U.S. Open Championship - 72 Hole Group Betting

Tee-off:  6/18/2009

The U.S. Open figures to be one of the most competitive golf betting events of the year.  Because of that, BetUS is offering a lot of opportunities for golf fans to throw down and make some profits.

One of those ways to make money is to wager on a golfer in a group.  The sportsbook calls it 72 hole group betting.

Let’s take a look at each group in the U.S. Open.

• Group A:  Phil Mickelson +285, Geoff Ogilvy +325, Jim Furyk +325, Paul Casey +350, Steve Stricker +425
  Analysis:  If Lefty is okay, then he should win this group easily, but Phil didn’t have a very good St. Jude Classic. Both Ogilvy and Furyk did but they’re going to find Bethpage much tougher.  Paul Casey didn’t make the cut a week before in The Memorial.  That leaves Steve Stricker as a possible upset winner of this group.  I’m going to make him the play in this because the odds are so much better than the others and he’s been fairly consistent in 2009.
  Pick:  Steve Stricker
  
  
  
• Group B:  Sergio Garica +325, Retief Goosen +325, Rory McIlroy +350, Ernie Els +350, Camilo Villegas +350
  Analysis:  Both Garcia and Goosen have been playing awful lately.  Out of the two, Goosen appears to be the likelier winner of this group.  But why go for a favorite when three other golfers are going off at better odds?  McIlroy and Villegas just don’t seem to be there quite yet.  To me, the victor of this group is the old pro, Ernie Els, who should love the distance of Bethpage.
  Pick:  Ernie Els
  
  
  
• Group C:  Vijay Singh +300, Kenny Perry +350, Zach Johnson +350, Luke Donald +350, David Toms +350
  Analysis:  Johnson, Donald and Toms are all going to have trouble with Bethpage’s distance.  Perry has a good shot at bouncing back and being fantastic this week, but there’s something about Vijay that makes me believe he’s going to have one of those Vijay moments.  I don’t know what it is because Singh hasn’t won a tournament this year, but the 2008 FedEx Cup champ just seems ready to pounce in this tournament.  I’m going with him.
  Pick:  Vijay Singh
  
  
  
• Group D:  Hunter Mahan +300, Brian Gay +325, Nick Watney +350, Ian Poulter +350, Tim Clark +350
  Analysis:  Poulter and Clark don’t appear able to get the ball far enough off of the tee to be a factor in this group.  Gay was awesome in the St. Jude Classic last week.  Mahan is usually right there, but my money is going with Nick Watney who not only can smack the ball far, which is what will lead to success at Bethpage, but hits the greens 66% of the time.  He’s the winner in this group at good odds.
  Pick:  Nick Watney
  
  
  
• Group E:  Robert Allenby +325, Rory Sabbatini +325, Stewart Cinik +350, Mike Weir +350, Lee Westwood +350
  Analysis:  All of the groups are difficult to handicap, but this might be the most difficult.  Who gets the money in this group?  All four golfers can be very good on any given day, but the money has been going to Rory Sabbatini and I sort of have to agree.  Allenby is awful in the U.S. Open in odds years.  Who knows why, but I’m not going to go against the trend, and Westwood, Cink and Weir just haven’t been all that great in 2009.  Sabbatini looks like a winner in this group.
  Pick:  Rory Sabbatini