Golf’s next major is starting in the morning and Irish firms Boylesports and Paddy Power are battling it out in the PR war by attempting to out do each other in the fight to offer the most Each-Way places.
Boylesport paying Eight places on the Open
Paddy Power had originally stolen a march on their rivals by offering 7 each way places, only to later see Boylesports steal their limelight by offering an amazing 8 places, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an offer like that before.
And for anyone thinking, ‘Yeah, but I bet you only get an 8th or 7th of the odds for each way,’ then you would be wrong. Both firms are paying 1/4 of the odds.
Behind those two come a number of firms paying out on 6, and there are some other measly ones paying out at 5. Included in the layers at 5 places is Coral, but too be fair to them, they are offering 5 places at a 3rd of the odds, that sounds quite good to me.
Despite the wave of Rorymania so far this week, McIlroy odds seem to be on a bit of a drift. He is now out to between 7 and 8/1, having earlier been backed into 6/1, 13/2.
I imagine this is probably down to the fact that he hasn’t played since winning the US Open about a month back. A fact not lost on Monty.
I do like Monty and of course he is entitled to his opinion, but to be advising McIlroy on how to prepare for majors is a risky business for the Scot. As much as his opinion should be respected, Monty was leaving himself open to getting a good kicking from journalists he has given a hard time too over the years.
When listening Monty’s remarks, I could almost sense the collective pack all rubbing their hands with glee at the open goal he had just presented them with for their next articles. How many majors did you win Monty? etc, etc.
For me it seems hard to pick a winner for this, I did think about a value bet on Sergio Garcia after a recent improvement in form, but he’s 5th favourite at a best price of 30/1, which doesn’t represent great value to me. I did expect him to be somewhere around the 50 or 66/1 mark.
History goes against McIlroy and Luke Donald after their respectives wins in the US and Scottish Opens, while I think Lee Westwood will be another Monty and never win a major. It looks a very open field to me this year and I expect the winner to be another unfancied outsider.