Will Tiger Woods Win A Major In 2019? – By Ian Hudson

Golf is now almost a 12 month sport and no sooner has one season ended than the next one begins. In fact the Race to Dubai on the European Tour and Money List on the PGA Tour for 2019 have already begun. The core seasons begin in January and John Rahm in Europe and Brooks Koepka in the States are the players to back to be top dogs on their main tours. Tiger Woods is 7/2 to win a major next year and that is not the worst price in the world.  

Woods looked tired and demotivated at the Ryder Cup but that was one week too many at the end of such a great season. The former world number won contended in the last two majors of the season and won the Tour Championship. Woods then had to travel to Paris for the Ryder Cup but he was emotionally and physically drained. Even in his halcyon days he underperformed in the matches so playing so poorly this time should not be of great concern to his fans and backers.   

Woods led the British Open at the start of the back nine on the Sunday but one poor hole cost him dear. He almost chased down Koepka at the PGA Championship but just came up short. However, his ability to still compete at the highest level was displayed when he beat the best other 29 PGA tour players in the season finale. It was a Woods master class thanks to a great swing, iron play and putting. The 14 times major champion is now good enough to add to that tally.

He is chasing Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors but he has not won one of the four titles that matter most since 2008. Nicklaus won his last major aged 46 and Woods turns 43 at the end of the year. That means he will have 16 more chances to win more majors before passing the age at which Nicklaus won one. Given no more injuries and operations Woods could be competitive until he reaches 50 which doubles his opportunities to get to 15 majors and beyond. However, you have to think if he comes up short in 2019 Nicklaus’s total will not be overhauled.    

The US Masters is Woods’ best chance to win another major. He is a four times winner and the course is ideally suited to his game. Woods won his first major in the Masters Tournament in 1997 and the fairways provide some scope for wayward driving. Putting under pressure was always a strength and the greens at Augusta are amongst the fastest and most challenging on the tour. The second most successful player in major championship golf can bring the house down by winning the 2019 US Masters. Woods in his prime won more than one major some seasons.

Koepka has now won three of the last seven majors and that is Woods-esque when he was winning them for fun at the start of the century. He defended the US Open title and then won the PGA Championship. Koepka played on the Challenge Tour and European Tour at the start of his career so his game is more than one-dimensional. He overpowers courses of the tee and his confidence must be sky high. Kopeka has won more majors than regular tournaments but if he can start winning in the less demanding weeks the Money List is within his scope.          

Rory McIlroy is thinking about focusing on the US PGA Tour in a concerted effort to win more majors. The logic is that he will be competing against the best players more often. Rahm is more loyal to the European Tour and money won in the majors and WGC events counts. However, Rahm will play enough regular tournaments in Europe to boost his prize money and make him a leading contender for the Race to Dubai which he can win in 2019.   

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

Harry Is Odds-On To Win In The Jungle

Is it possible to resist backing Manchester United to win a match at Old Trafford at odds of almost 2/1? During the Alex Ferguson era that proposition was unheard of even when Arsenal were in town. Some bookmakers are offering much lower odds for a home win so it will be interesting to see how the betting market reacts from now until kick-off at 8pm. Jose Mourinho’s job could be on the line. 

Mark Hughes has not let his backers down by winning the next-manager-to-leave market but Mourinho is the new favourite. However, he has a habit of getting a result when he needs it most. There is a good chance that could be on the cards by half-time because Arsenal have not been in the lead at the break in any match this season. The logical bet is MANCHESTER UNITED/DRAW at 14/1 with bet365.

Harry Redknapp’s name is not appearing in any lists for the next manager of a club. He has been in charge at Southampton and there is a vacancy now that Hughes has gone. It’s questionable whether Redknapp can be taken seriously as a football manager as his main role in the jungle appears to be cleaning out the dunny. REDKNAPP is 4/7 to be the winner of I’m A Celebrity.    

Southampton have appointed a caretaker manager and the temporary role begins with a Premier League fixture against Tottenham at Wembley. I wonder if Mauricio Pochettino will now rest players so his squad peaks for the FA Cup third round tie at Southport or Tranmere early next month. The home team won the fixture 5-2 last season so anything similar makes TOTTENHAM -1 the bet at Evens with Betfair.   

There is an early evening All-Weather meeting at Kempton but it’s debatable whether the place will be packed out for the Class 5 race that opens the fixture at 3.55 on a working day. The fifth race at 6pm is a Class 2 handicap over six furlongs and there is a decent prize up for grabs. TROPICS is the top weight but the horse has performed well on artificial surfaces over the last year and is the nap at 11/1 with Ladbrokes.  

