In today’s world, golf, with its first records dating back to the 13th century, is played all over the globe. Consequently, betting on this sport has gained popularity, and this article focuses on it.
Geography of golf and major tournaments
Almost every region of the planet has its own professional tour, including the Asian, Australasian, Japanese, and Canadian tours. For those who are just getting interested in golf, it is better to focus on the main series, such as the European Tour and the American PGA Tour.
The European Tour takes place throughout the year and is not limited to the geography of the Old World. Tournaments of this series are held in remote corners of the planet, including South Africa, India, China, Australia, and other countries.
PGA Tour competitions are usually held from January to November. Like in tennis, golf has four major championships: the US Masters in April, the US Open in June, the July Open Championship (also known as the British Open), and the US PGA Championship in August.
In most cases, professional tournaments are four-day events with the goal of completing 72 holes. The tournament is divided into four rounds, and the golfer who takes the fewest strokes to complete the courses wins.
Sometimes, tournaments with a more rapid format are held, where golfers face each other in knockout-style matches.
Strategies for golf betting: what to consider
The key to profitable golf betting is developing a specific game strategy that allows you to consistently find value in the betting lines. Four important factors can contribute to the winning strategies.
Form of the golfers
The first question you should ask yourself when choosing a bet on a golfer is, what is their current competitive form? Pay attention to their recent results in tournaments, and it is advisable to refrain from betting on a golfer who hasn’t even shown competitiveness in the previous five tournaments. For example, in the European Tour in 2015, 29 out of 33 stage winners finished in the top 20 at least once in the five tournaments preceding their victory.
Results on a specific course
The adaptability of the chosen golfer to the course on which they will compete is equally important. The routes of many famous golf courses where PGA or European Tour competitions are held remain unchanged for years. It is easy to track how well a player’s playing style corresponds to a particular tournament. There are cases when a “dark horse” may not show brilliant results overall, but year after year, they overcome the highest tournament barriers on the same course. For example, there are fields considered more traditional, where special precision and accuracy in starting shots are required. The abundance of natural obstacles like trees and tall grass prevents physically strong golfers from taking risks and utilizing their full power in shots. On the other hand, well-maintained, more modern open fields are not as convenient for subtle golfers relying on accuracy. Powerful hitters gain an advantage, having more room for errors and covering the course with long shots.
Weather factor
In golf, weather conditions can have a significant impact on the game. In the PGA Tour, there are several courses that have historically been known for being particularly windy. Wind gusts can be a significant disruptive factor for players.
Not all golfers are able to adapt to episodic gusts of wind – it requires special patience and concentration, and the trajectory of shots should be lower. That’s why golfers from Great Britain or Scandinavia, who are accustomed to playing in such conditions from childhood, or representatives of windy states in America, such as Texas and Florida, usually perform better in windy weather.
However, factors such as players’ form and adaptability to the course are more important when choosing a bet, as predicting the weather on a specific day can sometimes be nearly impossible. Especially if you want to catch a good odds at the start of the line. Unfortunately, even the best meteorologists are currently unable to provide an accurate forecast for wind speed and direction several days before the event.
Bonuses for Betting
Bonuses offered by bookmakers during golf betting come in various forms and provide additional opportunities for players. Here are a few types of golf bonuses that can be enhanced:
Deposit Bonus
Many bookmakers offer bonuses on the first deposit of new players. It can be a percentage of the deposit amount played on the gaming account. For example, a bookmaker may offer a 100% bonus up to a certain amount. These are additional funds that players can use to cover golf bets;
Free Bet Bonus
Some bookmakers may offer bonuses on non-winning bets. For example, if a player places a bet on a certain number of golf players and finishes in second place, the bookmaker may refund the player’s bet in the form of bonus funds.
Multiple Bet Bonuses
Bookmakers offer bonuses on winning multiple bets that include events from different golf tournaments. For example, if a player frequently places combined bets on multiple golfers in different tournaments and wins all the bets, the bookmaker may provide an additional bonus on the winnings;
Live Betting Bonuses
Some special bookmaker bonuses and promotions are available for live betting on golf. This can include enhanced odds on the number of events or the opportunity to receive bonus funds for the number of different bets placed during the tournament;
Loyalty Program
Some bookmakers have loyalty programs where players can accumulate bonus points or receive specific privileges based on their activity and level of golf betting.