Tiger Woods late entry into this week’s Buick Open has certainly raised the tournament’s stock and as a result he’s been installed a 13/8 favourite by totesport.

Woods won this tournament in 2006 and hasn’t finished any worst than 11th in eight starts at Warwick Hills. That saying, the 13/8 is very short in a 144 player field with the added spice that Woods comes here on the back of rare missed cut and I’d imagine he’s changed his schedule because of much needed time on the links in the lead up to USPGA.

Looking down the field we’ve picked out a few players who could go well here in Michigan. Steve Verplank is the very definition of a ‘Steady Eddie’ with three top tens in his last three outings. Add to that two top five finishes here in his last three appearances he looks a good bet to go well again in 2009 at 28/1 with totesport.

A player who is need of a good week but has terrific course form is Woody Austin. The Texan has finished runner up here for the last two years is astonishing fifty under par since 2006 and obviously loves the track, but he’ll need to shrug off a loss of recent form having missed his last two cuts. Austin is 33/1 with totesport.

Y.E. Yang is a really interesting runner this week at a big price. The South Korean is an 80/1 chance with totesport after his top ten finish in Canada last week. The tied 8th place finish was that much more impressive considering he took 37 putts in round three. If he’d taken an average 31 strokes for the week he’d have finished tied at the top and if he can continue this form this week he’ll look good value to add to win at the Honda Classic back in March.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

There’s a competitive looking field betting wise at this week’s
Moravia Silesia Open in the Czech Republic, although in terms of quality it could be one for the purist.

Miguel Angel Jimenez heads the betting at 12/1 with totesport and although the aging Spaniard has had a consistent season he’s rarely threatened coming down the stretch on a Sunday afternoon. His price has been no doubt influenced by the fact he co-designed this course in the foothills of the Beskydy mountains, but we’ll be looking for some value elsewhere.

With this being a new event on tour there’s no course form to speak of so we’ve picked out some of the new young breed of golfers who could step up here and get their first tour win.

Danny Willett is third in the betting at 20/1 with totesport and deserves a close look here. The 21-year old is actually out performing better than his pal Chris Wood this season with six top-ten finishes and with a 11th place finish in the SAS Masters last week will be looking to go well in the Czech Republic.

Chris Wood himself looks a mighty short in the betting with totesport as he also finds himself a 20/1 chance here. The tall Englishman has obvious talent but it’ll be a big effort to be in contention here off the back of his Turnberry efforts a fortnight ago.

Aussie Marcus Frazer has taken Charl Schwartzel’s mantle of being the most consistent player on tour as he comes here having not missed a cut all season. Fraser upped his game further in Sweden last week finishing fourth and we fancy him to go close again here at 40/1 with totesport totesport.

Further down the betting, there’s another consistent performer who could go well within this standard of filed. Alejandro Canizares is a steady golfer who has a few top ten finishes in him per season and this could very well be his week in the Czech Republic. Canizares finished in the top forty last week but expect him to perform better here at 66/1 with totesport.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

The PGA Tour moves north to Ontario this week for the Canadian Open.

Anthony Kim and Mike Weir head the betting at 16/1 with totesport. Kim has turned into somewhat of an enigma this season proving very hit and miss on the course since bursting onto the scene last year. Kim’s erratic form meant he missed the cut at Turnberry last week but does have two top ten finishes to his name this season and finished 8th here last year.

Weir on the other hand will be on the receiving end of plenty of home support and certainly looks the better placed of the two to do well here. We tipped up Weir this time last year when he finished fifth. He also missed the cut last week but a couple of extra days in home surroundings will have been good preparation and expect a bold showing from the left-handed Canadian here.

There’s a pretty decent line-up at Glen Abbey this week, as the likes of Retief Goosen, Camillo Villegas and Luke Donald all make the trip here from Scotland.

Goosen is an 18/1 shot with totesport and on paper has an excellent chance. Three top tens in concession including a fifth place finish in last weeks Open suggest the Goose has returned to form but in truth his putting has prevented him winning all three tournaments. Goosen led by two shots going into the final round of the BMW International before eventually finishing third. The South African dropped five shots on the greens during six holes of his final round on Loch Lomond when in contention and last week double bogeyed fifteen on Sunday afternoon which essentially ruled him out of getting a third major under his belt.

