Golf Is The Worst · EDGe Vegas

Betting on sports probably makes up the majority of my gaming. I usually play video poker, craps and blackjack when I’m in a casino but with apps from William Hill and Station Casinos (I don’t bet with Cantor Gaming) I can bet on sports anywhere and I do.

Baseball is my game of choice when I’m at the sportsbook. I’ve loved baseball for my whole life. I play multiple games a week, in part, because it’s nice having a little action while I’m watching the games. When football season gets here I’ll be playing college and pro and when the NBA season kicks off I’ll play that. All of these sports give me a major sport, that I enjoy, to wager on all year around.

I step outside of the sports that I like every now and again when there are major events that I know I’ll be reading about and be curious to watch. I’ll wager on March Madness, Daytona 500 and some of the major Golf tournaments throughout the year. This year I bet on Jason Day to win The Masters. He hung around for the entire tournament and forced me to watch the whole tournament before finally losing. I had a bet on Graeme McDowell to win The British Open and he was out before the first day was even over. Losing stinks but I was able to enjoy my weekend.

Last weekend, at the PGA Championship, I had Henrik Stenson (25-1) and he made me miserable. I couldn’t turn away from the tournament but I couldn’t watch it because I didn’t really care about anything but my bet. He was in and out of contention all weekend making me curious enough to stay near a TV so I could always keep an eye on the bet. The odds for most of these players are somewhere between 20-1 and 50-1 so there is potential to collect a nice win on the line.

I used to play golf pretty often but haven’t played in a while. At this rate I’m not sure I’ll pick up the sticks any time soon. The longer it is since the last time I played golf the less interested in watching the pro game I am. Still, I have a little curiosity about gambling on these tournaments because it’s nice to hit a relatively long shot regardless of my enjoyment watching the game.

Betting on golf can be awful because of that. If my player has an awful first day or two then I have no hope to win my bet. If the player does well I’m stuck watching. Wagering on golf a lose-lose proposition – especially because I can’t pick a winner.

Betting on golf can be great for some people who enjoy the game because you can spend 4 days in a sportsbook rooting for a $5 bet which may pay as much as $500. I’m not one of those people and I think I’m done betting on golf…until the next time I can bet on Jason Day at 20-1. Damn, I think I’m already back.

Photo: CBS