Everyone who thinks that golf betting is the best place to look for odds has seen an evolution of the game that has transformed it from primarily American into a true international sport in which Europeans are beginning to dominate the top of the Official World Golf Ranking charts.

Americans are shut completely out of the top four in the rankings and there are just three Yanks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. With the era of Tiger Woods ruling the charts with an iron fist or nine iron that is, it is important to recognize the new breed from Europe that is here to stay.

Luke Donald and Lee Westwood of England are ranked one and two respectively on the Official World Golf Ranking. The Englishmen are separated by less than 3 points with Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland third, Martin Kaymer of Germany fourth, and then Americans Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson fifth and sixth. Adam Scott of Australia is seventh, Dustin Johnson of American is ninth, with South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel of South Africa ninth and Jason Day of Australia tenth.

Donald was the PGA Tour money title winner as he had two wins and 14 top ten finishes in 2011 with over $6.6 million in winnings. His biggest win last year was the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship.

Westwood has primarily concentrated on the European Tour but will have his busiest PGA Tour schedule ever in 2012. Westwood has just two2 PGA Tour wins with 27 top ten finishes out of 146 events played.

Rory McIlroy has emerged as one of the most popular European players on the PGA Tour in America. He was the winner of the U.S. Open last year and made the cut in 7 out of 10 events on the PGA Tour last year.

Martin Kaymer caught the attention of the PGA Tour last year with his win in the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions. Kaymer made the cut in 8 out of 10 PGA Tour events last year. Kaymer was also dominant on the European Tour and is considered to be one of the most promising players of the future.

Stricker is the one American that commands respect as being a world class player. He has 12 career wins and he finished 2nd in the FedExCup rankings last year.

Sub5Zero is featuring a new photo shoot set a on a beautiful golf course. I’m sure it will remind you of some of the wilder golf outings you’ve had in the past!

Golf hasn’t been quite the same since Tiger Woods had his wild and crazy personal life exposed for the whole world to see. It also happened at a time when he was dealing with serious injuries. All of a sudden, the Tiger Woods juggernaut was derailed, opening the door for other young phenoms like Rory McIlroy.

Will 2012 be different? Every indication is that Tiger might have put the injuries and emotional roller coaster behind him. It would be absolutely foolish to count him out. Perhaps this year will be the year where Woods gets back on track to chase down Jack Nicklaus for the most majors ever.

Tiger has announced that he will make his PGA debut in 2012 at the iconic the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The tournament will be played from February 9th through the 12th. It will be Tiger’s first appearance at this tournament since 2002.

Tiger will play his first 2012 tournament in his first Abu Dhabi Championship, battling some international stars like U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, along with Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer. Money talks so I’m not surprised he’s going there. Tiger loves the cash!

Of course this will change all of the odds in the pro golf game. Tiger always changes everything. First through his talent, but also because he draws a ton of interest. When the tournaments start, watch the betting odds when you play Golf @ TopBet and you’ll see what I mean. This won’t be a surprise to anyone, but how Woods plays will be the top issue if you like to go to play sports betting when you go to Las Vegas. Watch him closely and see if he’s back!

It won’t be long before the 2012 PGA Tour regular season gets underway and everyone knows that golf betting is the best place to find odds for the opening tournament of the season as the Hyundai Tournament of Champions will begin PGA action January 6-9 from the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. The tournament is worth 500 FedExCup points and will have a purse of $1.2 million dollars.

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions will begin a string of three consecutive weekends of action that will be televised on the Golf Channel before CBS join with the Golf Channel to cover the Farmers Insurance Open from Torrey Pines South Course in La Jolla, CA which runs January 26-29.

The first tournament that exceeds 500 FedExCup points will take place February 22-26 with the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship from Ritz Carlton Golf Course in Dove Mountain, Arizona as 550 points will be on the line.