Luke Donald played brilliantly over last week to catapult him into a fifth place finish at Turnberry and could go well here. The Englishman looks to have banished his injury woes of last season and although he’s not played this week’s course competitively he has the golfing brain to give a bold show here this week. Donald is 20/1 with totesport.

Further down the betting we like the look of Kevin Na, whose been having a good season and has course form having finished eighth here last here. Na finished seventh on the PGA Tour last week without the big names but he’s a good bet to maintain his momentum in Canada at 25/1 with totesport.

Finally, a bit for a long shot at 80/1 but Ryan Palmer had a decent finish here last year, tied 22nd and comes here on the back of two very solid top twenty five finishes. Palmer has won on tour before and might be worth an each-way squeak on a course he clearly enjoys.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

Well, it’s not every week we tip up a 200/1 place but that’s exactly what we did last week in the shape of Chris Wood at the Open Championship. This weeks affair in Sweden looks rather low key in comparison to Sunday’s drama but here are our picks for this weeks SAS Masters.

World number 7 Henrik Stenson heads the betting at 15/2 with totesport and looks like a decent favourite. Stenson’s been running pretty cold since his biggest career win at the TBC Sawgrass a few months ago but showed some class at Turnberry last week and if playing to anywhere near the top of his game should be good enough for this field.

Soren Kjeldsen’s one of my favourite golfers on tour and I’m happy to back him again this week. The Dane finished in the top thirty at Turnberry last week and didn’t let himself down at all across all four days. His record isn’t great on this course but he’s a much improved player since his last visit. Kjeldson’s second favourite at 10/1 with totesport.

The third Scando to head the betting is last years winner Peter Hanson. We tipped him up at 40/1 last year and he’s a much shorter 14/1 shot here with totesport. Hanson’s had an inconsistent year but shown glimpses of the form that won this tournament last year recently with a good finish at the US and British Opens plus a fourth place three weeks ago in France.

It’s actually a Frenchman that catches the eye at slightly longer odds this week in the shape of Raphael Jacquelin at 33/1 with totesport. Jacquelin missed the cut at Turnberry last week but it was down the road a week before at Loch Lomond where he really caught the eye with a storming final round 66 which catapulted him into a tie for second. Add this to a fifth place finish here back in 2006 and we could expect a bold show.

As an outsider Kyle Stanley at 66/1 with totesport could represent some value. The American lines up here on a sponsors invite and comes here off the back of turning pro after the US Open where he finished just outside the top fifty. In his first professional tournament Stanley finished tied for 19th at the Travelers Championship some comes here in good form.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

At 6.30am tomorrow morning, the first ball of the 2009 Open Championship will be struck in anger by New Zealand’s Michael Campbell on the Ailsa course at Turnberry in Ayrshire. Although Campbell is a major championship winner I doubt very much he’ll be tapping in to win the tournament on Sunday evening, but hopefully our little preview will give you some pointers on who to have your golf bet on this year.

It’s no surprise that Tiger Woods not only heads the market but is also being tipped up by all and sundry. Woods is as short as 9/4 with totesport, but layers can take some solace in the fact that he’s not won on these shores for two years, albeit missing last years Open through injury! Regular readers will know that we rarely tip up Tiger, which has more to do with his price than his obvious credentials. Of course Tiger is a deserved favourite but as shown in the US Open last month, there’s still enough doubt on these tight courses with punishing rough to show his vulnerability since coming back from injury.

If we take Tiger out of the picture, Sergio Garcia at 22/1 in the betting market would be my main pick. Garcia has been much maligned for failing to clinch his first major when in contention in the Open two years ago and the PGA last year. I’ll accept that his putting has been his main achilles heel over the last few years but in terms of his ball striking only Tiger is better. Putting of course is vital but if you can’t get the ball to green in regulation then it becomes less of a factor.

