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 [...]]]> 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!

The Royal Ascot 2011 is coming up. The famous race meet will be held between Tuesday, June 14 and Saturday, June 18. As always, the meet will be held at the Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire England. The very first Royal Ascot meeting was held in 1711, shortly after the Ascot Racecourse [...]]]> Royal Ascot 2011

The Royal Ascot 2011 is coming up. The famous race meet will be held between Tuesday, June 14 and Saturday, June 18. As always, the meet will be held at the Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire England. The very first Royal Ascot meeting was held in 1711, shortly after the Ascot Racecourse was founded by Queen Anne. The meet is still attended by the Royal Family and is an important event in the country’s social calendar. It is the most popular racing meet in Europe, and over 300,000 people are expected to attend next week. The amount of prize money up for grabs tops ₤4,450,000.

From a betting perspective, the Royal Ascot offers both a lot of excitement and a lot of uncertainty. The upgraded racetrack is considered to be very fair with almost no bias. Some observers say that almost any horse can win on the Ascot track. This makes it hard to make an accurate analysis of the draw. Regardless, more than ₤300,000,000 of bets are expected to be placed on the meet. Most of these bets will be placed via the internet.

Thirty races will be held over the five days of the meet. Some of the more important races include the Queen Anne Stakes, the King’s Stand Stakes and the Gold Cup. The races are different lengths and each race has different competitors.

Ascot Day One
Queen Anne Stakes
The Queen Anne Stakes will be the first match of the 2011 meet. This Group One race is a mile long and is open to horses that are at least four years old. Canford Cliffs and Goldikova are the current favourites.

King’s Stand Stakes
Next up is the King’s Stand Stakes, a five furlong race which is open to horses three-years-old and older. This is also a Group One race. Right now Star Witness holds the favourite spot, with Lady of the Desert and Kingsgate Native fighting for second.

St. James’s Palace Stakes
This race is one of the highlights of the first day. Open only to three-year-old colts, the Group One race is a mile in length. Frankel, the colt who won this year’s 2000 Guineas race, is the dead-on favourite.

Coventry Stakes
The first Group Two race of the meet will be the Coventry Stakes, which will also be held on Day One. This is a juvenile race that often brings future stars to the attention of the public. The six furlong race is open to two-year-olds. Power is by far the current favourite, but Mezmaar, Crown Dependency and Gatepost are also in contention.

The Ascot Stakes
The betting is always extremely competitive for this handicap race. A race that is two and a half miles long is almost always an open competition, so picking a winner is tricky. In the last five years only one horse with less than 20-to-1 odds has won the race. The Ascot Stakes is open to horses aged four and up. Odds are not yet available for this race.

Other Races
The last race held on Day One is the Windsor Castle Stakes. Odds are still pending.

Ascot Day Two
Prince of Wales Stakes
One of the most important races of the event, this Group One race is a one mile and two furlongs long and is open to horses four or more years old. Currently, the betting favourite is So You Think, but this horse was also the favourite in last year’s Melbourne Cup and was soundly defeated.

Royal Hunt Cup
This mile-long Heritage Handicap, which is open to horses at least three years of age, will also be hard to handicap. Right now Star Right and Green Destiny are competing to be the favourite.

Queen Mary Stakes
The Queen Mary Stakes is a five furlong, Group Two race for fillies. This is another juvenile race that often highlights future stars. Shumoos, Miss Work of Art and Angels Will Fall are the current favourites.

Other Races
The Jersey Stakes, the Windsor Forest Stakes and the Sandringham Stakes are also held on Day Two. Odds will soon be available for these races.

Ascot Day Three
Ascot Gold Cup
This is the most important race of the entire meeting. The two and a half mile race is open to horses aged four and up. It is the most popular race of the meet. Rite of Passage is vying with Fame and Glory for the favourite spot.

Other Races
Day Three has many other races. The Norfolk Stakes, the Ribblesdale Stakes, the Britannia Stakes, the Hampton Court Stakes and the King George V stakes do not yet have odds available.

Ascot Day Four
Coronation Stakes
The Coronation Stakes is the only Group One race slated for Friday. It is a mile long race for three-year-old fillies. Unfortunately, betting odds are not yet available.

Other Races
The other races held on Day Four are the Albany Stakes, the King Edward VII Stakes, the Wolferton Rated Stakes, the Queen’s Vase Stakes and the Buckingham Palace Stakes, but unfortunately these races do not yet have odds available.

Royal Ascot Day Five
Golden Jubilee Stakes
Saturday’s best race will be the Golden Jubilee Stakes. This Group One race is always full of action for bettors. It is a six furlong spring for horses at least three years old. Delegator is by far the favourite.

Workingham Stakes
This Heritage Handicap will be another good race on Day Five. It is another six furlong sprint that is open to three-year-olds and up. The current favourite is Hoof, but Pastoral Player, Deacon Blue and Haweyethenoo are also well liked.

Other Races
Rounding out the final day of the meet will be the Chesham Stakes, the Hardwicke Stakes, the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes and the Queen of Alexandria Stakes. Odds are not yet available for any of these horse races.