Sports Betting News: 2011 British Open Odds

Golf's third major of the year is just a couple of weeks away. The 2011 British Open will get underway on July 14th at the Royal St. Georges Golf Club in Sandwich, England. The venue will be hosting the event for the 14th time. From 1894-1949, nine British Opens were held at the course. After a hiatus of three decades, Royal St. Georges returned to the British Open rotation in 1981. In the last British Open to be held at the track, American Ben Curtis came out of nowhere to win the tournament in 2003. Heading into this year's British Open, ten different golfers have won a major since the 2009 Masters. Here's how the field is shaping up leading into the tournament: McILroy emerges as solid favorite After his dominant performance at the U.S. Open, Rory McILroy is a +450 favorite to win consecutive majors. The 22-year-old phenomenon from Northern Ireland held the first round lead at the British Open a year ago en route to a third-place finish. In his other two previous appearances (2007, 09) at the British Open, he finished outside of the top 40. England's Lee Westwood (+1000) is the next option in the field. He is generally regarded as the best active player without a major title under his belt. The 38-year-old has been on the verge of a Grand Slam event win in recent years. He has recorded six top 3 finishes in the majors since the 2008 U.S. Open. The run includes a third-place effort in the 2009 British Open and a runner-up performance in the event last year. Westwood failed to make the cut at the 2003 British Open. As he continues to recover from injuries to his left leg, Tiger Woods (+1500) is hoping that he won't have to miss another major. The three-time British Open champion hasn't played a full round of tournament golf since recording a fourth-place finish at the Masters in April. At Royal St. Georges in 2003, Woods posted a fourth-place effort. Like Westwood, England's Luke Donald (+1500) is another player that could be on the verge of breaking through in a major. The 33-year-old is currently atop the world golf rankings. While Donald has recorded three top 10 efforts at the Masters, he has only a pair of top 10 finishes at the other three majors in his career. His lone top 10 finish in a British Open was a fifth-place effort in 2009. He missed the cut at the 2003 British Open.