British Open 2013 Odds: Highlighting Favorites Who Can't Be Trusted

Tiger Woods won't break his five-year major championship drought at the 2013 British Open. 

To nobody's surprise, Woods has the best betting odds to win the Open Championship at Muirfield, but circumstances don't favor the current No. 1 player in the world. 

Woods isn't the only favorite who will disappoint, either. There are a couple of others who are more likely to miss the cut than they are to win the tournament. 

Here's a quick look at the current betting odds:

Rank	Golfer	Odds
1	Tiger Woods	13-2
2	Adam Scott	18-1
3	Justin Rose	18-1
4	Rory McIlroy	18-1
5	Lee Westwood	20-1
6	Luke Donald	20-1
7	Graeme McDowell	22-1
8	Ernie Els	25-1
9	Jason Day	25-1
10	Phil Mickelson	25-1
11	Sergio Garcia	25-1
12	Brandt Snedeker	33-1
13	Charl Schwartzel	33-1
14	Dustin Johnson	33-1
15	Louis Oosthuizen	33-1
16	Padraig Harrington	33-1
17	Ian Poulter	40-1
18	Matt Kuchar	40-1
19	Rickie Fowler	40-1
20	Seven Golfers	50-1

Note: Odds Courtesy of Bovada

While it's easy to understand why these men are being considered favorites, we know from past major championships that underdogs and long shots have just as good a chance to win. 

Furthermore, as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you can bet that at least a few of the top golfers will struggle badly and miss the cut altogether. 

With that in mind, here's a closer look at a few favorites who can't be trusted to contend for a British Open title.

Tiger Woods (13-2 Odds)

Woods has suffered through two terrible showings in his last two events, but there are a couple of more alarming reasons for doubting him at the 2013 British Open. 

Woods is recovering from the elbow injury he re-aggravated at the 2013 U.S. Open (it was originally hurt at the Players Championship). 

He was obviously in pain and was unable to comfortably play during that tournament, and he chose to withdraw from the AT&T National in mid-June in order to rest his ailing joint. 

Furthermore, Muirfield is a course that his given Woods serious trouble in the past. He shot a 10-over-par round of 81 in the third round of the 2002 British Open—his worst single round of his career. Woods finished the tournament tied for 28th place.

These two factors, combined with Woods' poor play in his last two tournaments, should give bettors pause when thinking about laying down big money for him to win. 

Rory McIlroy (18-1 Odds)

McIlroy is struggling badly these days. He's being given excellent odds to win, but it's hard to fathom the reasons why. 

Since finishing in eighth place at the Players Championship back in mid-May, McIlroy's game has fallen apart. He has failed to finish a tournament under par since that time and has missed two cuts in his last four tournaments. 

In his final tournament leading up to The Open Championship, McIlroy missed the cut at the Irish Open, and the young man seems to be grasping at straws in an attempt to rediscover the magic he used to win his first two majors.

While many of the European golfers took to the course at the French Open to tune up their game for the British Open, McIlroy spent his time testing new drivers, as reported by Alistair Tait of FoxSports.com.

That's not the kind of news that inspires confidence. Bettors would be wise to shy away from putting money on McIlroy to win the British Open. 

Padraig Harrington (33-1 Odds)

Harrington is a two-time British Open champion and a one-time PGA Championship winner. 

His ability to rise up and play his best on the world's biggest stages has made him an international star, and one of the most likable golfers on the PGA Tour. 

That said, it's been a while since Harrington was able to generate such efforts, and it appears his career is trending downward. 

Harrington missed the cut at the 2013 Masters and has struggled badly of late. Like McIlroy, he missed the cut at the Irish Open and isn't playing well heading into the British Open. 

As amazing as it would be to see "Paddy" come back with a vengeance at Muirfield later this month, he's not likely to do so. Instead, Harrington will be lucky to play well enough to make the cut and stick around for the weekend.   

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78