There are some new names atop the Official World Golf Ranking as preparations begin for what promises to be a wide open 2012 season. Luke Donald rests atop the Official World Golf Ranking. The Englishman had two PGA wins last year and 14 top ten finishes with over $6.6 million in winnings. “The Donald” was voted the PGA Tour Player of the Year by his fellow competitors, which is a great compliment to his performance last year and his ability to dominate the future. Donald is something of a throwback and the antithesis of Tiger Woods in that he is small and not a powerful driver but instead an outstanding short game player.

Right behind Donald is another Englishman, Lee Westwood, who many consider to be the best player in the world. Westwood has certainly been a dominant player on the European Tour and is expected to join the PGA full time for 2012 which completely changes the dynamics of the race for the title. Westwood had over $10 million in career wins while focusing on action in Europe.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is number three on the Official World Golf Ranking and has joined Westwood’s commitment to playing in the PGA for 2012. He is best known for his electrifying win in the US Open last year in which he captivated American’s search for a new golf hero.

America’s old golf hero, Tiger Woods, is coming off a much needed December win but many doubts remain about his ability to win consistently in 2012.

Well here’s some interesting news. Callaway Golf and Justin Timberlake are teaming up.

Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) today announced the establishment of an advanced, creative position for multiple Emmy and Grammy Award-winning actor, musician and avid golfer Justin Timberlake. A Callaway Staff Professional since 2008, Timberlake will lend his versatile talents as a Creative Director for the Callaway portfolio of Brands. Timberlake will engage in the development and execution of high-level concepts within Callaway’s marketing activities and offer wide-ranging consultation on the visual representation of the Brand. The multi-year agreement was announced by Jeff Colton, Sr. Vice President of Global Brand and Product, Callaway Golf.

“We have worked with Justin for more than three years now and have been thoroughly impressed with the level of quality he brings to everything he is involved with,” said Colton. “Justin is an extremely gifted artist and an avid golfer with a deep passion for Callaway products, and his creative energy will serve us well as we connect with the next generation of golfers. The opportunity to bring someone with his multifaceted talents into our creative matrix is very rare, and his input has already made an impact.”

Timberlake’s initial work as a Creative Director for Callaway will support the Company’s 2012 RAZR line of premium golf equipment, including the recently introduced RAZR Fit™ Driver. Callaway’s 2012 product line will be launched in the first quarter of next year via the Company’s upcoming “Epic Demo” campaign being shot this week in Las Vegas across several iconic city landmarks, including the Bellagio Fountain. Timberlake’s contributions to Callaway’s Epic Demo campaign, which features Callaway staff professionals Phil Mickelson and Alvaro Quiros, includes collaboration with the creative teams and Director Joseph Kahn.

This is either a brilliant move or an act of desperation by Callaway. I tend to think it’s pretty smart. It adds to the brand’s lifestyle appeal and will generate a ton of PR.

Regardless of your politics, it’s always interesting to see which politicians are into golf. I have to admit Newt Gingrich is a surprise. I would pay to watch Newt and his belly try to swing a golf club.

I mention this because Donald Trump mentioned today that Newt is a member of of Trump National Golf Club in Virginia.

When real estate mogul Donald Trump welcomes former speaker Newt Gingrich to Trump Tower today, he will not only be welcoming another presidential candidate, but also a member of his exclusive golf club in Northern Virginia.

“I have a lot of respect for Newt,” Trump said. “Newt’s a member, so I love my members. I always love my members.”

Trump National is a prestigious club for high rollers, so perhaps this isn’t a surprise. Newt likes to spend the millions he makes from his cronies.

With the holidays here, it’s a great time to pick up golf gear as gifts or just to shop for yourself. Check out this line of stylish golf shirts from Sub70 featured in Bullz-Eye.com’s Holiday Gift Guide in the Guy Stuff section.

