Backed for glory: Lee Westwood with caddie Billy Foster
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Judging by the latest odds from William Hill - Tiger Woods is the hottest favourite in the history of the Open Championship.
Not since Old Tom Morris beat just five other competitors to win the 1864 Open at Prestwick, has a player been so dominant as to be around 2/1 for the title with his nearest rival (Sergio Garcia) 30/1.
Over £100,000 has already been wagered on the field with Lee Westwood one of the most popular candidates with three- and four-figure sums being placed on the Englishman to challenge Woods.
Despite his claims that his form is not what it should be on the eve of the world's greatest golf event, Padraig Harrington is 40/1 eighth favourite to complete a hat-trick of successive Open wins. Hills says he's 1/3 to make the cut and 9/4 to miss it, while Tiger Woods is 1/2 to hit the fairway off the first tee and 6/4 to miss it!
"Tiger is always the man to beat but as it stands a Woods victory would be better than a Westwood win for us," said Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.
Latest William Hill Turnberry odds (available from 7am July 15): 13/5 Tiger Woods, 30/1 Sergio Garcia, 33/1 Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan, 35/1 Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Jim Furyk, 40/1 Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, 50/1 Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, Anthony Kim, 55/1 Ross Fisher, Retief Goosen, Geoff Ogilvy, 66/1 Ben Curtis, 70/1 Adam Scott, Kenny Perry, 85/1 Camilo Villegas, Graeme McDowell, 95/1 Sean O'Hair, 100/1 Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson, Nick Watney, 110/1 V J Singh, Justin Leonard, Luke Donald, Mike Weir, Brian Gay, 120/1 Soren Hansen, Lucas Glover, 125/1 David Toms, Soren Kjeldsen, 130/1 David Duval, 140/1 Justin Rose, 150/1 Andres Romero, Davis Love III, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Tim Clark, 160/1 Robert Allenby, Brandt Snedeker, 170/1 K J Choi, 175/1 Stuart Appleby, Nick Doucherty, Stuart Cink, Thomas Levet, Oliver Wilson, Richard Green, 200/1 Bar the above.
