WGC Golf - Bridgestone Invitational betting preview

Tiger Woods is favourite to record his first win since returning to golf at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this week. The world number one has won here seven times and has not been beaten at Firestone since 2004, with bookmakers going 9/2 (bet £20 to win £90 profit) that he can take advantage of his course record and get his career back on track.

Woods finished tied for fourth place at the Masters and the US Open but apart from those prestigious tournaments he has shown little to suggest he is anything like the Titan he was before his personal troubles forced him to take a break from the sport. As so much of his consistency was based on stability and routine, the drop in form is not too surprising, but punters seem keen to take on the American and many think it is a question of `if` rather than `when` he returns to the top of his game.

Instead, many have chosen to back joint second-favourites and aspiring world number ones Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood. Both can take Woods` crown at the top of the rankings this week and bookmakers are finding them impossible to separate in the betting, with Boylesports and Paddy Power offering 14/1 on Mickelson and Betfred and Victor Chandler going the same price on Westwood.

Mickelson has had a good season, winning the Masters and tying with Tiger for fourth at the US Open. However, he could manage to finish only joint-48th at the Open Championship last time out and failed to even make the cut at the Scottish Open before that. Backers will have to hope he can turn that around back in his home country and it seems likely that he will be involved right to the end this week.

Unlike Lefty, Lee Westwood had a great time in at St Andrews, coming second only to Louis Oosthuizen, and after winning the St Jude Classic and coming second at the Masters he will be confident that he can beat anyone out there, include Tiger Woods.

Padraig Harrington was runner-up here last year and the Irishman is 24/1 on Betfair to go one better this year. Ranked fifteenth in the world, the three-time Major winner always seems to be near the head of the market but rarely lives up to expectations, and it has been two years since his last professional win. Harrington may still provide each-way value but it is hard to see him beating such a strong field.

Another who may be good a each-way bet is Open Championship winner Louis Oosthuizen. The South African`s previous form suggests his win was something of a fluke, but at 75/1 with 888 Sport and Blue Square it is worth taking the chance that the confidence that success brought will enable him to have some say at Firestone this week.

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational gets under way at 1.30 pm BST today.

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational betting odds

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