Will Tiger Woods Win A Major In 2019? – By Ian Hudson

Golf is now almost a 12 month sport and no sooner has one season ended than the next one begins. In fact the Race to Dubai on the European Tour and Money List on the PGA Tour for 2019 have already begun. The core seasons begin in January and John Rahm in Europe and Brooks Koepka in the States are the players to back to be top dogs on their main tours. Tiger Woods is 7/2 to win a major next year and that is not the worst price in the world.  

Woods looked tired and demotivated at the Ryder Cup but that was one week too many at the end of such a great season. The former world number won contended in the last two majors of the season and won the Tour Championship. Woods then had to travel to Paris for the Ryder Cup but he was emotionally and physically drained. Even in his halcyon days he underperformed in the matches so playing so poorly this time should not be of great concern to his fans and backers.   

Woods led the British Open at the start of the back nine on the Sunday but one poor hole cost him dear. He almost chased down Koepka at the PGA Championship but just came up short. However, his ability to still compete at the highest level was displayed when he beat the best other 29 PGA tour players in the season finale. It was a Woods master class thanks to a great swing, iron play and putting. The 14 times major champion is now good enough to add to that tally.

He is chasing Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors but he has not won one of the four titles that matter most since 2008. Nicklaus won his last major aged 46 and Woods turns 43 at the end of the year. That means he will have 16 more chances to win more majors before passing the age at which Nicklaus won one. Given no more injuries and operations Woods could be competitive until he reaches 50 which doubles his opportunities to get to 15 majors and beyond. However, you have to think if he comes up short in 2019 Nicklaus’s total will not be overhauled.    

The US Masters is Woods’ best chance to win another major. He is a four times winner and the course is ideally suited to his game. Woods won his first major in the Masters Tournament in 1997 and the fairways provide some scope for wayward driving. Putting under pressure was always a strength and the greens at Augusta are amongst the fastest and most challenging on the tour. The second most successful player in major championship golf can bring the house down by winning the 2019 US Masters. Woods in his prime won more than one major some seasons.

Koepka has now won three of the last seven majors and that is Woods-esque when he was winning them for fun at the start of the century. He defended the US Open title and then won the PGA Championship. Koepka played on the Challenge Tour and European Tour at the start of his career so his game is more than one-dimensional. He overpowers courses of the tee and his confidence must be sky high. Kopeka has won more majors than regular tournaments but if he can start winning in the less demanding weeks the Money List is within his scope.          

Rory McIlroy is thinking about focusing on the US PGA Tour in a concerted effort to win more majors. The logic is that he will be competing against the best players more often. Rahm is more loyal to the European Tour and money won in the majors and WGC events counts. However, Rahm will play enough regular tournaments in Europe to boost his prize money and make him a leading contender for the Race to Dubai which he can win in 2019.   

Today’s Sports Betting Preview – By Rick Elliott

Harry Is Odds-On To Win In The Jungle

Is it possible to resist backing Manchester United to win a match at Old Trafford at odds of almost 2/1? During the Alex Ferguson era that proposition was unheard of even when Arsenal were in town. Some bookmakers are offering much lower odds for a home win so it will be interesting to see how the betting market reacts from now until kick-off at 8pm. Jose Mourinho’s job could be on the line. 

Mark Hughes has not let his backers down by winning the next-manager-to-leave market but Mourinho is the new favourite. However, he has a habit of getting a result when he needs it most. There is a good chance that could be on the cards by half-time because Arsenal have not been in the lead at the break in any match this season. The logical bet is MANCHESTER UNITED/DRAW at 14/1 with bet365.

Harry Redknapp’s name is not appearing in any lists for the next manager of a club. He has been in charge at Southampton and there is a vacancy now that Hughes has gone. It’s questionable whether Redknapp can be taken seriously as a football manager as his main role in the jungle appears to be cleaning out the dunny. REDKNAPP is 4/7 to be the winner of I’m A Celebrity.    

Southampton have appointed a caretaker manager and the temporary role begins with a Premier League fixture against Tottenham at Wembley. I wonder if Mauricio Pochettino will now rest players so his squad peaks for the FA Cup third round tie at Southport or Tranmere early next month. The home team won the fixture 5-2 last season so anything similar makes TOTTENHAM -1 the bet at Evens with Betfair.   

 

There is an early evening All-Weather meeting at Kempton but it’s debatable whether the place will be packed out for the Class 5 race that opens the fixture at 3.55 on a working day. The fifth race at 6pm is a Class 2 handicap over six furlongs and there is a decent prize up for grabs. TROPICS is the top weight but the horse has performed well on artificial surfaces over the last year and is the nap at 11/1 with Ladbrokes.