British Open Championship 2011 Golf

British Open Championship 2011

In just a few days the 140th British Open Championship will take place at the Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent. The long-awaited event starts on July 14 and runs through July 17 of this year. Royal St George’s will host The Open for the 14th time; the Club hosted its first Open in 1894 and its most recent one in 2003.

The Open is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf as its history spans over a century. Every year The Open takes place on one of nine links courses in the United Kingdom, often in England. What is unique about The Open, besides its links style courses, is that it features a four-hole playoff if the golfers are tied at the end of the regulation, and if there is still no winner, the playoff then continues into sudden death holes.

The Royal St George’s Golf Club presents a tough challenge for even the best players in the world with its cruel links course and windy conditions due to the unpredictable and often-changing British weather. One just needs to remember Tiger Woods finishing joint 4th 1 over in the 2003 tournament held at the Royal, whereas a relative unknown, Ben Curtis, won the Claret Jug. Speaking of golfing legends performing at the Royal during The Open, historically only three players have ever won The Open at the Royal under par for 72 holes.

The Open is one of the premier summer sporting events in Britain which means millions of pounds will be wagered during its four days of play. The Open at the difficult Royal course is an even more interesting betting proposition. Last year’s Open winner, South African Louis Oosthuizen, will attempt to defend his title, though he has had a quite year so far in 2011 so that the odds are against him for repeat victory. All odds makers agree though that the Europeans are the favourites to take down the title and that the heavy favourite to win the 2011 Open at Royal is Rory McIlroy.

Here is a look at the top five players who are the official odds favourites to win:

Rory McIlroy

22-year old Rory McIlroy hails from Northern Ireland. His claim to fame comes from winning the U.S. Open earlier this year. Though the victory last month gave him only his first major title, many already predict that he will become one of the greats and are comparing him to the likes of Tiger Woods. If McIlroy does win The Open, the phrase he-is-the-new-Tiger will stick, and the real Tiger Woods will need to either retire or come back in even better form than ever before. Most places will give you 6/1 on McIlroy right now.

Lee Westwood

British Lee Westwood will naturally have the home court advantage playing at the Royal. The former world number one, Westwood is an extremely solid player though he has yet to win a major. He has been performing consistently well, getting to top three spots in the five out of the last seven majors. The Open might just do the trick for Westwood, giving him a much needed first major win. His odds are approximately about 10/1 in most places.

Luke Donald

Luke Donald is not only British but he is also the number one rated player in the world right now. Though his form might have weakened in the last few weeks, many still think Donald’s game is perfectly suited to the Royal course. His odds are 12/1 but Unibet will give you the best odds on Donald at 16/1.

Martin Kaymer

26-year old Martin Kaymer is from Germany and knows how it feels to win a major. Kaymer became number one in the world in February of this year and has lost his ranking rather quickly; now he is ranked third in the world. Kaymer has bounced back since this year’s U.S. open that he would rather forget and has since done well at the BMW and in France. As a golfer who does well on the links courses (Kaymer finished seventh at last year’s Open), Kaymer’s style of play should at least get him into the top five at the Royal. The odds on Kaymer are anywhere between 20/1 to 22/1.

Graeme McDowell

Graeme McDowell is another notable Northern Irishman and a winner of the 2010 U.S open. In 2011, although he has started this year in an amazing form by posting four top ten finishes, McDowell has not been in the premium form lately. His odds stand at around 22/1 to 24/1.

Don’t forget your UK bookies special offers: Boylesports are paying out an industry best 8 places each way on the Open Championship, whereas Paddy Power pays 7 places each way and BETDAQ are offering a £30 no lose bet and commission back if McIlroy, Donald or Westwood wins. Place your free bets on The Open!