Author Archives: F. Edwin Miller

By F. Edwin Miller

Tiger Woods just can’t seem to putt it in, literally.

Woods owns seven career titles at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone; however, his play as of late would never indicate such success. Since 2010, Woods has finished with par or worse in nine of the last 10 rounds at Firestone. On Friday he stepped up to the green facing a number of makeable birdie puts; however, they just wouldn’t drop. While he did manage to knock in two of them on the day, he had a dismaying four bogeys and finished with an even more discouraging 72.

“I’m playing well, that’s the thing, I’m hitting it well. I’m making nothing,” said a disappointed Woods after the day’s round.

“I certainly didn’t it hit good enough to be 11 under par, but I certainly hit it good enough to be right there in top five going into the weekend no problem at all,” Woods said about his current position in the tournament’s standings. “Yesterday I was three under three eleven, if I just keep that pace up through end of yesterday and into today I’m fine but I didn’t do that.”

(Sam Greenwood, Getty Images North America)

ESPN’s Colleen Dominguez, who reported from Firestone, also spoke of Woods’ struggles.

“Woods said that his putting has been streaky lately,” said Dominguez. “He’s either making everything or not making anything. Clearly the not making anything part is what’s happening here at Bridgestone.”

To any golfer’s delight, Bridgestone’s tournament format (invitation only) means players cannot be cut. Woods will have the rest of the weekend to make all the adjustments needed to his short game. If he doesn’t, he could be in some major trouble at the year’s last major championship event next week, Kiawah Island.

Kiawah’s Ocean Course in South Carolina will host the 94th PGA Championship on August 9. Woods won the event in 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2007. He will enter the playing field as a 6-1 odds favorite.

By F. Edwin Miller

The worst possible thing that could have happened to Pete Oakley, let alone any man, happened at the Senior Open Championship at Turnberry on Friday: his wife couldn’t find his ball.

(Gregory Shamus, Getty Images North America)

The job of 2004 Senior British Open winner’s wife and caddie, Jennifer, requires her to spot all of her husband’s tee shots. Yet, when Oakley struck the ball on the 13th hole during the second round of the tournament on Friday, Jennifer Oakley struggled to deliver in more ways than one. Her mistake charged Pete Oakley with an “undue delay” (known as ‘slow play’ or not keeping up with the pace of play as dictated by the committee) and a two-shot setback.

Jennifer Oakley claims a ball from another golfer on the 10th tee that landed near her husband’s sparked the mix up and successive penalty.

“I was looking at the wrong fairway” she explained about the slipup.

Oakley finished the round with an 83 after the two-shot penalty; however, he missed the cut by 16 making the final score irrelevant.

“I might not have been laughing so much about it if the two-shot penalty had seen me miss the cut,” Oakley said. Huh? Regardless if you make the cut or not, when your woman looks at another man’s fairway it is no laughing matter.

By F. Edwin Miller

The worst possible thing that could have happened to Pete Oakley, let alone any man, happened at the Senior Open Championship at Turnberry on Friday: his wife couldn’t find his ball.

(Gregory Shamus, Getty Images North America)

The job of 2004 Senior British Open winner’s wife and caddie, Jennifer, requires her to spot all of her husband’s tee shots. Yet, when Oakley struck the ball on the 13th hole during the second round of the tournament on Friday, Jennifer Oakley struggled to deliver in more ways than one. Her mistake charged Pete Oakley with an “undue delay” (known as ‘slow play’ or not keeping up with the pace of play as dictated by the committee) and a two-shot setback.

Jennifer Oakley claims a ball from another golfer on the 10th tee that landed near her husband’s sparked the mix up and successive penalty.

“I was looking at the wrong fairway” she explained about the slipup.

Oakley finished the round with an 83 after the two-shot penalty; however, he missed the cut by 16 making the final score irrelevant.

“I might not have been laughing so much about it if the two-shot penalty had seen me miss the cut,” Oakley said. Huh? Regardless if you make the cut or not, when your woman looks at another man’s fairway it is no laughing matter.

By F. Edwin Miller

My last post profiled Ernie Els’ epic come-from-behind win in last Sunday’s British Open. This post will take a look at 2012’s Open Championship through the lens of a Las Vegas bettor and the different stages of Els’ and other golfers odds to win it all.

(Andrew Redington, Getty Images Europe)

Put your money on Adam Scott, even if he loses. You might just get it all back, seriously. Officials at SportsBettingOnline have done the unthinkable; they’ve decided to refund money to those who bet on last Sunday’s runner-up.

On Sunday, Scott bogied on the last four holes of Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Course to lose the 2012 Open Championship in stunning fashion. Scott’s destructive final allowed Ernie Els to swoop in and kidnap the Claret Jug. However, Vegas surely didn’t make it look that way. The odds moving into the various rounds of the tournament show some remarkably great disparities several golfers’ chances to win, especially those of Scott’s when contrasted with Els.

