An Open bet on Tiger? You're a week late

Tiger Woods is never a particularly good bet to win a golf tournament because the odds are so short that the potential payoff is not worth the risk, given the fact that he is more likely not to win than he is to win.

Yet those who may have been inclined to place a bet on his winning the U.S. Open should have done so a week ago, since the odds on his winning the Open have dropped precipitously in the aftermath of his victory in the Memorial on Sunday.

In many precincts, Woods was a 3/1 favorite to win the Open prior to the Memorial. Today, he's a 3/2 favorite. Apparently on Sunday Woods answered whatever questions bettors (and others) may have had about the state of his game.

-- John Strege