Ever wondered what separates the professional golfers from the amateurs? Skill, of course. But, also, having the cash to burn – and burn it you do! – is an important factor. At least, that’s what the experts say.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can use golf betting to separate the professionals from the amateurs.
Corner Betting
This is a betting option that most golfers will be familiar with. As the name suggests, you place a wager on the outcome of a specified golf tournament. If you’re thinking that this is the same as sports betting, you’d be right. It is, in fact, a form of parimutuel wagering. But it takes place in the unique world of golf, where the outcome is determined not by the skill of the athlete but rather by the random whimsy of a golfing God.
In a traditional golf bet, you would place a wager on the winner of a particular golf tournament. If you’re looking to make some quick cash, you can take a whack at the upcoming PGA Championship, for instance, which is set to take place at the Masters this coming April. That is one of the five major tournaments that determine who the PGA Tour champion is. (The other big tournaments are the U.S. Open, the British Open, the Australian Open, and the Winter Olympics.)
Along with the Masters, the other four majors host some of the most exciting golf tournaments in the world. And with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line for each contest, it’s no wonder that professional golfers have turned into high-stakes bullies, willing to bend the rules and take risks just to win.
Unlike most sports, where you can easily make and lose a large sum of money in a single event, the odds of crashing and burning in a golf tournament are generally quite low. (Although, of course, they can and do happen. It’s just not very likely.)
In a nutshell, corner betting is when you wager on the outcome of a sporting event, such as a golf tournament, where the first prize is typically worth several million dollars. So, to follow the example above, let’s say that you’re entering into a bet on the PGA Championship and you’ve decided that you’ll lay down a very generous wager of $100,000. That’s a lot of money and, quite frankly, a lot of arrogance. Only a self-absorbed individual would be willing to lay that kind of money on the outcome of a single golf tournament.
In contrast, if you’re entering into a bet on the Masters, which is a tournament that routinely offers first prize that is only worth a few million dollars, you’re not necessarily betting on the pros. You’re actually betting on the amateurs, which is quite a bit different. The reason is that the pros usually boycott the Masters, as it’s the premiere golf tournament of the year and they don’t want to play there. So, by betting on the amateurs, you’re effectively betting against the best. And that’s always a good idea when you’re playing the pros.
The Math
Now, you might be wondering how all of this amounts to something more concretely beneficial. After all, if you’re always going to lose, what’s the point?
Well, the answer has to do with determining a winner and dividing the spoils. Take the example above. Say that you wager on the PGA Championship and you win. Your winnings from that bet are worth roughly four million dollars. Now, say that you wager on the Masters and you lose. Your loss is then worth eight million dollars, which is a pretty good return on investment. Not bad at all. Especially since it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
Or, if you want to make things even more interesting, you can take a shot at the British Open and hope that you pick the right country. The British Open is one of the prestigious events that separate the amateur from the professional. It’s one of the four majors – along with the U.S. Open, the Masters, and the Australian Open – that determine which countries can call themselves world-class golfers. (The other three are the Japanese Open, the Asian Tour Championships, and the Indian Open.)
If you’re a sports fan and you want to take a flier on just about any sporting event, you can use a service like OddsPort or MyBookie to get the best odds available. (Or you can head to your local bookie and lay down a wager the old-fashioned way.) You should also check out our reviews, as we’re frequently asked questions about the best places to find a bookie. (And, for the record, both OddsPort and MyBookie offer 100% money-back guarantee if you meet the right conditions.)