MONTY CUT FOR CARNOUSTIE

Features

bruced
July 4, 2007

There have been several movers in the betting for the Open at Carnoustie after this week’s shock winners either side of the Atlantic.

Money List prices were left unchanged after this week’s shock winners either side of the Atlantic but there have been several movers in the betting for the Open Championship at Carnoustie.
Graeme Storm was the surprise winner of the Open de France in Paris on Sunday while Brian Bateman, backed at 999/1 on Betfair, also shed his maiden tag by capturing the Buick Open in Michigan.
But it was the men they pipped for title glory who punters quickly latched onto ahead of the Open later this month.
Colin Montgomerie was cut to just 40/1 at Sky Bet after returning to form with a tied third in France – incredibly his first top five in over a year.
And, in the States, Justin Leonard – the forgotten man of the three-man play-off at Carnoustie in 1999 – was cut to 100/1 by Sky Bet after he finished joint runner-up at the Buick. That was the 1997 Open winner’s first top five since May 2005 and first top ten since February 2006.
Monty was still 80/1 at totesport on Monday morning while Leonard backers were being offered 125/1 by Sporting Odds.
Two other players shortening up after good finishes were Thomas Bjorn and Scott Verplank.
Bjorn, a two-time Open runner-up (2000 and 2003), was cut to 66s by several firms after his third place in the Open de France while Verplank is now the same price at Sky Bet after finishing just two back at the Buick.
Tiger Woods remains a best-priced 11/4 favourite at Sporting Odds, who make Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson joint second favourites at 18/1.