FOR the first time since he won the 1997 Masters Tiger Woods will not go into a tournament at the top of all the betting lists.
After initially making Woods joint favourite with Phil Mickelson – the man who could take his world number one spot by winning the Players Championship in Florida – bookmakers William Hill have separated the pair on the eve of the event.
Mickelson, first at the US Masters last month and second at Quail Hollow on Sunday, is the 15 to 2 favourite, while Woods, who missed the cut last week by eight shots, drifts to 8 to 1.
The company has also cut the price on Woods missing a second successive cut – something he has never done before – from 9 to 2 to 7 to 2.
“Punters are lumping on him missing the cut again,” said spokesman Rupert Adams.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, winner of his first US Tour title in North Carolina at the weekend with a closing course record 62, has gone out to 20 to 1 and is now joint-third favourite with Jim Furyk.
Tournament odds (selected)
15/2 – Mickelson
8/1 – Woods
20/1 – McIlroy, Furyk
25/1 – Els
28/1 – Harrington, Poulter, Westwood
40/1 – Villegas
