THE 52nd staging of the Bob Hope gets under way on January 19 in the California desert. Unlike other tournaments, it offers five rounds of golf and constant opportunities for betting right up to the point at which the final putt is sunk.

Bob Haas won the tournament in 2010 and will be among the favourites to repeat his display and top the standings, but the pro-am nature of the competition highlights the challenge facing the PGA Tour pros who must contend playing long rounds with less than gifted playing partners if they are to finish on top of the pile.

It’s a time when the big boys come out to play. Quite literally. The Abu Dhabi golf championship, which begins on January 20, will feature some of golf’s most accomplished stars competing for colossal cash prizes. The presence of the likes of Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood guarantees slick play and attractive odds for punters.

BETTING on Tiger Woods used to be a sure thing. The once great man had his place in history, topped the standings with alarming regularity and achieved outstanding results with the minimum of fuss.

It used to be worth a bet to see if Woods would finish outside the top two.
No longer. And in 2010 Woods did not win. Once.
The golfing fixtures come thick and fast on the European and PGA Tours, but much of the betting focus may well be on when will Woods return to his very best?

WHILE the UK shivers and attempts to recover from the excesses of the holidays, the European Tour golf season starts 2011 in sunny South Africa where the Joburg Open promises to make frozen golf fans extremely envious. However, though playing on temporary greens is frustrating for the UK-based, frost-bound golf enthusiast, the opportunity to score some early season betting profits makes up for it.

From January 13, the cream of European golf will be chasing top place in golf’s standings and with it a near three-year exemption on tour.