Crowne Plaza Invitational Betting Preview - Odds To Win

[Qbins Missile Crisis]

Phil Mickelson couldn’t take advantage of Tiger Woods’ absence from the field for the Players Championship two weeks ago – he shot a 78 in the final round to end up in a tie for 21st place at the sports betting event. So can Lefty do a better job for those doing some golf betting this week and pick up the victory in the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth?

The BetUS online betting oddsmakers like his chances of earning that win – he’s pegged as the +800 tournament favorite. Mickelson has one win, one second-place finish, and four Top 10 results through 11 PGA Tour events in 2008 – and he’s finished in the Top 25 in 10 of those 11 tourneys. That puts Mickelson second in the FedExCup standings this season.



Mickelson, though, didn’t play in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial last year. Jim Furyk did, and he ended up in a tie for second place with Bernard Langer behind winner Rory Sabbatini (in a playoff). Despite falling short in 2007, Furyk is sitting just behind Mickelson on the BetUS golf odds chart for this week’s tournament – he’s pegged at +1000.

Following Furyk on the odds list are Anthony Kim (+1800), Geoff Ogilvy (+2200), Kenny Perry (+2200), K.J. Choi (+2200), and Stephen Ames (+2500). Kim finished in a tie for 18th place at last year’s Crowne Plaza Invitational, Choi was 24th, and Ames was 52nd. Perry ended up missing the cut in 2007, although he has won this event twice in the past (back in 2005 and 2003). Ogilvy did not play in the Forth Worth tourney last season.

Sabbatini shot a 62 in the third round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational last year, then eventually managed to get past Furyk and Langer in the playoff. That was Sabbatini’s only win on the PGA Tour in 2007, and he has no wins (and just three Top 25 finishes) through 11 Tour events in 2008. Sabbatini is listed back at +2800 odds to win this week.

Chad Campbell is next at +3000 to win this week, and he’s followed by each of David Toms, Justin Leonard, and Ben Crane at +3500. Bart Bryant is then at +4000 odds, with both Steve Stricker and Hunter Mahan at +4500, and each of Rod Pampling, Briny Baird, and Ian Poulter at +5000. 2004 champion Steve Flesch is at +5500, with 1996 champ Corey Pavin at +10000. Favored Mickelson won this tournament back in 2000.

Overseas the European Tour will be staging the prestigious BMW PGA Championship this week. Denmark’s Anders Hansen won this tournament last year (just like he did in ‘02), but he’ll have to contend with some of the world’s top golfers if he wants a repeat.

First on that list is Ernie Els, who has been pegged by the BetUS oddsmakers as the +1000 favorite for this week. Vijay Singh is next at +1400, followed by Lee Westwood at +1600, and Henrik Stenson at +2000. Angel Cabrera, the 2005 champion, is pegged at +2500, the same odds given to both Justin Rose and Luke Donald. 2006 champ David Howell and three-time winner Colin Montgomerie have both been listed at +8000 odds.

Other top odds to win at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England this week include Retief Goosen (+3000), Robert Karlsson (+3000), Martin Kaymer (+3000), and Paul Casey (+3000). Andres Romero, Niclas Fasth, and Miguel Angel Jimenez are listed at +3500 odds, and Hansen is just back of that first group at +4000 odds.

The golfers of the European Tour will head from England to Wales next week for The Celtic Manor Wales Open in Newport. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour will next head to Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio for the Memorial Tournament. The next major event on the schedule is the U.S. Open Championship at Torrey Pines from June 12 to June 15.

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