It is the conclusion of the European PGA Tour this week as we head to the Dubai World Championship golf betting. We are at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf estates, for our golf betting this week. Thankfully we have an absolute cracker of an event to look at. The Greatest Show on Earth, as it is has become to be known as, is the culmination of the European PGA Tour’s Race to Dubai, where the top money earners on the European Tour fight it out to finish number one. Holding that position going into the event is current world ranked number one player Luke Donald, who simply needs to finish within the top ten to guarantee his place at the top at the end of the season. Luke Donald is in the rare position of finishing at the top of both the PGA and the European PGA Tour’s money lists, and if he achieves that, he will be the first man in history to do so. There is only one man who can stop him doing that. That will be US Open winner Rory McIlroy, who kept his chances of becoming European number one alive last week, when he landed a pretty heroic win in Hong Kong, while Luke Donald was struggling at the Nedbank in South Africa. The basic upshot of this is that Rory McIlroy has to win the Dubai World Championship to finish as Europe’s top player ahead of Luke Donald, and even if he does win, he will need Donald to finish worse than a tie in ninth with one other player. If that scenario happened, then Donald would still win by just five Euros, which really would be something. There is a $7.5 million prize pot up for grabs, and another $7.5 million to be shared in a pool between the players who finish in the top fifteen in the Race to Dubai. The defending Champion is Robert Karlsson, and all of the world’s top four players are in attendance. So a massive week ahead with Dubai World Championship Golf betting.
Luke Donald 12/1 at SkyBet
What a season the Englishman has head. Just three times this entire season has Donald finished outside of the top nine, the place where he needs to be to guarantee his position as number one. He only returned to action at the Nedbank last week after a five week layoff from the game due to the birth of his child and also the passing away of his father. What could help Donald in his quest to become Europe’s number one, is that McIlroy will have to win in a very highly competitive and classy field. So there is still a big advantage for Donald going into the event.
Rory McIlroy 5/1 at Bet365
In brilliant form at the moment, and you can’t take anything away from him. He has really kept up t he pressure on Donald all the way. There is huge money at stake in the Dubai World Championship this week, but McIlroy needs to land that win, or else his chances will be done and dusted. A tough field to crack, especially with players hoping to finish the season inside the top fifteen to get extra financial bonus, but McIlroy has proven time and time again that he is one of the best. You have to think that he will go close after firing off wins at the Shanghai Masters and the Hong Kong Classic, plus has been in the top five in the last two renewals of the Dubai World Championship golf betting.
Lee Westwood 6/1 at Totesport
Is in great form at the moment, his 62 at the Nedbank on Saturday was one of the best rounds of golf we have seen anywhere this season. Starting in fifth in the Race to Dubai, Westwood can finish second in the final money order, because he can overhaul McIlroy given the right circumstances. Westwood could well be worth backing here because he is a previous winner of the Dubai World Championship back in 2009 and he finished in third last year. So great pedigree and is definitely going to be in the running. Was driving the ball beautifully last week, and is supremely consistent mood. Ignore his final round of one over on Sunday, his position on the Saturday had allowed him to play conservatively. Seven top ten finishes in his last nine, can’t fault that. Westwood is our tip as winner for the Dubai World Championship golf betting given his track record.
Martin Kaymer 16/1 at Unibet
Probably worth a little flutter because he has raised his game a little bit over the closing month or so of the season. He won the Race to Dubai last year. Hasn’t quite been able to get his full game going consistently over four days this year. Landed a great win in the WGC HSBC Champions though to show that he still has what it takes. Can deliver and is looking in much better form than earlier in the year, looks to be getting some confidence back and after his win in Abu Dhabi and at the WGC-HSBC, could be a good outside shot.
Charl Schwartzel 25/1 at Bet365
The Masters winner and the Joburg Open winner has had a pretty good year. Well he won the green jacket for starts, and he is getting better. Arguably one of the most accomplished players on the European PGA Tour, and has been mixing it up on the US and the European Tour. Landed an eighth place finish at the Dubai World Championships last season and will need to do better than that if he wants to keep himself up there in the Race to Dubai. Smooth striker of the ball and usually contests.
Other selected Dubai World Championship Golf betting odds
Sergio Garcia: 16/1 at Boylesports
Paul Casey: 20/1 at Paddy Power
Ian Poulter: 25/1 at SkyBet
Robert Karlsson: 28/1 at Bet365
Graeme McDowell: 30/1 at Boylesports
Louis Oosthuizen: 33/1 at SkyBet
Online bookmaker BetFred have a great online betting promotion running for the 2011 Dubai World Championship golf betting. Back a player in the outright winner market this week, and if the player you back finishes in second place behind an Englishman (any Englishman in the field) then the bookie will refund your lost stake as a free bet, giving you some great coverage. The highly popular BetFred offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The bookie will match the value of your first bet on a new account, up to the maximum value of £50.
