by Richard Gardner | Bodog Sportsbook Manager

Congratulations to the few (very few) bettors who picked Darren Clarke to win last week’s British Open. We gave the affable Clarke 100/1 odds to win his first major and very much enjoyed when he held on for the victory. Not just because he’s a likeable guy who enjoys the odd pint, but also because he made us some money. Let’s just say we wouldn’t have been so happy for the people of Northern Ireland if Rory McIlroy or Graeme McDowell had won. Bodog’s online sportsbook was exposed on each of those golfers, as we were on Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar and Jason Day.

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Given the lack of our players who saw their Open picks hit, I expect a lot of chasing this week at the RBC Canadian Open in Vancouver, which will take place at the picturesque Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.

We always experience an “echo” after major tournaments, with bettors either investing their winnings or chasing their losses. Majors draw so much action relative to other tournaments that it’s only natural for this to occur.

There are also bettors who experience wagering on golf for the first time in majors and discover they really enjoy it. Betting on golf is quite different from other sports, since the potential payout is so much higher. It’s a lot like roulette where your chances of hitting one number are lower than, say, winning a blackjack hand. However, when it hits, it really hits.

Of course, predicting the winner isn’t the only way to wager on golf – there’s also head-to-head betting that pits one golfer against the other, and three-ball betting (three players) – but the odds to win the tournament are the most talked about.

For the Canadian Open, we’ve made world number one Luke Donald the 8/1 favorite. Donald missed the cut at the British Open, so at least he’ll be rested up as he tries to bounce back in Vancouver.

After Donald, we’ve got Matt Kuchar (11/1), Charl Schwartzel (16/1), Rickie Fowler (16/1), and Ryan Moore (22/1).  

If you’re looking for a serious long shot, you might want to consider Jerry Kelly, who can be had at a whopping 125/1. If there’s one thing Kelly does well, it’s put the ball in the fairway, and that’s going to be a huge factor at Shaughnessy, which features extremely tight fairways. Kelly hasn’t been playing too well lately – he missed the cut at the British Open – but when you’re getting a guy at 125/1, you can’t be too fussy.

I also expect we’ll see strong interest from our Canadian bettors, considering this is their national open. No Canadian has won this tournament since 1954 when Pat Fletcher pulled it off, and it would be a minor miracle if a Canadian won it this year.

Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion who’s been the face of golf in Canada, has fallen completely off the map, having made just two cuts out of the 14 events he’s entered this year. Frankly, some of the scores he’s put up have been downright awful.

That leaves most of the country’s hopes with Stephen Ames (66/1), who hasn’t exactly lit it up either this year.

I will be posting weekly articles about betting previews, matchups and the inside scoop from a bookmaker’s point of view right here at Doc's Sports.  Read my past articles HERE and to learn more about Bodog JUST CLICK HERE.