SOUTHPORT, England | In betting parlors and inside the ropes, Sergio Garcia has never had better odds of winning a major.
No one has more top 10s in the British Open this decade than Garcia, a Spaniard who has gone into the final round within 4 shots of the lead six times in the last seven years. He is considered among the best ball-strikers in golf. He is not lacking imagination or creativity for the variety of shots required on links courses.
And it sure doesn’t hurt that Tiger Woods isn’t around.
“When you don’t have the No. 1 player in the world playing here — and obviously, we know how good he is and how well he’s done in the majors — it gives you a little bit more of a chance,” Garcia said. “But it doesn’t mean that it’s yours to win.”
The British bookmakers believe otherwise.
Woods had season-ending knee surgery after winning the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines for his 14th career major, leaving the British Open up for grabs. Earlier this week, bookies had Garcia as the favorite at Royal Birkdale, with odds as low as 8-to-1.
There was a reason for such high hope, even before Woods began to wobble on one leg.
Garcia ended a three-year victory drought in May when he captured The Players Championship in a sudden-death playoff over Paul Goydos, despite taking 18 more putts in regulation.
He couldn’t have come much closer to winning the last two years.
Garcia was 1 shot behind Woods and played with him in the final group at Royal Liverpool in 2006. But consecutive 3-putt bogeys, followed by an eagle from Woods, and Garcia trailed by 5 shots just five holes into the last round and never caught up.
Putting remains a problem, despite his work the last six months with putting guru Stan Utley — a two-time All-American at Missouri — but there is less demand on the greens at the British Open than other majors because the contours and speed are not as severe as a Masters or U.S. Open.
•HARRINGTON HURTING: Defending Open champion Padraig Harrington cut short another practice round Wednesday on the eve of the tournament, managing only three full swings before his wrist started throbbing again. He walked the rest of the course, limiting himself to chipping and putting, the only things he felt comfortable enough to risk.
Harrington said it was 75 percent likely he would at least tee off but put his chances of making it through the first round at only 50 percent.
•WHERE: Royal Birkdale, Southport, Lancashire, England
•TV: Today-Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., TNT. Saturday, 6-8 a.m., TNT; 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Chs. 2, 9. Sunday, 5-7 a.m., TNT; 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Chs. 2, 9.
•Tee times, D6
PGA Tour
•WHAT/WHEN: U.S. Bank Championship, today through Sunday
•WHERE: Milwaukee
•TV: Golf Channel (today-Friday, 3-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.)
LPGA Tour
•WHAT/WHEN: LPGA State Farm Classic, today through Sunday
•WHERE: Springfield, Ill.
•TV: ESPN2 (None today. Friday, 1-3 p.m.; Saturday, noon-2 p.m.; Sunday, 2-4 p.m.)
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