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October 7th Golf news ... PGA Championship Betting at pgachampionshipbetting.com

2010 U.S. Open Preview
2021-06-18

Ever since Tiger Woods’ legendary performance at the 1997 Masters, he has been the heavy favorite in every major in which he’s played. However, with Woods struggling to regain his customary dominant form since his November car accident and revelations of marital indiscretions, the tide has begun to turn in golf. For the 2010 U.S. Open, the title of favorite must be bestowed on his rival, Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson heads into Pebble Beach with a sense of urgency he has perhaps never felt. For him, there are numerous things on the line. First and foremost is the opportunity to win the title that has forever eluded him, often under painful circumstances. Mickelson has finished second a record five times at the U.S. Open and although he has never sealed the deal, says that he has historically played some of his best golf in his nation’s tournament. With his 40th birthday the Tuesday of U.S. Open week, he knows that his window of opportunity is closing, and golf betting is thinking the same.

A win at the U.S. Open would provide Mickelson with another career first: the number one ranking in the world. He is closer than ever to achieving this, with chances in his last three tournaments to mathematically supplant Woods, the world number one for a staggering 261 consecutive weeks.

Mickelson comes into Pebble Beach with significant momentum after his emotional win in The Masters in April, regarded by many onlookers as his finest performance ever. Although he has not won since, he has shown flashes of brilliance while striving to have his game peak for the U.S. Open. He was in position to win his first post-Masters tournament at Quail Hollow and it took the round of the year by Rory McIlroy to pass him. He made a charge in the third round at The Players Championship, showing his ability to go low at any time. His missed cut at Colonial proved to be a mere aberration as he followed it up with a solid tie for fifth place this past week at The Memorial, which would have been much better if not for some untimely missed putts. Despite the lack of wins, Mickelson provided himself with an infusion of confidence, happy with the state of his game while promising to sharpen his customary stellar putting in time for Pebble Beach.

This is a stark contrast to Woods, whose game is a great unknown right now, having only completed two tournaments since November and still showing significant rust from his lengthy layoff. In addition to the turbulence within his personal life, his swing coach recently quit, leaving only Woods himself to find the answers to a golf swing that looks nothing like the one responsible for his past dominance. Compounding problems is a neck injury that forced him to withdraw from The Players Championship last month. Although he completed all four rounds at this week’s Memorial, he stopped short of saying the neck was 100% recovered. This could prove to be problematic with the torque required to hit from the customary long rough of a U.S. Open, a place Woods may find himself frequently given his recent wayward driving. All of these factors reveal that winning a tournament of this caliber is a tall order for Woods, even after taking his pedigree into account.

Mickelson seems to have begun to thrive off Woods’ presence in tournaments. With Woods out of the game at the beginning of the year, the golf world expected Mickelson to seize control. Although he didn’t right away—in large part due to his wife’s ongoing battle with breast cancer—he asserted his presence at The Masters, Woods’ first tournament of the year. He was steady throughout and proved to be undaunted even by Woods’ furious attempts at a comeback. The intimidation factor once presented by Woods has certainly lost some of its edge on Mickelson.

There are many other factors working in Mickelson’s favor this year. He has had tremendous success at Pebble Beach, previously winning three times at the annual P.G.A. tour stop there. Already a fan favorite, he can expect to receive a significant boost from the fans as a California native himself. Many of the cheers that once would have gone to Woods will undoubtedly be directed Mickelson’s way.

One of Mickelson’s greatest golf attributes, his prodigious distance, will come in handy at Pebble Beach. Since Pebble isn’t one of the longer courses in the U.S. Open rotation, Mickelson can hit 2 iron or 3 wood off the tee and still have relatively short approach shots. He will be hitting these clubs as far as many players hit their driver while reducing the probability of hitting into the penal U.S. Open rough.

The U.S. Open always seems to come down to who can make the most putts. Mickelson made one clutch putt after another in April at The Masters and can feed off the memories and confidence from that unforgettable week. Expect to see him make a putt at the 72nd hole on Sunday to win the U.S. Open that has long eluded him.

Are you ready for some Golf betting? Head over to www.here today and get into the US Open golf betting action.                       

Coming into the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, circumstances are much different for Tiger Woods than the last time Pebble hosted the event in 2000. At that time, Woods was in the midst of a stretch of dominance the game had never before seen and might never see again. He would go on to win the tournament by a record 15 strokes and complete the first leg of the “Tiger Slam.” However, this time around, Woods enters the tournament with more questions and concerns than ever before in his career and his chances of winning are murky.

Six and a half months after his bizarre car accident and subsequent tabloid frenzy that revealed marital transgressions, there are some concerns that his legendary on-course focus is being compromised. Numerous reports have speculated that he and his wife are in the midst of filing for divorce, which all Golf Betting now think will hurt his chances to win any majors this year.

Even worse, Woods’ golf game is rusty and more in doubt than ever. He has only played four tournaments in the last seven months and failed to finish the tournament in two of those, giving him a grand total of 11 competitive rounds during that time. The task of fixing his swing flaws is magnified by the sudden resignation of his swing coach, Hank Haney. Woods has not hired a new coach and is relying solely on himself to diagnose what is plaguing him.

Another significant question is Woods’ health. He walked off the course during the final round of last month’s Players Championship, fearing that he had a bulging disk in his neck. Although tests refuted this, he was forced to rest and take time off. He has only played one tournament to test the neck’s condition and can’t be looking forward to subjecting it to the penal rough of the U.S. Open. Considering that he is one of the least accurate drivers on the PGA Tour and figures to hit some wayward shots, this raises significant concerns, and makes all Golf betting nervous.

