British Open 2013: Latest Odds and Betting Tips for Golf's Top Contenders

Winning the British Open is reaching the pinnacle of professional golf. 

Played every year in the United Kingdom—the land where golf was born—The Open Championship is the oldest and most hallowed tournament in the world. 

Not surprisingly, Tiger Woods is the heavy betting favorite, receiving 8-1 odds to win the tournament. He's followed by Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose, who are being given half as much a chance to win, at 16-1.

The top of the list features all the names you'd expect.

Here's a look at the favorites, courtesy of Bovada, followed by some betting tips that just might make you a boatload of money.

Golfer	Odds
Tiger Woods	8-1
Justin Rose	16-1
Phil Mickelson	16-1
Adam Scott	20-1
Graeme McDowell	22-1
Lee Westwood	25-1
Rory McIlroy	25-1
Sergio Garcia	25-1
Ernie Els	28-1
Luke Donald	28-1
Jason Day	28-1

Don't Bet on Sergio Garcia to Win

When betting on golf, this is one of the primary truths you must embrace: Garcia will never win a major championship. 

Is he talented enough to win a major?

Yes.

Is he cold-blooded enough to win a major?

No.

When Garcia senses pressure, he falls apart. His struggles in big tournaments don't stem from reasons that require rocket science to figure out. It's really as simple as that. 

Chances are, the Spaniard will lead the tournament at some point. He's known for making impressive charges up leaderboards in the early rounds, but you can nearly always count on Garcia to find a way to choke the lead away.

Don't Sleep on the Aussies

Jason Day and Adam Scott are undeniably two of the most talented golfers in the world. 

Scott finally won his first major championship earlier this year at Augusta National, where he claimed the green jacket at the 2013 Masters. He nearly won last year's British Open, but he choked the tournament away in the final round. 

Day has yet to win a major championship, but he's gotten close to winning a number of times, posting top-10 finishes five times in the past three years. He finished in third place at the Masters in April and then tied for second place at the U.S. Open this summer. 

He and Scott are both capable of winning this tournament.

Tiger Woods is Still a Safe Bet

Woods is the best golfer in the world. 

Period. End of story.

He hasn't won a major championship since the U.S. Open in 2008, however—a period of time that spans over five years now. 

Some may say that this proves he won't win again—that he's through. 

Others, myself included, might suppose that he's well past due to win another one. After all, before he injured his elbow at the Players Championship in mid-May, he was undeniably the hottest golfer in the world. 

Woods won four tournaments before the month of June, but his elbow injury put a quick halt to his winning ways. 

Tiger has assured reporters that his elbow is just fine now, as reported by ESPN's Bob Harig, and to this point nobody has seen him wince or grimace while making his swings on the course or on the practice tees.

Now that he's back and healthy again, Woods should be in contention on Sunday afternoon, and nobody should be surprised if he wins. 

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