“We feel it’s our duty to refund the players for taking such a bad beat,” Dave Johnson, the head odds maker for SportsBettingOnline.ag issued in a statement. “His collapse was historic and we know the bettors who had him must feel as awful as he does.”

Las Vegas odds makers listed Scott’s chance of winning as 45-1 entering the British Open. If Scott would have emerged victorious, every $100 bet would have amounted to a cool $4500. Yet, one particular Els bet reduces that payoff to mere money for chocolate and candy.

After Saturday’s round, Scott had 4-7 odds to win it all as the eclipsing favorite. Tiger Woods, who ultimately tied for third with Brandt Snedeker (who had 15-1 odds), went into the British Open’s last round with 5-1 odds. Though Graeme McDowell ended up tying for fifth, he possessed an even better 4-1 odds after the tournament’s penultimate day. Many golf writers had Els on their odds leaderboard; yet, despite history in his favor (2002 British Open champion), his numbers didn’t impress enough to warrant any legitimate conversation beyond a brief mentioning.

According pregame.com writer, R.J. Bell, Ernie Els came into The Open Championship with a respectable 40-1 odds (only 13 golfers had more favorable percentages). The South African arrived into Sunday’s playing field with an even better 25-1 odds. Yet, the most intriguing part of Bell’s report showed that at Els’ lowest point, the odds played out to 469-1. Some crazy nut actually placed a $70 bet on those odds and escaped with a not-so-crazy, but ridiculously insane $32,830 payoff. On the other end of the spectrum, Scott’s highest point to win topped out at 98.6%. For a one dollar profit, bettors shelled out $70 at this point.

“I’m very disappointed but I played so beautifully for most of the week, I certainly shouldn’t let this bring me down,” a saddened Adam Scott told ESPN reporters about his collapse in The Open Championship. “I know I’ve let a really great chance slip through my fingers today, but somehow I’ll look back and take the positives from it.”

Scott also said he felt good about getting his last shot to roll in to muster a few additional holes but says it just “wasn’t to be.” Hopefully next time Scott can get in touch with the $32,830 prophet so he can spare him the heartbreak in advance.

By F. Edwin Miller

My last post profiled Ernie Els’ epic come-from-behind win in last Sunday’s British Open. This post will take a look at 2012’s Open Championship through the lens of a Las Vegas bettor and the different stages of Els’ and other golfers odds to win it all.

(Andrew Redington, Getty Images Europe)

Put your money on Adam Scott, even if he loses. You might just get it all back, seriously. Officials at SportsBettingOnline have done the unthinkable; they’ve decided to refund money to those who bet on last Sunday’s runner-up.

On Sunday, Scott bogied on the last four holes of Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Course to lose the 2012 Open Championship in stunning fashion. Scott’s destructive final allowed Ernie Els to swoop in and kidnap the Claret Jug. However, Vegas surely didn’t make it look that way. The odds moving into the various rounds of the tournament show some remarkably great disparities several golfers’ chances to win, especially those of Scott’s when contrasted with Els.

“We feel it’s our duty to refund the players for taking such a bad beat,” Dave Johnson, the head odds maker for SportsBettingOnline.ag issued in a statement. “His collapse was historic and we know the bettors who had him must feel as awful as he does.”

Las Vegas odds makers listed Scott’s chance of winning as 45-1 entering the British Open. If Scott would have emerged victorious, every $100 bet would have amounted to a cool $4500. Yet, one particular Els bet reduces that payoff to mere money for chocolate and candy.

After Saturday’s round, Scott had 4-7 odds to win it all as the eclipsing favorite. Tiger Woods, who ultimately tied for third with Brandt Snedeker (who had 15-1 odds), went into the British Open’s last round with 5-1 odds. Though Graeme McDowell ended up tying for fifth, he possessed an even better 4-1 odds after the tournament’s penultimate day. Many golf writers had Els on their odds leaderboard; yet, despite history in his favor (2002 British Open champion), his numbers didn’t impress enough to warrant any legitimate conversation beyond a brief mentioning.

According pregame.com writer, R.J. Bell, Ernie Els came into The Open Championship with a respectable 40-1 odds (only 13 golfers had more favorable percentages). The South African arrived into Sunday’s playing field with an even better 25-1 odds. Yet, the most intriguing part of Bell’s report showed that at Els’ lowest point, the odds played out to 469-1. Some crazy nut actually placed a $70 bet on those odds and escaped with a not-so-crazy, but ridiculously insane $32,830 payoff. On the other end of the spectrum, Scott’s highest point to win topped out at 98.6%. For a one dollar profit, bettors shelled out $70 at this point.

“I’m very disappointed but I played so beautifully for most of the week, I certainly shouldn’t let this bring me down,” a saddened Adam Scott told ESPN reporters about his collapse in The Open Championship. “I know I’ve let a really great chance slip through my fingers today, but somehow I’ll look back and take the positives from it.”

Scott also said he felt good about getting his last shot to roll in to muster a few additional holes but says it just “wasn’t to be.” Hopefully next time Scott can get in touch with the $32,830 prophet so he can spare him the heartbreak in advance.