There are signs of improvement in Garcia’s putting with a top ten finish at the US Open last month and word is he’s been giving this tournament all the prep time it warrants as he looks to make a bold bid. It’s time for ‘El Nino’ to step up and the Turnberry course is ideally suited to his game so expect a big week.

The flip side of this argument is that you need to be a good putter to scramble pars on these Open Championship layouts, hence why Padraig Harrington (20/1) has won the last two tournaments on the bounce. Harrington’s drop in form this year has been attributed in the main to the Irishman’s constant tweaking of his swing, but the stats suggest his short game is also suffering and for this reason he cannot seriously be considered to take his third Open on the trot.

If you’re interested in backing a British player, then you could do worst than taking a close look at Ian Poulter. Forgiving his allegiance to Arsenal for a moment, his record in the Open is good, finishing second to Harrington last year and having had a couple of top thirty finishes previous to that. Poulter might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially if you’re a French photographer, but he’s displayed some real steel behind the flamboyance with last years place and good showings at the TPC and last years Ryder Cup. If Poulter’s in the mix come Sunday then he’ll certainly give it everything coming down the stretch. The price isn’t great at 28/1 but that’s a tip in itself as the bookies are keeping him on side for this one!

Being the Open Championship we have the usual invasion from across the pond and barring Tiger the support seems to be for American Hunter Mahan (33/1). Mahan comes here in very good form having had three consecutive top ten finishes in the States plus he also has a top ten finish to his name in the Open back in 2007 at Carnoustie. However, it’s another American with a good Open record that catches the eye in the shape of former winner Ben Curtis.

Curtis, a winner back in 2003 at Royal St Georges has come back from obscurity having finished in the top ten on his last two visits to the Open Championship. Add to that a good performance in last years PGA, his first Ryder Cup appearance and some course time spent over here on the European Tour this summer he looks a cracking bet at 40/1 with totesport.

Further down the betting, there’s a certain Frenchman that could prove to be the fairytale story of this years Open Championship. Thomas Levet qualified via the back door after American Brett Quigley refused his invitation for the last spot. Levet actually has a decent record in the Open, having finished fifth at Troon in 2004 and losing out in a play-off to Ernie Els two years before that at Muirfield. He’s also been in very good nick this summer with a win in the Spanish Open back in May and three top ten finishes in Europe since then. At 125/1 with totesport the Frenchman with the big smile could be the the third big priced winner of a major this year!

So these are our four stand out picks for this years Open Championship, although there are plenty of claims elsewhere. The likes of Lee Westwood (22/1) and Rory McIlroy will receive some home support but Westwood seems unable to get over the winning line and McIlroy is ridiculously short priced at 20/1 joint second favourite.

The likes of Ernie Els (28/1) and Jim Furyk (25/1) also seem to have lost the ability to win a tournament whilst Paul Casey and Henrik Stensen (both 28/1) lack the game for links golf.

For a real outsider, Chris Wood catches the eye at 200/1 with totesport. He took the tournament by storm as an amateur last year finishing fifth and hasn’t disgraced himself in his rookie season on the European Tour. He might be worth some small each-way stake interest this week.

Open Championship Betting Selections:

Sergio Garcia 22/1

Ian Poulter 28/1

Ben Curtis 40/1

Thomas Levet 12/1

Chris Wood 500/1

For all your golf betting on the Open Championship this week visit totesport.

With one week to go to the third major of the season there’s plenty of US PGA Tour players who are leaving their travel arrangements late with their entry this week in the John Deere Classic.

Last years winner Kenny Perry looks like a good thing at the head of the betting at 8/1 with totesport. Perry won on a play-off twelve months ago and has recaptured some form with a win a fortnight ago after his Masters nightmare back in April. Perry swerved the Open last year but he will be making the trip next week, possibly on the back of another fist place here in Illinois.

There’s half a dozen players jostling down the betting market, all of which make the journey to Scotland next Monday. Steve Stricker (12/1), David Toms (14/1), Lucas Glover and Zach Johnson (both 20/1) all have claims here but will probably have one eye on next weeks showpiece.

