PGA Golf Odds: World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions

PGA golf odds begin on Thursday with fifteen of the top 20 players in the world in probably the biggest tournament in Asia. Tee times at the HSBC Champions will begin at 8:55 am EST from the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai with such players as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood all vying for the $7,000,000 purse. HSBC Champions odds currently have Woods 3-2 as the favorite to win the tournament with Mickelson 12-1, Harrington 16-1, Westwood 20-1 and McIlroy 25-1 rounding out the top 5 in golf betting odds for the PGA World Golf Championships in China which can be seen on the Golf channel.

The world’s number one player, Woods is the expected favorite in PGA golf odds heading into the HSBC after a brilliant performance at the Presidents Cup not losing a game in five matches and finishing second at the Tour Championship in September. Tiger has played in the HSBC Champions tournament since 2005 but has never won the title. Now that it is sanctioned as a World Golf Championship, Woods might be able to tilt the golf odds in his favor as he has won 16-30 individual events since 1999. "I've come close here a couple of times," Woods said. "I didn't get it done. Hopefully, this week I can put it together and improve on that finish." Bet on Tigers Woods 3-2 as the betting favorite in PGA golf odds to win the 2009 HSBC Champions in China.

The number two player in the world, Phil Mickelson 12-1 is the second favorite to win in HSBC golf odds. Mickelson might have the advantage though as he played last week in the Singapore Open where he finished at 4-under par and has probably shed the jet-lag by now. Although “Lefty” won this tournament two years ago (2007), he has not done much around the world since but looks forward to Thursday’s championship. “This is an historic event; to have a World Golf Championship here in China. I want to thank HSBC for spearheading this and bringing world-class golf to China,” he said this week. HSBC golf odds have Mickelson 12-1 to win the WGC in Shanghai.

Padraig Harrington 16-1 is the number six player in the world and is the third choice in golf betting odds for the HSBC Champions. Although the 39-year old Irishman doesn’t have a win in 2009, odds makers are favoring Harrington since he finished second with Ernie Els last year in the Singapore Open and won the 2009 BMW Asian Open and 2003 Omega Hong Kong Open both in Asia. “The HSBC Champions is a really well run event and is one of the most important events on the schedule – it has always attracted a really strong field and so there are a lot of world ranking points up for grabs,” said Harrington. Along with Mickelson, Padraig also played last week in the Singapore Open but only finished EVEN par. Other golf odds for the HSBC Champions have the field 10-1, Sergio Garcia 25-1 and Ernie Els 33-1.

Gordon's Golf Picks: Although Tiger Woods is heavily favored to win the HSBC in golf odds but if you have ever been to Asia, you know that the jet-lag makes it very rough to play your best golf. Just look at the finishes for Mickelson (14) and Harrington (38) at the Singapore Open last week. My golf pick in the 2009 HSBC Champions tournament will be to take Harrington 16-1 and the field 10-1 at Bodog sportsbook.