Betting on Golf can be just as frustrating as trying to play it. Trying to pick a winner from the 100 odd players that are competing spread over 72 holes of golf can be a minefield. Your selection could be leading from beginning until the final hole only for a double bogey to scupper your chances of collecting.
There are, however, plenty of alternative handicap based markets that offer good value and I find I get a much better run for my money when looking away from the regular tournament winner market.
Here are a few handicap markets I tend to focus my attention when looking for a winner.
Match Handicap Betting
Skybet are very generous in terms of the amount of markets on offer for the major golf tournaments, especially for the events they are televising. And one of my favourite markets is the match handicap betting.
Each golfer is given a handicap advantage before the tournament starts and priced up accordingly. The top players like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Speith will be given a handicap of +5 shots for example, while the rest of the field is handicapped accordingly based on their strength.
You would of course need plenty of knowledge on the tournament and players to make an informed decision but I like to use this market when backing solid golfers like Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter – these guys are often in the top 10/20 but really struggle to get over the line these days so they represent a good bet with a handicap advantage on the big hitters.
Round Handicap Betting
Bet365 also offer Handicap markets and the one standout market in my opinion is the Round Handicap betting. It’s not on every event but you should be sure to check Bet365 during the big tournaments to see if it’s available.
It works much in the same way as the Match Handicap Betting, but it relates to a specific round. I tend to target golfers who are in good form but under-performed on the previous day of the tournament. The top players like McIlroy, Speith, Watson, Westwood etc. tend to bounce back when the pressure is on so they have a good chance of covering any handicap for that specific round.
I also like the fact it relates to a single round and you’re not reliant on the whole 72 holes to collect on any winning bet. Less stress and it’s an interesting market to keep on your side.
Nationality of Winner
On occasions, I prefer to have a simple bet on the golf and take on specific nationality or region. And this market is perfect and gives you a brilliant chance of backing albeit at much shorter odds.
Much like the horse racing, this market will remove the favourite of the event and price up the rest of the field accordingly. It was a great market to concentrate on when Tiger Woods was at his peak as it was rare for any other golfer to get a look in.
Without (x) Favourite Betting Market
It can be a good market to look at for one of the majors, especially at the moment with the form of most American golfers. Backing the winner to come from the USA would give you a great chance of collecting.
The example below is for a European Tour event “The Czech Masters”. If you want to take the British and Irish golfers than backing the Rest of The World (ROW) option at 8/13 means that if the winner isn’t from GB or IRE then your bet’s a winner.
Currently, I would suggest it doesn’t represent such good value as it’s much more competitive at the head of the market. Nevertheless, I do use this market when, for example, I want to remove the favourite Jordan Speith from the occasion and want to back Rory McIlroy – the odds won’t get you rich but it’s good insurance if McIlroy (or your selection) finishes runner-up to the favourite.