MANCHESTER, England, July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Betfred are happy to take on Rory McIlroy for this week's Open Championship even though the US Open hero is easily the worst result in the book.
The Northern Irishman is a top-priced 8/1 despite having been laid to lose more than twice as much as any other player in the 156-man field.
"Rory will be under so much pressure that we are happy to stand him for plenty at 8/1," said Betfred spokesman Jon Wilde.
"He was a highly impressive winner of the US Open but his decision not to play competitively since then could count against him. Being under so much public and media scrutiny may not suit him either and he is unlikely to find the Royal St George's course set up so well for him this time.
"We think there are plenty of negatives against him, but that hasn't stopped our customers from lumping on and if Rory can triumph at Sandwich it will cost us an absolute fortune.
"Sergio Garcia, Ryo Ishikawa, Matt Kuchar and Lee Westwood have also been popular choices but on nowhere near the same scale as McIlroy."
Open Championship outright market (e.w. ¼ odds 1,2,3,4,5,6):
8/1 Rory McIlroy
11/1 Luke Donald
12/1 Lee Westwood
20/1 Martin Kaymer
28/1 Nick Watney
30/1 Sergio Garcia
33/1 Jason Day
33/1 Padraig Harrington
33/1 Graeme McDowell
33/1 Phil Mickelson
35/1 Steve Stricker
40/1 bar (all odds subject to fluctuation)
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