Golf

The 19th hole

By BOB HARIG
Published July 21, 2005

DIVOTS

BETTING THE FAVORITE: Tiger Woods' victory at the British Open didn't do much good for the British bookmakers, who typically do a healthy business on the Open. They stood to lose a reported 10-million pounds (about $18-million), a record for golf. "It was an absolute mauling," Ladbrokes spokesman Robin Hutchison told the Evening Times of Glasgow. "No matter how short we made the odds on him, the bettors just kept on coming."

By Sunday, many bookmakers had taken Woods off the board, giving odds on who would finish second.

BETTING ON HIMSELF: PGA Tour player Rocco Mediate was not at the British Open. Instead, he was in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. He missed the 560-player cut, but did manage to advance in the tournament further than 80 percent of the original participants. "I was so nervous," Mediate said. "If I'm playing with Tiger Woods and he makes eight birdies in a row, it doesn't stop me from making eight birdies. Here, I have no control."

"Words are really not enough for Jack. They should make him out of gold and stick little Jack on every tee box." - NICK FALDO, on Jack Nicklaus at his last British Open.

Dating to the 1970 British Open, each winner of the tournament at St. Andrews had previously won a major championship: Jack Nicklaus ('70, '78), Seve Ballesteros ('84), Nick Faldo ('90), John Daly ('95), Tiger Woods (2000, '05).

[Last modified July 21, 2005, 00:57:10]