We have an exciting weekend of golf action to look forward to as all eyes fall on the Hillside Golf Club in Southport for the 2019 renewal of the British Masters. One of the highlights on the calendar for UK followers of the sport, we’re set for another pulsating encounter. Here are our top British Masters betting tips.
The British Masters was first hosted back in 1946 and the winner’s roll includes some top names. Armchair fans can follow the play live on Sky Sports who bring us every swing from Thursday morning through to Sunday’s conclusion.
Great News for Punters
That’s great news for punters who can have their say on a number of betting markets, including outright winner, top-10 finish, first round leader, to make the cut and even the top English performing player. What’s more, many of the more popular markets are kept live throughout play thanks to in-play betting. You can now get involved at any point of any round as odds are updated to match the flow of play.
Eddie Pepperell won this title last year when handing in a winning score of nine under par. It was enough to secure the prize, but it was a low score when compared to recent champions. Paul Dunne recorded -20 in 2017 and Alex Noren was good enough to claim victory thanks to an 18-under tally the year before.
Who will we see come out on top this weekend? It’s anyone’s guess at this stage but bookmakers have put forward their thoughts on how the tournament should go, offering odds on the outright winner. It’s a wide-open field and that will attract the attention of value hunters who love jumping on any indecision on the trading floor.
Tommy Fleetwood has been chalked up as favourite in the outright betting market and that will come as no real surprise to those intending to have a punt on the eventual winner. The jolly is 8/1 at Bet365 and that’s market best price at the time of writing. If you intend to go with the odds-makers and back Fleetwood we would make you aware he is as tight as 13/2 in places, so be careful which firm you trust with your stake money.
Pepperell Back for More
Fleetwood has Eddie Pepperell for company near the summit of the betting but last year’s champion is a 20/1 second favourite at bet365 and that tells us that although two-in-a-row wouldn’t rank as a massive surprise, it isn’t expected and looks one better suited to each-way players. Tyrell Hatton is 22/1 in places but only 16/1 with others, which makes for interesting reading. Backing Joost Luiten will grant you a crack at a 25/1 winner when getting your money down at Bet365, another there’s a difference of opinion again with, many firms offering 20/1.
The market looks to be spot on here and it’s a real feather in the cap of this tournament to attract players of Tommy Fleetwood’s calibre. If he plays to the best of his ability there’s no real reason why he shouldn’t show the field the way home over the course of the next few days. He has the skill and experience to lift the trophy and will go in with confidence, having seen the level of opponent he’s up against. Having said that, he’ll get nothing for free in Southport and will have to work for the prize money is he’s to bank it.
We can’t bring ourselves to put anyone off a bet on Fleetwood as he’s head and shoulders above the field, but we’re also not fans of backing an 8/1 shot over an extended period of play. Therefore, we’ll put the jolly at 8/1 with Bet365 forward as our main bet and also advise one at bigger odds as a saver to keep things interesting.
Hatton Looks Overpriced
Tyrell Hatton looks to be overpriced and the 18/1 available on the Sportsbook at Bet365 is better than the 16/1 that is generally available. You may be able to find a bit bigger on Exchanges, but the amount you can get on as a stake will be reduced. The 27-year-old Englishman has done nothing but progress in recent years and was spotted finishing fifth at The Open Championships in 2016 and sixth at the US Open last year. He also bagged a top-10 finish at the PGA Championship in both 2016 and 2018. Having knocked on the door, we don’t think it’ll be too long before Hatton is winning majors.
The Buckinghamshire native boasts seven tournament wins during his professional career with three of them coming on the European Tour. He failed to make an impression at the US Masters earlier this year and that goes as a bit of a concern, but he has had time out of the limelight since and we expect him to return a better player, fully relaxed and ready to go. A progressive type, it’s easy to imagine Hatton working on his weak points during that stint away from competition.
Take a Top-10 Finish
Hatton also boasts decent stats in this competition, and he looked the most likely winner when going for the prize here a couple of years ago. With a bit more composure at the business end we could very well be talking of a past champion and that would’ve affected this price. Our pick is a reliable Links player and that sets him apart from much of the competition, proved by a couple of wins in the Alfred Dunhill.
You can back him at 18/1 (bet365) to win the title or take the safety net that comes with playing one of the many specials. A fast start will make him a contender for the first-round leader, and you’ll get 33/1 on that coming good at Unibet. If you’re after a shorter price bet to help boost your accumulator returns you can back Hatton for a top-10 finish at 5/2, also top offer when taking advantage of the generosity shown by Unibet.