The most popular sports in Europe are handball, tennis and especially football. It is therefore not surprising that most betting providers focus on or limit themselves to the offerings of these most popular sports.
In the world of sports betting, golf was ignored for a long time, but now this sport is also coming to the fore. Of course, the more money at stake, the greater the attraction of betting. For this reason, sports fans will primarily place their bets at the major tournaments. However, it also makes sense to focus on smaller tournaments on the European Tour rather than just the big events on the PGA Tour. The different game concepts and the special composition ensure interesting and varied bets.
The biggest golf tournaments include the US Masters, US Open, PGA Championship and Ryder Cup.
US Masters
US Masters is an annual golf tournament that has been held since 1934. The tournament is organized by Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. The winners are automatically qualified for life, allowing golfers of different ages to compete against each other.
The tournament is played over four rounds from Thursday to Sunday, with the second Sunday in April usually being the final day. After two rounds, the number of participants is reduced. Since 1960 there has been a par 3 contest on the Wednesday before on the short course.
In addition to the lifelong right to participate in the US Masters, the winners have received a green jacket since 1949. According to tradition, last year’s winner helps the new one into the jacket. However, it had not been thought that the winner of the previous year could also be the current one. In 1966, the defending champion Jack Nicklaus put on the jacket himself. At Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002 and Nick Faldo in 1989 and 1990, the club chairman took over this task at the winner ceremony.
The winners also receive a gold medal and a replica of the clubhouse in silver. In addition, five-year invitations for another three Majors and the Players Championship are awarded. The winners will also be able to play on the PGA Tour for the next five years. In addition, they will have the pleasure of determining the menu next year. Mostly traditional dishes from the home country are presented. For example, the German Bernhard Langer chose Sauerbraten in 1986, while Tiger Wood, quite untypical for the Champions’s Dinner, had cheeseburgers and milkshakes served.
Jack Nicklaus has won the US Masters 6 times so far, while Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods are close behind with 4 wins each. Bernhard Langer won 2 times.
This tournament is especially popular with golf bettors because the prize money is enormous. An audience of millions follows the event and the pressure is tangible. A very popular bet at this tournament is to bet on the tournament winner. But there are also other ways to bet. For example, you can bet players against players, European or other players or on the score of the winner. There are many ways to bet and new betting opportunities are added every year.
US Open
US Open is also one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Thanks to good television coverage of such tournaments, they have become very popular over the last 20 years, not only with golf fans, but also in the golf betting business.
There is a men’s and a women’s version of the US Open. The first Men’s US Open was played in 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island and is part of the PGA Tour. The Men’s US Open has undergone several changes over the years. The current format of 18 holes in 4 daily rounds was first played in 1965.
The betting opportunities at a US Open are numerous. The traditional form of betting at such a tournament is betting on the victory of one player. This is also the most popular bet, which is also possible in in-play mode. This is especially interesting in a live TV broadcast, because you can bet head-to-head with other players. For example, you can bet on the top 5 or top 3 winners, or on the players who make the cut. At the US Open, players can also compete against each other by betting against a result.
Winners in recent years include Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Jim, Furyk, Michael Campell, Geoff Ogilvy, Angel Cabrera and Lucas Glover. Four players, including Jack Nicklaus, Wille Anderson, Ben Hogan and Robert Tyre Jones Jr. have won the US Open four times. Other players like Retief Goosen or Tiger Woods have also attracted a lot of attention. However, there are many other remarkable players who definitely have what it takes to win the tournament. Especially in the last few years, there have been a lot of surprises among the winners, what which makes it particularly exciting for sports betting fans.
PGA championship
The PGA Championship has gained in popularity among betting fans in recent years, not least due to increasing television coverage. It is an exciting, passionate tournament that demands skill. Golf betting fans have a wide range of options at the PGA Championship, where they can compare odds and bet on their favourites.
It is one of the most difficult golf courses in the USA where golfers compete every year. The Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville has traditionally given the opening address at the PGA Championship since 1916. This tournament is one of the biggest and most important events on the PGA Tour, which means that the prize money is quite high.
The most popular and well-known bets among fans are the classic back bets on the winner. Here, the betting is on the arrival of a certain result or, in the meantime, against the victory of his player. This is called lay betting and was previously reserved. You can bet directly against other players around the world, and you can also do this with the in-play bets live during the tournament. Betting fans can also bet on the best American or European player. The betting possibilities are almost limitless, but some background knowledge is required to be able to place the right bet. For example, it’s useful to know that in recent years there hasn’t been a professional at the tournament who has dominated the game of golf – making it more difficult to make predictions.
The winners of the last few years have been Tiger Woods, Davod Toms, Richard Beem, Shaun Michael, Pil Mickelson, Pdraig Harrington, Y.E. Yang and Vijay Singh.
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup only takes place every two years. In this cup the best golfers from America and Europe compete against each other. It has become one of the most popular sporting events in the world, and this also among betting fans. At the Cup, two teams of twelve players each compete over three days in foursomes, “fourballs” and singles, “singles” against each other and fight for the Harry Vardon trophy.
Hundreds of golfers fight to be part of a tema. You can bet on their qualification chances even up to a year in advance. Once it is clear who is playing on which team, there are numerous betting opportunities. You need to know a little bit about the players and their attitudes towards each other to be able to judge the chances of the teams. Superstars Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are a bad example. They were nominated to play together, even though, as you know, they can’t stand each other. Their team was beaten by lesser known European teams. Apart from that, the so-called Foursoms are usually very exciting for sports betting fans.