Although Woods is currently the co-favorite with Phil Mickelson at odds of 6/1, it’s important to not be fooled. For reasons outlined in previous articles, Mickelson and Lee Westwood must be regarded as having better chances than Woods. These odds are a larger reflection of the perception that Woods will have a distinct advantage with the venue. However important this may be, it’s important to remember that the U.S. Open is the most demanding event in golf and requires one’s game to be in pinpoint condition. Currently, Woods’ game simply is not. Also, with a field of players as large and deep as that of the U.S. Open, odds are good that someone will break through with a spectacular week.

With all that being said, it would be ludicrous to dismiss Woods. If he has taught us anything over the years, it is that nobody should ever count him out. His victory on one healthy leg at the 2008 U.S. Open showed that he is capable of doing virtually anything on a golf course. He has consistently shown an ability to raise his game on golf’s grandest stages, including at this year’s Masters. In his first tournament back since the scandal, he fought insatiable media scrutiny and erratic play to somehow find himself in contention on Sunday and finish fourth. His familiarity with Augusta National and past success at the tournament undoubtedly helped.

He can rely on similar past success at next week’s U.S. Open. Even if the venue won’t necessarily give him a physical advantage, it can certainly give him a mental one, allowing him to summon memories from the 2000 edition, a singular performance that many call the best ever.

Also, if anyone is capable of fixing their own swing, it is Woods. Haney said he possesses a greater understanding of the golf swing’s technical aspects than any other player he has ever seen. Woods seems to be making strides too. Although he only finished tied for 19th in his first tournament back since the neck injury, he completed four rounds and said he feels that his game is approaching where he wants it to be.

We all know what the results are when Woods’ swing is at his best. The only question is if it will get there in time for the U.S. Open to give him a chance to win. In a week dominated by questions surrounding Woods, the state of his swing is the greatest one.   

Where do you do your Golf Betting? Head over  to www.here today the home of PGA Golf Betting.

Although many would argue that the Masters and U.S. Open are the two greatest golf events in the world and have tremendous history, which is about where the similarities end.

The Masters has always been marked by an elitist, private attitude. The idea that The Masters is able to do whatever it wants stems from Augusta National’s origins as an exclusive private club for wealthy businessmen. Perhaps the most prominent example of this is the all-male membership, something that has become increasingly controversial over the years and threatened to overshadow the 2003 tournament amidst protests. The club’s exclusivity extends to the tournament itself, which has the most demanding qualification requirements of any tournament in the world. While most tournaments have 144 players in the field, The Masters is always under 100, with no open qualifying.

This is in stark contrast to the U.S. Open, which truly lives up to its title of “open”. Anyone can attempt to qualify provided they have a handicap index of 1.4 or less. This has repeatedly led to unknowns making their mark in America’s tournament, at least temporarily. Since the USGA leaves a lot of slots open to these qualifiers, a high premium is placed on them; the requirements for automatically qualifying are similar to those of the Masters. Thus, many highly accomplished touring pros must go through the same process as everyone else. Numerous winners, including Lucas Glover last year, have had to go this route.

The public/private dichotomy extends to the courses as well. Part of The Masters mystique is that it is played on the same course every year and every golf fan gains a more intimate knowledge of it with each passing year. Nevertheless, it is a private enclave and the vast majority of people will never get to play it for themselves, if they even get to attend the tournament at all. The Masters is considered by many to be “the toughest ticket in sports,” and Augusta National has tight rein over who receives tickets. On the other hand, the U.S. Open venue changes by the year and is determined by the USGA, which has made a concerted effort in recent years to bring the event to public courses to make it more relatable. The 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black was a watershed event in this regard as it was the first time America’s championship was held on a truly municipal golf course, as opposed to a private or resort course. The Open’s presence at Torrey Pines in 2008 and return to Bethpage Black in 2009 reaffirmed this promise, which has proven to be very popular. The USGA also provides many more tickets than Augusta National and the prices are much more affordable, much to the joy of golf fans and golf betting alike.

There are many differences in the way the tournaments are played as well. Augusta National is a long course with very little rough so the long-hitters are considered to be at a distinct advantage. It’s a classic risk-reward golf course that is set up for making birdies but also potential disasters as well. Although par is considered a good score in The Masters, the winner needs to make birdies and usually winds up being double digits under par. Although the US Open changes venues, the USGA has a pretty consistent setup each year. U.S. Open courses are marked by long rough and very fast greens. Like The Masters, it requires stellar putting to win. However, accuracy off the tee is an absolute premium as there is very little margin for error. Since players are bound to make mistakes, par is generally a very good score. It is not uncommon for the winning score to be around even par. Since the Open can be such a grind, it requires players who have superb mental capabilities and can recover from making a mistake which golf betting loves.

One aspect that makes the Masters superior is the universal symbolism of the Green Jacket. It is the most hallowed award in sports and just another part of the rich Augusta National lore. The U.S. Open winner receives a trophy that hasn’t attained such prestige. There is no real name for it and in an odd tradition; the winner has to get it engraved themselves. Nevertheless, this doesn’t put a damper on America’s championship. Whoever holds the trophy aloft this year will know they have just completed the most exacting test in golf.

Where do you do your golf betting? Get over to www.here the home of PGA Golf betting.