British Open 2011 Odds: Tiger Woods Out, but Will Another American Still Win?

Tiger Woods Could Be America's Only Hope at Winning a Major in 2011

Tiger Woods' demise has made for a shift in power in golf. The golf leaderboard is dominated by foreign players and the odds are stacked against Americans in their quest to bring home at least one major before the year is out.

The good news is that the British Open is wide open. Golf has a phenomenal collection of rising stars, aging legends and elite players trying to win their first major.

The competition is sky high and this major, like the US Open, is really anyone's game.

The bad news is that Americans don't have nearly as many legitimate competitors as the rest of the world puts forth. While nobody is a lock for this major, having more hats in the ring is certainly advantageous.

The American with the best odds, according to Bodog is Nick Watney, who has 25/1 odds. Phil Mickelson has 28/1 odds and Dustin Johnson has 33/1 odds.

The trio is at the forefront of the American effort to bring home the British Open. They face an uphill battle, given the slew of foreign players battling for the same piece of meat.

Even a decent run at the year's third major could render a losing effort. This major, like all majors, is going to be very difficult to win, even though it seems highly unlikely that any player will be able to completely run away with the tournament in the fashion McIlroy won his first major.

All it takes is one guy to string together a few decent rounds of golf and the Americans are in business. Even so, it's quite possible, if not likely, that a foreign player matches or trumps the performance.

There are simply too many heavy hitters overseas for the Americans to battle. When given the choice between America or the field, it would be foolish not to take the field.

Woods' absence is creating opportunities for his peers, but it gives America one less player who could make an impact at the British Open.

At this point, the chances of the trophy coming back to the United States seem bleak.