Golf Betting – Mickelson Can Take Over # 1 Spot From Tiger

Those who bet on golf no doubt have probably read that Phil Mickelson gets another chance to surpass Tiger Woods and assume the #1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings when he tees it up at Colonial this week in the Crowne Plaza Invitational. He could have done it in the Players Championship in Florida, but came up short. Here he will have to win the tournament to overtake Tiger, and he’s at +700 to do just that, which makes him the betting favorite in the field. With the U.S. Open looming, it is time for him to get his game honed to a fine edge.

In this special golf proposition, he is matched up against Jim Furyk, who has one major championship under his belt and two wins during the 2010 season. In the proposition, Mickelson is listed as the -135 betting favorite, while Furyk is the underdog at +105.

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
May 27-30
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth

Tournament Betting Matchup
PHIL MICKELSON -135
JIM FURYK +105

Last week, there was something of a "B" team if PGA golfers at the Byron Nelson tournament in Dallas. This week, the PGA Tour crosses the Metroplex to Fort Worth and the "big boys" show up. That means Mickelson and Furyk.

Golf bettors remember that Mickelson won this event back in 2008, his only tournament victory aside from the Northern Trust Open that year. He also won it in 2000, when it was played in May. Mickelson tied for fourth in 2006, tied for ninth in 2002, and tied for the runner-up spot in 2001. That’s more history than most golfers will ever have at Colonial, and he’s already won more than $2.6 million this year, but is that enough to give him the recommendation over Furyk?

That’s hard to say. Mickelson is driving the ball very well, ranking sixth on the tour in distance (300.4 yards), and his scoring average is fourth best. As you know, he won the Masters in April, and he’s only played two tournaments since then, snagging the runner-up spot at Quail Hollow and finishing in a disappointing tie for 17th as one of the betting favorites at the Players Championship, where he shot 74 on the final day.

Furyk has played well; in fact, he actually is second on the list for FedEx Cup points and is not far from Mickelson on the money list. He’s got two wins this year, in what were super-sharp performances; in both the Transitions Championship on March 21 and the Verizon Heritage on April 18, he shot four rounds in the 60s. He’s never won at Colonial, but lost in a playoff to Rory Sabbatini in 2007, was the runner-up to Tom Watson in 1998 and had a tie for fifth in the 2003 tournament. He’s listed as the second golf betting favorite behind Mickelson to win the event, at +1400.

Furyk’s inside-out swing has made him a straight shooter, and this year has been no exception. He’s not especially long off the tee, but he is 7th on the tour in driving accuracy (70.7% fairways hit), which makes him almost the opposite of Mickelson in that respect. They’re not especially long out here, which means Furyk can stay in the hunt.

I certainly see no reason why PGA Tour bettors wouldn’t look upon Furyk as a very viable underdog, considering the +105 price.

JAY’S BETTING PLAY: FURYK (+105) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)