Tiger Woods is arguably the greatest golfer in history, certainly one of the most impactful athletes of all time. He also isn't the same golfer he was in his prime, or even a few years ago.
Back injuries hampered Woods. A car accident in February of 2021 put his career in jeopardy and turned him into a part-time player.
And that doesn't matter for nostalgic bettors.
At the Genesis Invitational, Woods' first time playing a non-major since 2020, he was 125-to-1 to win when the tournament started. It didn't stop bettors from taking him.
Woods got more bets at BetMGM than any other golfer for the tournament. Bettors, who have to know Woods is a longshot and not the same golfer who was mowing through fields when he was in his 20s, bet with their hearts when it comes to Woods.
Tiger Woods was most popular bet
At BetMGM, Woods had the highest ticket percentage of any golfer in the field for the Genesis Invitational. As of Friday morning, 9.2% of tickets were on Woods. Justin Thomas was second at 8.1%. Woods had the third most money bet on the tournament at 8%.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest liability for BetMGM in the tournament is Woods.
Perhaps no other athlete would cause bettors to make those kinds of bets. Perhaps Serena Williams. It's not like bettors blindly take LeBron James to win NBA MVP when it's clear those days are probably behind him.
The majors will be starting soon. If he's feeling good enough, Woods will play in them. He'll be a huge longshot, way down in the odds.
And he will get way more bets than anyone else with similar odds. No single athlete has ever dominated the attention paid to an entire sport like Tiger, and we can still see that in the bets he gets.
Woods had a good start
Woods had a good start to the Genesis Invitational. He was 2-under 69 in the first round, five shots behind leader Max Homa. The bets on Woods to make the cut at +140 looked pretty good.
Every nice shot he made Friday was a highlight.
It's possible Woods wins another tournament, maybe even a major. His 2019 win at the Masters was an incredible story after it seemed he'd never have another performance like that.
But he's 47 years old now, with plenty of physical trauma behind him, and more major championships seem unlikely. That won't stop bettors. The Masters or U.S. Open will come around and they'll take some small bets on Woods, mostly for the memories of one of the most dominant athletic runs ever.
Usually it's not a good idea to bet with your heart. For a generation of fans, ceremonial bets on Tiger are unavoidable.
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February 18, 2023 at 01:12AM
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Golf betting, odds: Plenty of people still bet with their hearts when it comes to Tiger Woods - Yahoo Sports
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