2011 Presidents cup betting

IT may lack the history of the Ryder Cup, and you can be sure the results matter less to the combatants, but the 2011 Presidents Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia later this year, offers an interesting aside for golf betting on some of the big guns of the PGA Tour.

While the Ryder Cup is golf at its most tribal, combative, aggressive and passionate, the Presidents Cup is a much more genteel version of the competition which fits nicely into the schedule every two years,

The scoring system of the event is match play. The format is drawn from the Ryder Cup, consisting of twelve players per side and a non-playing captain, usually a highly respected golf figure.

The state of Victoria will host the tournament this year and Royal Melbourne is a fitting venue. A classic course, with wind its best defence, it follows that most 2011 Presidents Cup betting markets will favour the international home team, drawn from non-European players.

Golf betting highlights the variety of staple wagers available to bettors, and online bookmakers will be issuing an equally wide variety of free bets to the UK internet predictor studying the range of odds.

The best of the PGA Tour - Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and the like - have been regular participants in the tournament and although their place at the top of world golf's standings are still lofty, Presidents Cup bets on the international team emerging victorious in Victoria would seem solid positions to take, born out of results in recent fixtures.

Woods did not win a major in 2010 and still seems submerged in a muddle of his own making, while Mickelson has yet to prove health problems are a thing of the past.

The US team do have some strength in depth, and will be using this competition as a taster for 2012 when the Ryder Cup returns across the pond.

Of course, Open golf tournament betting offers enormous scope to profit from attractive odds, but in terms of predictions, the 2011 Presidents Cup betting markets are equally compelling, according to one sports writer who said: "Online Presidents Cup betting is going to be one of the growth markets in 2011 and looking forward to 2012, mobile betting will come into its own as far as golf betting is concerned.

"Live Presidents cup betting, be it on the result of the competition or indeed on individual matches, will be intense. It's a heck of a long way for the Americans to go for a tournament, but their players seem to enjoy it, perhaps because it lacks the intensity of the Ryder Cup.

"But with 12 quality players per team, the dates of the tournament should be carefully stored away. 2011 Presidents Cup betting on the Americans to retain their trophy may not appear to be the most obvious of betting tips, especially as the PGA Tour has lost some of its lustre in recent years, but in the final analysis, I believe firmly the results of fixtures within the competition will highlight the strength in depth of world golf.

"It's three days of competition, giving ample opportunity for more than one Presidents cup bet, be it on your favourite or preferred outcome. Although the schedule is intense, it is worth remembering every player will get the chance to play before the final day singles.

"The format gives punters the opportunity to study form in match play competitions, a feature which could enhance the accuracy of Presidents Cup bets as the tournament progresses.

"One of the benefits of the competition dates is that it gives the opportunity to put multiple online Presidents Cup betting markers down during the course of each of the three days of play. Punters will look for the online bookmaker offering a free bet, of course, but when the final singles matches, live Presidents Cup betting will come into its own.

"Australia will be a proud host of the tournament, so punters should seriously consider those tips on home players currently positioned towards the top of the standings before making their 2011 Presidents Cup betting selections. I reckon it could be their year.”