Golf Betting - $10 Million Dubai World Championship Preview

Tee-off: 11/19/2009

Tiger Woods is taking the week off after winning the Australian Masters, but the rest of the world will be showing up for the richest tournament of the year, the Dubai World Championship, for part of a $10,000,000 prize.

The Dubai World Championship will take place over a course designed by one of the legends of golf, Greg Norman. Nestled as part of the Jumeriah Golf Estates, Earth, the name given to Norman’s course, will be the site of the first Dubai World Championship.

Although both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods won’t be a part of this week’s Dubai World Championship, some of the best golfers in the world will be. One of them, the young Rory McIlroy, figures as the +800 favorite in the BetUS online sports betting.

Can McIlroy win? Or will his elders prove best? Let’s take a look at the Top 6 betting interests in this week’s Dubai World Championship.

Dubai World Championship To Win

1. Padraig Harrington +1200 - - Ranked 18th in the European Tour Race to Dubai standings, Harrington will attempt to outplay his fellow Irishman, Rory McIlroy for the DWC trophy. Will he be successful? I believe that he will for a few reasons. The first is that Harrington is a well traveled and experienced player because of his excellent play on both the European and U.S. Tours. Another reason this course sets up for Paddy is because he’s averaging over 291 yards with his driver and is hitting the greens in regulation 71% of the time. This guy has only played in 15 European events and is still ranked in the Top 20. He’s the Irishman to beat this week.


2. Lee Westwood +1200 - - Ranked 2nd on the European Tour, Westwood’s numbers are incredible, averaging 299 yard average off the tee, while hitting 73% on greens in regulation. There’s really nothing standing between Westwood and the DWC trophy except for Westwood himself who, even though he has great stats, never closes the door when in position to win a big tournament. His victory in the 2009 Portugal Masters was his first in two years. He’s consistent and is a decidedly better wager in this than Rory McIlroy, but he’s not a closer like Harrington which is why he ranks as 2nd on this list.


3. Ernie Els +1500 - - Els has had his normal terrific year. The difference might be that Els is excelling right now, at this moment in the year, as opposed to past seasons when he would slow down towards the end of a year. His stroke average per round is down to 70.52 in 2009 from 71.86 in 2008 and he was in the hunt in the WGC-HSBC before losing to Phil Mickelson. Els is ready to play his best golf this week.


4. Retief Goosen +2000 - - Goosen has finished 6th, 9th and 10th in his last three tournaments. If that isn’t enough for bettors to consider a wager on him at 20 to 1, I’m not sure what would be. It appears that Goosen will be in the hunt yet again this week and his odds are much better than a lot of golfers in the sportsbook, like Garcia, who gamblers can’t really take seriously in this spot. Goosen is worth a wager if bettors believe he improves upon the 10th place finish in the WGC-HSBC in his last.


5. Rory McIlroy +800 - - This is where the sportsbook favorite falls in my Top 6 for the simple fact that he’s 20 years old. Is he brilliant? Without question, but even though he’s ranked #1 on the European Tour, he’s only won one tournament this year, the Dubai Desert Classic. So, sure, he knows how to play in the country, but is he worth the 8 to 1 odds? Maybe, but some convincing is needed before I put my money down on him in this.


6. Ross Fisher +1500 - - Fisher won the Volvo World Match Play Championship and figures to be tough in the DWC even though he finished 28th at the WGC-HSBC. Fisher is ranked 4th on the European Tour and even though his odds are slightly lower than I would like, he has a shot in this tournament and has to be taken seriously as a contender.

Best Long Shot Bet