A couple of people who won’t be making the trip across the Atlantic are Ryan Moore and John Senden and they will be sure to give this week their full attention. Moore has been playing some good stuff of late with three top 11 finishes on the trot before this week. Australian Senden tied fourth at the St Jude a few weeks ago and was a winner of this tournament three years ago. Moore and Senden can be backed at 30/1 and 35/1 respectively with totesport.

Finally, further down the betting Bryce Molder looks like a good price at 55/1 with totesport. Molder qualifies as a sleeper for this tournament and is on the kind of run that gave Thomas Aiken three top ten finishes in Europe in similar circumstances. Three top twenty finishes in his last three tournaments including a second and third show he’s in the form of his life. The American has also sneaked into the Open next week so keep an eye out!

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

With the Open Championship only a week away there’s a competitive field assembling at Loch Lomond for this week’s Scottish Open in the Race to Dubai.

Ian Poulter is a 14/1 priced favourite with totesport after a good show in France last week. Lee Westwood who lost in the weekend’s play-off to Martin Kaymer is second favourite at 16/1, with Kaymer a bigger price at 28/1.

Rory McIlroy is sure to be hyped up for next weeks tournament at Turnberry and can be backed at 18/1 for this weeks event.

There are a few dangerous floaters in the field who on the face of it have been priced up at generous odds. Camillo Villegas hasn’t really performed on the European Tour to date, but had a fine Open Championship last year and his consistent form in America belies his 33/1 price here this week.

The South African’s also look pretty strong this week. Serial runner-up in the States Tim Clark has actually one this tournament back in 2005 and despite his Sunday afternoon woes is having an excellent season. Clark is a 20/1 shot with totesport whilst compatriots Retief Goosen and Ernie Els can be backed at 25/1.

Goosen has returned to form in 2009 with a victory in the States and a recent good showing in Germany on the European Tour. He finished in the top twenty here two years ago and I’d fancy his chances much more on a course such as this opposed to next weeks links at Turnberry.

Els on the other hand still hasn’t looked like winning a tournament this year but has an excellent record at Loch Lomond. Three top ten finishes in his last three visits is impressive form, plus a top ten finish five weeks ago he’s showing glimpses of his former self.

For all your golf betting this week visit totesport.

It only seemed yesterday that England’s cricket team paraded through London in an open top bus in front of thousands of fans after their historic win of The Ashes. The fact that the majority of those players on the bus had been on a 24 hour bender just added to the festivities and images of a ruddy faced bleary eyed Freddie Flintoff will live with me for a long time.

The fact is a long time has passed since that late summers day back in 2005 and my memory isn’t so good when trying to wipe from my mind the Aussies demolition of England on home turf two years later in 2007. The 5-0 crushing series win has been mainly overlooked by the British press, who have decided to concentrate more on the Aussies slow demise over the past 12 months with the retirements of stalwarts Gilchrist, Hayden, Warne and McGrath.

There’s no doubting that England’s chances of a series win will have been aided by these great names departure from the sport and the odds reflect this, with Australia an easing 4/5 shot in the series outright market with totesport. The hosts are 15/8 to win the series and the draw is a 4/1 chance.

So, on Wednesday at 11am in the unfamiliar surroundings of South Wales this sporting rivalry will resume in earnest, with the Aussies again edging favourtism with totesport at 7/4. The visitors are on the drift though with news that Brett Lee will be missing from the attack and totesport are currently best price England at 9/4. The draw is 11/8.

A lots been made of the pitch in Cardiff and how it will favour the spinners. We’re yet to see if England will deploy a two-pronged spin attack for this match although the squad selection suggests that both Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar will make the lineup on Wednesday morning. Australia on the other hand have no such concerns as they have yet to replace Shane Warne and in Nathan Hauritz, the only spinner in the Aussie Camp he won’t fill the English top order with dread.

In terms of other markets to bet on in the first test, the top batsman is always a popular bet. Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss head the betting in the England team at 7/2 each a two whilst Ricky Ponting is also a 7/2 shot in the Australian team.

Totesport are offering an excellent promotion around the top batsman market, as they’ll pay out on your selection as a winner if they score 100+ in the match, regardless of whether they’re the top batsman or not.

For all your Ashes and cricket betting visit totesport.