The Open Championship takes place this week at Royal St. Georges golf course but don't place any bets on the tournament until you have our guide to the top bookmaker promotions available.
The Open Championship brings together the top 156 golfers in the world to compete for golf's oldest and most prestigious prize, the Claret Jug. This year's renewal at Sandwich, Kent, promises to be on the most exciting in the 140 years of the tournament and it is also the best ever in terms of value for those betting on the action, with a number of bookmakers running a variety of promotions. We've collated the best of them below:
Victor Chandler are one of the biggest names in sports betting and they have a regular golf promotion that is immensely popular with punters. Victor's 'Hole in Won' offer means that if your selected player loses he tournament but has a hole in one at any point during any of his rounds then Victor Chandler will pay your bet out as a winner at the pre-tournament odds. This offer has already proved costly this season with over 25 hole in ones recorded at PGA and European Tour events!
No sporting event passes without a money back special from Paddy Power and the popular Irish bookmaker have a fantastic promotion running during the 2011 Open Championship. While some bookmakers only offer to pay out each way bets on the first five finishers, Paddy Power will settle bets at 1/4 odds on the top seven at Sandwich, meaning that punters get far more value from their wagers. Paddy will also give new customers who open an account using bonus code MAXIMUMBONUS a £100 free bet on the Open.
Boylesports have decided to take things even further than their fellow Irish firm this week and are offering to pay each way bets at 1/4 odds for the top eight finishers in the 2011 Open Championship. This is an astonishing offer from the firm and is sure to prove popular, with punters able to select multiple golfers and celebrate even if they don't win the tournament!
Coral have taken a different but no less risky approach to their 2011 Open Championship promotion. The firm will refund all losing bets on the outright winner market if Northern Irish sensation Rory McIlroy wins at Royal St. Georges. The youngster led the year's first major, the US Masters, before capitulating on the final day and then put things right in the second at Congressional, winning in record breaking style. He is the man to beat and Coral could rue taking him on on Sunday evening.
William Hill are running a unique promotion this week at Sandwich. Britain's biggest bookmaker are ensuring that customers will have bets running for all four days by offering a free bet on the winner market after Day Two, if your selected player fails to make the cut. This could well prove costly, particularly if shrewd punters use the offer in conjunction with Hill's £25 free sign-up bonus.
