We live in a world where every story, no matter how insignificant, can get a lot of coverage on television and of course on the Internet. Small stories can become big stories, and big stories become huge.

Then we have stuff like the Rory McIlroy controversy where he walked off the course and quit during the Honda Open. Yes, it’s an obvious topic for debate, and some people like the guys in the video above are trying to have some fun with the story.

But the overall reaction has been ridiculous. McIlroy has since come out and said he made a mistake by withdrawing, but the criticism seems to be way overboard as news outlets and sports commentators look for topics to discuss during this dead sports period.

Everyone seems to be downplaying the whole tooth ache thing, but anyone who has had a serious tooth ache realizes that it can be even more debilitating than a muscle injury. Perhaps Rory could have handled it better, but as usual the media blows things way out of proportion.

The interesting angle is that stupid stories like this actually impact how people view an athlete and his performance potential, and if you’re into online golf betting then you might have an interesting angle. With this silly story, fewer people might be willing to place their bets on Rory, and that could affect the odds in upcoming tournaments. There’s no guarantee of this naturally, but it’s definitely worth monitoring.

With The Masters around the corner and Tiger Woods playing well again, we’re due for an epic showdown between these two. It will be interesting to see the odds as they change leading up to this and other tournaments. It could be a very interesting golf season!

Is there a new rivalry in golf? Rory McIlroy held off a charge from a rejuvenated Tiger Woods last weekend, and we might see this battle play out again and again. But time may be limited.

If only Rory McIlroy had been born 10 years earlier, or Tiger Woods a decade later.

What a rivalry they could’ve had, maybe up there with Jack and Arnie, Ali and Frazier, Federer and Nadal, Magic and Bird.

But Woods is 36 and up against the clock as he searches for the champion he once was; McIlroy is 14 years his junior, scratching the surface of his vast potential, safe in the knowledge that he has the next 20 years to get it right.

Their rivalry, then, may not have longevity on its side, but if Sunday’s unforgettable finish to the Honda Classic is any indication, it still may provide days that fathers will tell their sons about.

It wasn’t surprising that McIlroy — on a windy Sunday afternoon in South Florida — became the youngest No. 1 since Woods reached the top of the world rankings as a 21-year-old in 1997.

Given his prodigious talent, it was always going to be his fate.

But it was the way the curly-haired kid from Holywood — outside of Belfast — achieved his dream that was the stuff of Hollywood.

Tiger has dominated for so long, and his presence in a tournament completely altered the betting odds. Sure, you’ll check your sportsbook reviews and information about the course, but Tiger’s presence altered everything. Now with McIlroy we might have another game-changer on our hands.

It will be interesting to see if this is real or whether it’s a fluke. Tiger has been erratic, but if his game is coming back, he and McIlroy can at least start a great rivalry. How long it lasts is another story.

The two most popular golfers in the world today are Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and it just so happens they are two of the favorites in golf betting lines to win The Masters. Mickelson is off to a hot start this season as he already has a win on the PGA Tour while Woods is playing better than he has in a long time. Could we get another Tiger-Phil duel in The Masters?

Earlier this month it was Mickelson beating Woods at Pebble Beach in a final round that got great ratings on CBS television. It was the best ratings for a final round of any non-major golf tournament since 2008. When Woods and Mickelson are both in contention to win a tournament, viewers are drawn to the drama. It could be that we get more excitement from the two of them in The Masters.

Tiger and Phil have combined to win 7 of the last 15 Masters. One of the two is almost always in contention to win the biggest prize in golf. Tiger is still trying to recover the great form he had a few years ago while Phil has already proven this year he has what it takes to win golf’s first major. Mickelson has now beaten Woods the last five times they have been paired together in the final round of a golf tournament. Woods still has won a lot more majors than Mickelson but recently it is Phil who is playing better and who has showed he can win. Mickelson has actually relished playing with Woods as he has won three of the last five tournaments he has been paired with Tiger in the final round. “Although I feel like he brings out the best in me, it’s only been the past five years,” Mickelson said. “Before, I got spanked pretty good. Let’s not forget the big picture here. I’ve been beat up.” Mickelson has won four majors in his career while Woods has won 14 majors.

Looking at the golf betting lines we find that Tiger is the favorite to win The Masters followed by Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson. Those three players are well clear of all of the other golfers in the field. The current World Golf rankings definitely don’t reflect the odds as world #1 Luke Donald is not considered a favorite nor is world #3 Lee Westwood. McIlroy is ranked #2 in the world so his place as a favorite is no surprise but the two golfers getting the most attention are Woods and Mickelson and neither is ranked in the top five in the world.

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.

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!

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.

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.