Bettors finding value in Tiger Woods Open Championship Prop Bets

You should never write off a champion.

That seems to be the sentiment from the golf betting public who believe Tiger Woods can win the 150th Open Championship at the Old Course in St. Andrews this week.

But if the fact the 2000 and 2005 champion at the venue is playing just his third PGA TOUR event this year sees you balk at the +6600 in Open Championship odds there are plenty of other options on the 82-time TOUR winner.

As of Tuesday, at BetMGM, Woods is pulling in the second-most tickets (5.7%) and third-most handle (6.7%) to win the Open Championship outright but some special prop bets have been released in anticipation of Woods tilt at a fourth Claret Jug.

In regard to Woods’ full tournament efforts bettors can get on the 47-year-old to finish in the top five (+1200), the top 10 (+600), the top 20 (+275), the top 40 (+100) and to make (-150) or miss the cut (+110).

Making the cut and/or finishing in the top 40 appear to be the best values. Anything higher than that would be extraordinary considering the circumstances that have seen him play in just the Masters in April and May’s PGA Championship this season.

Woods made the cut in both events, finishing in 47th place at the Masters before needing to withdraw from the PGA Championship after the third round.

He then set his eyes on St. Andrews, skipping the U.S. Open in June to ensure his body was ready.

“For the most part of my rehab I was just hoping that I could walk again… walk normal and have a normal life and maybe play a little hit-and-giggle golf with my son or my friends at home,” Woods said Wednesday.

“But lo and behold, I've played championship golf this year. And once I realized that I could possibly play at a high level, my focus was to get back here at St. Andrews to play in this championship… being the most historic one we've ever had. I just didn't want to miss this Open here at the home of golf.”

Bettors also have the opportunity to ride Woods’ efforts in each round with BetMGM specials available. In Thursday’s opening round options include: to shoot 68 or lower (+175), to birdie the first hole (+350), to make an eagle (+800), to make five or more birdies or eagles (+100), or to go bogey-free (+1000).

Woods has made only one birdie on the first hole (final round in 2010) in his last three tournaments at St. Andrews (2005, 2010, 2015). Meanwhile, in that same span, he’s only had one bogey-free round (the second round in 2005) and hasn’t made an eagle.

Shooting 68 or lower would be 4-under or better. If there is no wind, it would seem this is possible but Woods’ best round this year is 69 during the second round of the PGA Championship.

Woods has made five or more birdies in a round at St. Andrews a few times. In his last 10 rounds at the course, he’s done it four times. It should be noted he played a lot of these rounds in tougher conditions than what is expected on Thursday where he will tee off at 2:59 p.m. local time (9:59 a.m. ET) Thursday with Max Homa and Matt Fitzpatrick.

At BetMGM, Woods is the biggest liability in the outright winner market.

“Tiger Woods is already a significant liability for BetMGM at The Open Championship. Judging from his last few tournaments, playing four days in a row seems to put incredible stress on Tiger’s body, so we're comfortable with the huge liability,” Jason Scott, BetMGM’s VP of Trading said.

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