Depending on where you looked, Rory McIlroy was either the favorite or the co-favorite with Jordan Spieth heading into the Open Championship at St. Andrews. News of his ankle injury obviously has changed that, but not as much as you might think.
Jeff Sherman, the golf oddsmaker at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, now lists McIlroy at 8-to-1 odds to win, up from his previous 5-to-1. Not surprisingly, Spieth, winner of the year's first two majors, is now a heavy favorite.
But how can someone be given a 12 percent chance of winning if his management team is only giving him a 10 percent chance of playing? And how could anyone bet on McIlroy defending his Open title?
Ah, OK. Still, it doesn't seem like a smart bet. Sherman also addressed questions about pending bets on McIlroy's number of major wins this year. Essentially, unless you made the bet after the U.S. Open, those wagers still stand. Bad news if you thought McIlroy would add to his major total this year, but good news if you thought he'd get shut out.
One non-Rory betting note: Tiger Woods is now 25-to-1 odds to win at St. Andrews, where he won two of his Open titles. Following his missed cut at the U.S. Open, Woods had fallen to 60-to-1. Apparently, a T-32 at the Greenbrier Classic goes a long way these days.
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