Many guys love golf, so golf gear is usually a great option. If you’re shopping for a golf fan who also has a sense of style, check out the golf shirts and other gear from Sub70. Fashion trends for men have evolved in recent years as a slimmer, more athletic fit has become the standard in everything from suits to t-shirts. This more stylish look has also had an impact on the usually stodgy golf world, as younger golfers have made their mark on the tour. Sub70 embraces these new style trends as the “classic golf shirt goes modern.” They have a wide variety of European-fit polos in a full range of styles and colors. We checked out the Zane/White golf shirt pictured here and loved the styling. Some of the shirts are trendier than others but the modern styles definitely stand out as something new and fresh. The all-polyester shirts are very comfortable, but they are definitely tighter and the sizes run smaller than expected. They are ideal for a leaner and more athletic build, so it’s not for guys who consistently choose beer and the buffet line over the gym!

Check out the full gift guide along with other gift guides for golfers from Golf Smith and Putter Zone.

This is a huge win for the United States and also some vindication for Tiger Woods.

Team USA clinched the Presidents Cup against the International team, when Tiger Woods closed out Aaron Baddeley in relatively easy fashion, 4 & 3, in the next to last singles match of the day. The final match score was 19-15 USA.

Woods was a controversial addition to the squad, so it must feel good for him to help deliver for his team. From a PR point of view, there’s nothing better for Tiger than photos of him celebrating with his teammates.

America is in decline in many ways from its economy to its culture and self-confidence but also on the golf course. Tiger Woods symbolized American greatness and glory both on and off the course, or so the image portrayed, but his fall in golf odds is emblematic with the current state of golf which is being dominated by European players. Beyond that, the European Tour is quietly becoming more important and of a higher quality than the PGA Tour in the States.

The Official World Golf Ranking has England’s Luke Donald as the number one player. Donald won two PGA Tour events this year at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic and the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship. He earned over $6.6 million this year on the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Island is the number two player on the Official World Golf Rankings. McIlroy has become one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour and is a big hit with American fans. He won the US Open this year and competed in just ten PGA Tour events as he focuses primarily on the European Tour.

Lee Westwood of England is 3rd on The Official World Golf Ranking despite winning just one PGA Tour event over the past 5 years. Westwood tied for 3rd in the US Open for his best finish on the PGA Tour in 2011. Westwood dominates the European Tour and this is what makes his ranking so high.

Germany’s own Martin Kaymer is ranked 4th on the Official World Golf Ranking and like the players ahead of him, he concentrates primarily on the European Tour. Kaymer did win the 2011 World Golf Championships HSBC Champions event.

The best American is Steve Stricker, who ranks 5th on the Official World Golf Ranking and was the winner of two PGA events this year with The Memorial and the John Deere Classic. Stricker has yet to be a winner vs. the golf odds at a major tournament.

As for Tiger, he has fallen all the way down to 50th on the Official World Golf Ranking after reigning atop the board for many years. Woods last won a tournament in 2009 and finished a humiliating 132nd on the PGA Tour last year. Tiger’s career has been in a shambles with physical injuries and the mental strain of his wrecked marriage and personal life that tarnished his carefully cultivated image. Many wonder if he will ever be the same again.

There’s so much to do in England that any tourist can get overwhelmed by the possibilities. For many golf fanatics, a trip to England and Scotland is at the very top of their list. Golfer fantasize about playing at St. Andrews and other iconic courses, though of course the fees are just incredible. Not everyone can afford it.

This time of year you can start thinking about your budget and possibly getting in a great trip to England. The airfares are certainly less. Of course the weather isn’t as cooperative, but you also avoid all the summer crowds.

Do some research and think about your trip and your options. For example, check out Leeds castle (pictured above) and consider the 9-hole golf course there. Also, you don’t have to plan your entire trip around golf. There is so much more to see and do in this spectacular country. The Brighton hotels for example should be a bargain this time of year in this seaside resort.

Of course you’ll want to go up to Scotland is you can swing it, and you’ll deals this time of year on hotels in Edinburgh so you can check out the castle.

The key is that you really don’t have to plan an entire trip around golf. Most golf fans appreciate beautiful scenery and history, and the UK offers so much in those areas.