Bridgestone Invitational 2011: Betting Odds and Predictions
It's no surprise that the Bridgestone Invitational is one of the most hyped non-major tournaments in recent memory. Tiger Woods is generating the majority of the buzz, as he is making a comeback after an 11-week layover due to his lingering knee injury.
Rory McIlroy is trying to rebound after an anticlimactic performance at the Open. To do so, it's not just Tiger he's going to have to hold off.
Luke Donald is still on his quest to justify his designation as the world's top golfer. This may not be a major, but it would certainly help to silence some of the critics if he could come away with a victory.
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Lee Westwood and the rest of the field could also find themselves right in the thick of things. We saw Darren Clarke rise above the rest of the field to take the Open.
This tournament is really anyone's game.
Listed below are the tournament odds given by Bodog. For all intents and purposes, only golfers with 50/1 odds or better are listed.
| Rory McIlroy | 12/1 | ||
| Lee Westwood | 16/1 | ||
| Luke Donald | 16/1 | ||
| Steve Stricker | 16/1 | ||
| Tiger Woods | 18/1 | ||
| Dustin Johnson | 20/1 | ||
| Phil Mickelson | 20/1 | ||
| Nick Watney | 22/1 | ||
| Martin Kaymer | 25/1 | ||
| Matt Kuchar | 25/1 | ||
| Charl Schwartzel | 30/1 | ||
| Hunter Mahan | 30/1 | ||
| Jason Day | 35/1 | ||
| Rickie Fowler | 35/1 | ||
| Adam Scott | 40/1 | ||
| Bill Haas | 40/1 | ||
| Bubba Watson | 40/1 | ||
| Sergio Garcia | 40/1 | ||
| Bo Van Pelt | 50/1 | ||
| Gary Woodland | 50/1 | ||
| K.J. Choi | 50/1 | ||
| Retief Goosen | 50/1 | ||
| Ryan Moore | 50/1 | ||
| Zach Johnson | 50/1 |
As you can see, Woods has 18/1 odds. That could be a stretch, given all the question marks surrounding him.
If the past few tournaments have shown us anything, it's that the field has a better chance to win than the select few favorites at the top.
The safe bet isn't necessarily on the guy with the best odds. McIlroy could very well revert back to his dominant form, but we all saw that he isn't immune to disappearing into the middle of the pack.
Guys like Jason Day, Martin Kaymer, Matt Kuchar, and players who fall in the middle of the pack stand a better chance to come away with a victory than any one individual.
It's going to be interesting to see how this one shakes out, and we've got you covered every step of the way.
For all of your Bridgestone Invitational coverage before, during and after the tournament, stay tuned to Bleacher Report's Golf Page.
Follow Kyle Vassalo on Twitter @ASU52
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