Twelve months ago, Paul Lawrie was a 150 to 1 outsider when he lifted the claret jug. This time round, the odds are only marginally better on him retaining it. In fact, Lawrie and Frenchman Jean Van de Velde - who should have won but blew it with a triple-bogey seven on his 72nd hole - are both 100 to 1 shots to win this week's British Open at St Andrews.
And Justin Leonard, the forgotten third man in the play-off at Carnoustie, is a 50 to 1 shot to take the crown.
Surprise, surprise, the raging hot favourite is none other than world number one Tiger Woods who ran away with the recent US Open by a record margin. In fact, if the bookies are trying to take Woods out of the market, they are doing a pretty good job with short odds of 9 to 4 on him taking his second major of the season.
A record £10 million is likely to be placed in bets on the championship and bookmakers William Hill report several four-figure flutters on Woods already.
The world number one has been given the shortest price on any player in any Major championship.
"We're not sure whether Tiger winning is good or bad for us yet," said Hill's spokesman Graeme Sharpe. "People are looking at other each-way bets.
"This is the first Open for internet punters, but most people are keeping their powder dry until they know who is fit."
Ernie Els, winner in Loch Lomond at the weekend, is the closest to him in the betting at a distant 14 to 1.
With Woods again so tight in the betting, the inclination is to drift further out in seeking some value for money, and you could do worse than settle on Jose Maria Olazabal - who has shown he has what it takes to win majors - who is on offer at 40 to 1.
9-4 - Tiger Woods (USA).
14-1 - Ernie Els (South Africa).
16-1 - Colin Montgomerie (Scotland).
18-1 - Lee Westwood (England).
20-1 - Phil Mickelson (USA).
25-1 - David Duval (USA).
33-1 - Darren Clarke (Ireland), Jim Furyk (USA), Davis Love III (USA).
40-1 - Sergio Garcia (Spain), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Jesper Parnevik (Sweden), Vijay Singh (Fiji).
50-1 - Notah Begay III (USA), Michael Campbell (New Zealand), Carlos Franco (Paraguay), Retief Goosen (South Africa), Justin Leonard (USA), Nick Price (Zimbabwe), Hal Sutton (USA).
66-1 - Fred Couples (USA), Nick Faldo (USA), Shigeki Maruyama (Japan).
80-1 - Robert Allenby (Australia), Stuart Appleby (Australia), Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Stewart Cink (USA), Steve Flesch (USA), Padraig Harrington (Ireland), John Huston (USA), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain), Loren Roberts (USA), Mike Weir (Canada).
Prices supplied by Ladbrokes Ireland.
