour automatically qualify for this, and Woods, should he return, will have only missed one tournament that he would normally show up for. The longer he stays away, the more it could hamper his pursuit of the Majors.

But, golf goes on without Mr Woods, as displayed in the USPGA’s Northern Trust Open in California, and the European Tour out in the Dubai Desert Classic at the moment. In Dubai, Lee Westwood made a great charge towards the top of the leader board yesterday, carding a wonderful 65, but it still wasn’t quite enough to touch Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee who hit a 66 in his second round to move one shot ahead of the pack on -8 under. Spain’s Ryder Cup star, Miguel Angel Jiminez is in contention, also on -7 under with Westwood and Wales’ Stephen Dodd. One of the upcoming new young stars on the tour, Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy, shared the lead after the first round, as he looks to defend his Dubai Crown. After two rounds, the 20 year old shares 5th place.

Dubai Desert Classic Outright Odds (Scores after second round in brackets)
Lee Westwood (-7) – 3/1 at Coral
Rory McIlroy (-6) – 9/2 at SkyBet
Thongchai Jaidee (-8) – 10/1 at Totesport
Charl Schwartz (-6) – 10/1 at Victor Chandler
Alvaro Quiros – 11/1 at William Hill

Over in the USPGA Tour, where the Northern Trust Open 2010 is underway, England’s Justin Rose is trying to hard to put himself on the golfing map again, as he shared 4th place after two rounds. Being played at the Riviera Country Club in California, it is Steve Stricker who is leading the way, along with Dustin Johnson, who made a hole-in-one in his second round. The weather on the course has not been great, with persistent and early darkness from heavy storm clouds causing delays in the game. Sticker and Johnson, under the conditions, look hard to catch after posting scores that have left them three shots clear of the nearest opponent. Johnson isn’t back in the clubhouse yet on his second round, thanks to the bad light, he still has two holes to play, so could still take the lead after two rounds.

Northern Trust Open Outright: Scores after second round in brackets:
Steve Stricker (-10)  – 13/8 at Stan James
Dustin Johnson (-10) – 11/4 at Paddy Power
Andreas Romero (-7) – 12/1 at Bet365
Phil Mickelson (-4) – 12/1 at Boylesports
Justin Rose (-6) – 22/1 at Bet365

There is plenty of golfing action to keep fans happy over the next few days, starting with the Joburg Open, which heads into its final day on Sunday. Englishman David Lynn was a bit of a surprise leader on day two, as he took up a strong position at the top of the leader board. Lynn was something of a surprise as he has only really ever made one great impression on the tour, when he won his only tournament in 2004. With other names in the chasing pack including Darren Clarke and South African Charl Schwartzel, Lynn was looking good. His third round however, didn’t live up to quite as much expectation, and it was Schwartzel who seized the initiative. Lynn has fallen out of the top twenty, and out of contention.

But Schwartzel, the South African, who will be keeping the interests of the home fans high, stretched his leg after the third round, opening up a four shot lead over Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke. Clarke has been looking in good form, and very consistent, but he couldn’t keep pace with Schwartzel who shot a 7-under par round of 64. It’s not been perfect golfing weather down in South Africa, with rain and thunder sweeping across the venue on the first two days, but the action has been good, and there is a good chase at the top of the leader board.

Schwartzel set the mark, avoiding any bogey’s in both the second and third rounds, and backs up the form that took him to the Africa Open title just last week. He will start the final day as strong favourite, with Clarke the most likely to reel him in. Clarke indeed had his opportunities to close the gap on Schwartzel, but he missed some close chances on the greens to put him in a stronger position. The Joburg Open is part of the Sunshine Tour, and is one of the four events that make up the tour (all sanctioned by the PGA European Tour), but more importantly, is the fourth event in the season long chase to make it to the money-laden 2010 Race to Dubai.

Joburg Open Outright Winner
Charl Schwartz (-18 under) – 1/5 at Paddy Power
Darren Clarke (-14 under) – 7/1 at Blue Square
Hendrik Buhrmann (-12 under) – 40/1 at BetFred
Hennie Otto (-11 under) – 66/1 at BetFred