The Tiger Effect

PGA tournament organizers and bookies don't have a lot in common, but if they ever got together you can bet the conversation would soon turn to one topic: Tiger Woods. More specifically, how the greatest golfer in the world can be convinced to play every week.They're both after the "Tiger effect", which occurs when Woods graces a competition with his presence: Increased attendance. Media buzz. Higher television ratings. Times a thousand.The organizers of the Dubai Desert Classic know all about the Tiger effect. Last week, Woods was paid an appearance fee in the neighborhood of $3 million (c. £1.5 million) to show up to the Emirates Golf Club. Going in as the defending champion and a 5/4 favorite to repeat, Woods struggled with the putter and finished third, two strokes behind winner Henrik Stenson.For bookies, more eyeballs on a tournament means more bettors. When Woods tees it up, bookmakers rejoice. At least, in theory they do.Woods has won seven straight PGA tournaments dating back to the 2006 British Open. Most recently, he won the the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. His win streak has seen sportsbooks paying out bettors big time. Even at the thinnest of odds, the wagering support for Woods is huge.For the Buick, Woods (3/2) garnered nearly double the handle of the second-most popular bet, Vijay Singh, according to a Bodog oddsmaker.World Golf Rankings, through Feb. 4, 2007Tiger Woods (USA) Jim Furyk (USA) Adam Scott (Aus) Ernie Els (SAf) Retief Goosen (SAf) Phil Mickelson (USA) Vijay Singh (Fij) Luke Donald (Eng) Padraig Harrington (Ire) Henrik Stenson (Swe) Oddsmakers say they're happy to pay Tiger backers in the short term, that his stellar play will only increase the interest in golf betting. Besides, long term, there's no way he can keep dominating at the same clip and sportsbooks will catch up."When Tiger's winning, he's like a loss leader," said the Bodog oddsmaker. "People are drawn to the sportsbook. Maybe they win on Tiger, but they might make a few other bets too."Tiger Woods tries to remember how much money he's worth. (AP photo)Still, the man just keeps on winning. At what point do loss leaders turn into actual losses?Woods is currently a 6/5 favorite to win the Masters in April. His next closest competition, according to oddsmakers, is Phil Mickelson at 9/1. No other player is getting single-digit odds.Put it this way: Imagine you have a hundred pounds to bet on the Masters with. If you threw it all on Woods, you'd stand to win £120.Or, you could spread it around. Twenty on Mickelson. Twenty on Ernie Els (14/1). Twenty on Jim Furyk (20/1). Twenty on Vijay Singh (20/1). And twenty on Retief Goosen (24/1). The least you'd win if either of those five prevailed is £180. The most, £480.That's Tiger Woods versus five of the best golfers in the world. Four green jackets versus three, respectively. Twelve majors versus twelve. Fifty-five PGA Tour wins versus 92. From a value standpoint, the decision is obvious: Go with the "others". All things being fairly equal, the potential payout is better that way.If only it was so easy. Woods is that good. He makes even the sharpest of bettors question their long-proven strategies."Tiger is a bit like the 2005 Indianapolis Colts," the Bodog oddsmaker said of the team that won its first 13 games two years ago. "No matter what the spread, they kept beating it. Sportsbooks took it on the chin that year." And so did underdog bettors, traditionally the sharpest gamblers.Upcoming PGA TournamentsFeb. 8-11 - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AmDefending champion: Aaron OberholserFeb 15-18 - Nissan OpenDefending champion: Rory SabbatiniFeb. 21-25 - WGC Accenture Match Play ChampionshipDefending champion: Geoff OgilvyMarch 1-4 - The Honda ClassicDefending champion: Luke Donald Full 2007 PGA Tour ScheduleWoods' schedule over the next few weeks is as yet undetermined. He will definitely not play in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which kicks off Thursday. Most blame his hectic schedule as well as the bumpy Poa annua greens for his avoidance of the popular, celebrity-laden tournament. But an incident in 2001 didn't help, either. That was the year a man seeking Woods' autograph ran into him and sprained the superstar's knee ligament.The Nissan Open the following week is a possibility, but Woods has never had much success at Riviera. His only real shot at winning came in 1999 when he finished two strokes behind Ernie Els. Last year, he barely made the cut and withdrew due to sickness.His most likely next start is the Accenture Match Play Championship, a tournament he won in both 2003 and 2004. After that, he'll probably play at Bay Hill (March 15-18) and Doral (March 22-25) before heading to Augusta for the Masters, which tees off April 5.Bodog Golf bettingTo bet on golf why not bet with Bodog? Everytime you deposit cash with bodog.com you get 10% extra free. This works out more competitive than any other free bet offer in the market.