Supreme finish thrusts Woods into Open Championship contention
Published:Tiger Woods’ chances of claiming his first major in over four years this weekend at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in the Open Championship have been enhanced by an impressive end to day two.
The 14-time major champion hasn’t won one since the 2008 US Open, and this is the tournament in which he has experienced the least success since, failing to make the top 20 in his last two tries and missing the cut completely in 2009.
However, he has produced some of his best golf in Lancashire this week and gradually seen his odds cut, from 10/1 at the start to 5/1 at the end of day one and now 3/1 joint-favourite at the halfway point.
A solid day’s play for the American great looked like being undermined slightly by some sloppy play on the 11th, in which he required six shots to put away a par five, but he remained steady before finishing with quite the flourish.
Woods birdied two of the final three holes and his last shot of the day was absolutely divine as he chipped in from the bunker to complete another round of 67 and move to six under.
That score puts him third on the leaderboard and was matched by day-one pacesetter Adam Scott to ensure that the Australian stays three clear of Woods. It is Scott who is tied at the top of the market with the 36-year-old at 3/1.
A shot ahead of Scott and four better off than Woods heading into Saturday though is Brandt Snedeker, who having never previously even made the cut at an Open Championship followed a first round of 66 with a sublime 64.
He hasn’t bogeyed a single hole so far yet doubts persist over whether he can maintain such fine form, with odds of 4/1 offered on him winning his first major.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
