Editor’s note: Alf Musketa is the nation’s top golf handicapper. His head-to-head matchups hit 63 percent (69-40) last year and can be purchased in his season pack at a discounted price ($399). Click to win…
Betting golf in my opinion is still the easiest and most profitable sport to wager on. Head to head matchups are becoming more and more popular in all sports and there are more sportsbooks posting more golf matchups on each and every PGA Tour event.
I have expanded my golf handicapping to the European Tour and LPGA Tour. The matchups are few and far between, but every once in a while we find a gem.
For 2006, I should continue my winning ways here on Vegasinsider.com, going for my 10th straight year of plus-10 units or more averaging 20-plus units. Last year by the PGA Championship we had 20 units locked up. I will continue to advocate the most consistent way to earn a living betting sports year after year is to grind out single unit wagers.
There are several sportsbooks out there that are struggling to hold any money at all in golf wagering. In fact there are a couple that flat out discourage sharp golf handicappers. I have used an alias in all betting shops, but once you get so far ahead they can pull the trigger, so be careful out there betting golf at only a limited number of sportsbooks. It pays to open accounts in many places to take advantage of different head to head matchups and spread your bets around.
In the past I have mentioned that a sportsbook dealing a 30 cent golf matchup line is blasphemy. However, it has paid to shop at these establishments and sometimes they make mistakes and post a bad matchup or wagering line.
Start your season by making a list of "Go On vs. Go Against players."
ForExample my list starts with GO ON...Luke Donald, Stewart Cink, Mr. Money in the Bank Jim Furyk and Troy Matteson. (more on him later)...my Go Against list is deep and has a group of former major winners at the top, so that whenever they appear in a head to head matchup a beep goes off on my computer....Rich Beem, Todd Hamilton, Shaun Micheel, Ben Curtis and Paul Lawrie.
2006 will be an interesting year. It will be difficult for Tiger Woods to repeat a two-major and six-win season this year. He will be spending more time with his new wife. He has already skipped the Mercedes Championship on a course that is tailor made for him. The early word on Tiger is that he will play more overseas events and a limited PGA Tour schedule. He has the new Nike Sasquatch Driver and his caddie Steve Williams just won New Zealand's version of the Daytona 500 stock car event.
I predict Ernie Els will have a stellar year world wide and win on the PGA Tour coming off knee surgery. Look for David Duval to contend more this season and not just show up for 15 tournaments as he is required to do to keep his exempt card. I believe Vijay will capture the money title because he tees it up in more tournaments and works harder than anyone...take him in your golf fantasy pools just about every week vs. anyone but Tiger, Phil and Ernie.
2006 is the Ryder Cup year, to be played in Ireland. The defending champs Europeans are an early -135 favorite.
Michelle Wie will tackle the men again at the Sony Open. This is realistically her only chance to make a cut on the PGA Tour. This track the Waialae CC, she has played over and over. Horses for courses. In all other attempts vs. the men she should be an easy go against.
Watch out for a few rookies on Tour this season. Ryan Moore will head the list. He attained his PGA card by earning enough money during a limit schedule to that of the Top 125 on the money list. He has a quirky swing that is repeatable and a deadly short game. Camilo Villegas a sharp prospect from the Nationwide Top 25 and former Florida Gator can really go low. But, I really like Nationwide Tour money leader Troy Matteson. He played consistent golf. In 27 events he had 12 Top 10's, two wins and six top-three finishes. Plus, I had a chance to meet him while he was playing for Georgia Tech and winning the NCAA Championship. This kid is as straight off the tee as anyone on tour today and can score with the best of them.
Look for a comeback by Mike Weir to get into the winners circle early on the West Coast Swing and Davis Love III to put some personal issues behind him this season.
There are not too many events on Tour that I do not have a bet on. I watch and take notes every week, and I'll go on record saying I have watched and taped more final rounds of the PGA Tour than just about anybody since I was 14 years old. I plan on visiting the Tour in Phoenix for the FBR Open, the WGC Matchplay at La Costa and either the Nissan LA Open or the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.....hope to see you out there and cashing tickets throughout the season....Alf
