The US Masters may have been pushed back until later in the year but while the Coronavirus continues to lay waste to sport across the world, we can still look at some futures options.
As is the case with all years, a lot of media attention currently focuses on Tiger Woods and while we were cynical about his abilities 12 months ago, that 2019 Masters win means that we have to take him seriously. Tiger can now be a value pick in any tournament and, courtesy of BetOnline USA Sportsbook, there is an interesting futures market based on how many Majors he will win in 2020.
The Tiger Woods Betting Lines
We’ll run through the four upcoming tournaments shortly but before giving our predictions, here are the betting odds as set by BetOnline.
- One Major: = +400 (4/1)
- Two Majors = +1800 (18/1)
- Three Majors = +9000 (90/1)
- Four Majors = +25000 (250/1)
While bettors might instantly rule out a Grand Slam, there are some interesting prices, but what chances do we have of making a profit?
The US Masters
We are going out of chronological order now that the Masters has been provisionally put back until September but we’ll start here as many feel this is Tiger’s best chance. Out of 15 Major wins to date, five have come at Augusta so this is his most productive tournament of the four.
In terms of what the chief United States’ sportsbooks think, BetOnline are one of a very small set of operators to have reset the outright market for this year’s Masters. Rory McIlroy is the current leader at +650 while Woods is one of three joint favorites, along with Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, at +1600.
Tiger enjoyed a little bit of luck at Augusta in 2019, rebounding from the trees on the final day as he held off Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele by just one stroke. Augusta can be a little more forgiving but this preview is not understating Woods’ achievements here. Tiger led the field in Greens in Regulation as he landed on 58 out of 72 putting surfaces. With 22 birdies, he ranked second in the tournament.
Augusta can certainly punish wayward hitting as Jordan Spieth most famously demonstrated but it is kinder than most major courses. Woods can maintain strong stats and there is greater margin for error so this represents his best chance.
PGA Championship
All being well, the PGA Championship will now become the first Major of the calendar year. Originally scheduled to start in mid-May, this has also been pushed back but it should still kick things off when the first ball is struck at TPC Harding Park.
This is a tournament that has been dominated by Brooks Koepka who will be going for the three-peat after claiming the title in 2018 and 2019. Brooks has stated that his knee injury is 100% and, having benefited from this unscheduled rest, he is an obvious joint favorite as far as Intertops U.S. sports betting firm are concerned at +800. McIlroy is also available at +800 but interestingly, BetOnline have Koepka down the market at +1400.
We are digressing slightly but this underlines that you have to look around for value. As for Tiger Woods, the best odds from the two sportsbooks are the +1600 from BetOnline.
Interestingly, Woods has won at TPC Harding Park, albeit back in 2005 when he claimed the WGC-American Express Championship ahead of John Daly. Fifteen years have passed and this will be more of a challenge to the veteran but knowing what it takes to win could be influential.
US Open
World Number one Rory McIlroy is the favorite for all four Majors and at the US Open, he is at +800. Woods is a relatively distant +1800 and both of those betting lines are with BetOnline.
The tournament will be held in the relatively familiar surroundings of Winged Foot which last hosted the event back in 2006. Tiger started that tournament badly with a 76, his worst ever first round at a Major at the time and he matched that score to miss the cut on Friday. It was a long time ago but in his veteran years, this course just won’t suit.
Open Championship
Woods has won three Open Championships and in 2020, the tournament will return to Royal St George’s on England’s South East coast. The Open was last held here in 2011 when Darren Clarke won while Tiger Woods had to withdraw due to injury.
Woods has won the Open three times: Two of those victories came at St Andrews and the last win was in 2006 so we are not expecting a comeback this time. This is when the calendar may have an effect and, combined with the nature of the course, Tiger would be some way down the field. The sportsbooks agree, with Woods carrying his longest price for any of the four Majors at +2000 (20/1) with BetOnline.
Our ‘Tiger Woods, Odds To Win A Major’ Preview Verdict
While the Tour is a little vague on its exact dates right now, we have to stay positive and assume that all four Majors will be completed. We must also consider the fact that Tiger Woods might not play in all four events. His body remains prone to the occasional injury and fatigue issue and now that the calendar is even more condensed, we have to ignore that +25000 price on a Grand Slam.
We have not made a great case for the US Open or the PGA. The courses aren’t likely to be kind to Tiger’s game and the odds tend to reflect that theory. If the Masters was going ahead in April as planned, we would be far more positive but we feel that Tiger is in with a serious chance at Augusta. If he stays fit and peaks to the new date, he can claim a sixth Green Jacket so take those odds of +400 and you have three additional chances if that Masters tip fails. So these are our Tiger Woods Major predictions:
- Tiger Woods to win one Major in 2020 @ +400 with BetOnline.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.