Tiger Woods is back . . . sort of

Robert Rock and Tiger Woods. REUTERS/Philip Brown (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Tags: SPORT GOLF)

Robert Rock of England is congratulated in the photo above by Tiger Woods after winning the Abu Dhabi Championship at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club yesterday. Rock won his head-to-head duel with a ragged Woods to lift the Abu Dhabi Championship title on Sunday after the former world number one wilted on Sunday produced his worst performance of the week.

But Tiger was in it, so get ready for a major change in golf betting if he can keep this up. Many fans love entering pools or betting golf on the weekends. And now with fantasy sports there’s so much action online for people who want to play online games to go along with classics like poker and bingo. Visit super free bingo sites and know more about the latest updates and offer on free bingo. There are so many options, but Tiger makes golf one of the hot games again as he’s the superstar of the sport.

We’ll see if he can stay competitive in upcoming tournaments. Some were critical of his loss yesterday, but you don’t always win in golf even when your game is coming around. Tiger just needs to get that groove back, and the watch out!

New OWGR List Indicates New Era of Golf

Luke Donald of England follows his tee shot on the 2nd hole during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday, September 25, 2011. The tournament is the final of the FedExCup playoff. UPI/Erik S. Lesser

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.

Tiger Woods gears up for 2012

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!

Hyundai Tournament of Champions January 6th-9th

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.

USA wins President’s Cup

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.

Tiger’s Fall Symbolizes America’s Decline as Well

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.

It’s a whole new game in the golf world

We seem to be entering into a new era in golf, and that will affect everyone from the casual fan to tournament sponsors to golf betters in Vegas. Tiger Woods has dominated the game of golf for so long that many people are accustomed to the notion of one dominant player being chased by everyone else in the field. Tiger Woods is an international icon, and his involvement in a tournament boosted ratings and affected sponsorships. Many of the other golf pros were also intimidated by his game.

All of that seems to be changing. It had to change some time – every athlete starts to get older and sees his skills decline. But with Tiger we’ve seen a stunning series of events that have knocked him off his perch.

If you like to bet on golf you need to get used to this “new normal.” Recently, you had a young kid, Rory McIroy, win the US Open after blowing The Masters. Then you had a guy like Darren Clarke win the British Open. Everything is changing, so there’s much more uncertainty. TV ratings are down, but for the golf purists this might be more interesting.

Caddie Steve Williams – The Best Week of His Life

It seems like quite a bit of hyperbole, but caddy Steve Williams was pretty happy after Adam Scott’s victory at Firestone. After his well-publicized breakup with Tiger Woods, many have interpreted his comments as a shot at Tiger.

UPDATE: Williams is getting hammered for his self-centered comments.

Rory McIlroy wins US Open

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy holds up the trophy after winning the U.S. Open Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland on June 19, 2011. McIlroy shot 2-under-par for 69 to finishing the tournament 16-under at 268, setting a new U.S. Open record. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

The kid did it. After blowing The Masters, Rory McIlroy roared back to dominate the field and win the US Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. With all the fuss about Tiger Woods, we might just have a new golf phenom on our hands.

Martin Laird wins Arnold Palmer Invitational

Martin Laird of Scotland watches his tee ball on the 16th hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida March 27, 2011. REUTERS/Scott A. Miller (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT GOLF)

Martin Laird of Scotland wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida. meanwhile, Tiger Woods had more trouble again.

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