Despite back issues, Tiger Woods a solid 20-to-1 bet to win a 2017 major

ByBen Fawkes ESPN logo
Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Tiger Woods' back may still be bothering him, but you'd probably be surprised at the odds the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook is giving him to win his first major since 2008.

Woods, whose most recent appearance on the PGA Tour was a withdrawal from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 after shooting an opening-round 77, is tied for the 25th-best odds at 20-1 to win one of the year's four majors.

He was 10-1 before that withdrawal, but Jeff Sherman, assistant manager at the Westgate SuperBook, bumped up his odds due to the new health concerns and his withdrawals from the next two tournaments.

"His odds are always short of what they should be because of the name Tiger Woods," Sherman told ESPN. "He will always command betting support no matter how well or poorly he is playing."

Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are tied for the best odds to win a 2017 major at 8-5, with Jordan Spieth (7-4), Dustin Johnson (7-4) and Hideki Matsuyama (5-2) following. Phil Mickelson is 6-1 to win his sixth major.

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