AT&T National Props - Odds To Lead the First Round

Tee-off: 7/1/2009

For gamblers, betting a golfer to win is near impossible. Betting a golfer to lead after the first round is, well, impossible.

It takes a lot to find the right golfer at the right odds to be leading after the first round. Often times, golfers don’t get hot until Saturday or Sunday. The golfer that was hot on Thursday and Friday tends to fall out of the pack. So, it makes sense to just roll the dice on golfers with big odds, or on golfers that make sense to lead after the first round because they have history on the course.

Let’s take a look at some of the golfers with a chance to be leading the AT&T National after the first round.

Golf: AT&T National 1st Round Leader

1. Paul Goydos +4500 - - Why not? He finished second in last week’s Traveler’s Championship and was very good by shooting a 63 in the first round. At the odds, he’s a nice play because you never know who will be leading after the first round. Unless the golfers name is Tiger go for a guy with odds and history of playing well right out of the gate.

2. Tiger Woods +500 - - If Tiger decides to pounce right away, and the conditions set up for him, then at 5 to 1, he’s an excellent play in this category. Tiger knows the course and is smarting after the U.S. Open debacle. Plus, the Pro-Am at this tournament is named after his father.

3. Vijay Singh +3000 - - Singh won the FedEx Cup last year. So, shouldn’t he start getting hot this year? At Singh’s age it makes sense that he would be very good on Thursday and Friday and then just pack it in on Saturday and Sunday. So, at 30 to 1 gamblers get a shot to make some money if the old Vijay light up the leader board on Thursday.

4. Anthony Kim +2000 - - Not only did Kim shoot a 66 in the 1st round of the Traveler’s Championship last week, but he won this tournament in 2008. So, he gets off to a hotter start and lays down a 62 or 63 on Thursday. At the golf odds, he’s worth a look.

5. John Merrick +7000 - - Merrick shot a 65 in the 1st round of the Traveler’s Championship last week. He held on to finish tied for 11th, but he won’t have to do that in this tournament. He just needs to shoot a 63 or so and hope that nobody else gets that number. Then, gamblers can start doing cartwheels in the streets.

6. Hunter Mahan +1800 - - The 66 he shot in the 1st round of the Traveler’s Championship was awfully nice and the fact that he has finished in the top ten in two straight tournaments means that he’s striking the ball very well. He’s going to have a shot on Thursday to make some nice profits.

7. Lucas Glover +3500 - - Glover wins the U.S. Open, takes two days off, and then shoots a 65 in the 1st round of the Traveler’s Championship. That’s coolness incarnate right there. Who says he doesn’t approach a 65 this Thursday in the AT&T National?