2018 ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf Odds and Predictions
- World Cup of Golf heads down under to Melbourne
- The United States has dominated this event historically
- The duos with the best value to emerge victorious
The golfing world heads to Australia for the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf this Thursday (November 22nd), where it has become increasingly difficult to predict a champion.
A different country has hoisted the hardware 11-straight times in this event, the last being Denmark in 2016. And that duo (Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen) is back to defend their crown.
Odds to Win 2018 World Cup of Golf
| Countries | Odds to Win 2018 ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf |
|---|---|
| Australia | +450 |
| England | +600 |
| United States | +800 |
| Denmark | +1200 |
| South Africa | +1200 |
| South Korea | +1200 |
| Ireland | +1400 |
| Scotland | +1600 |
| China | +1600 |
| Belgium | +1600 |
*Follow the link in the table to see all options
United States a worthy candidate to contend
This tournament has failed to attract star power for quite some time with several big names NOT teeing it up for their country. This year that list includes the likes of Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson to name a few.
RT @PGATOUR: It wasn't easy. Winning never is. Highlights from Matt Kuchar's victory: pic.twitter.com/qiufgl6HdY
— The Golf Shop (@TheGolfShopCo) November 13, 2018
With that said, the United States is still represented by Matt Kuchar, who’s done very well at this tournament with a victory in 2011 and a runner-up finish in 2013.
Kuchar also just won in Mexico and had a respectable T-23 finish at the Emirates Australian Open this last weekend. Paired with the steady Kyle Stanley, the Americans are poised to have a very strong showing and perhaps add a 25th victory this tournament, which is 20 more than anyone else (Australia, South Africa.)
United States in last Three World Cups
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016 | T-2 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
New Winners Common at ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf
As mentioned earlier, you can always expect a different country to hoist the trophy each time the event unfolds. 11 straight times there has been a new champion – but this time I expect that to change.
2002: ??
2003: ??
2004: ???????
2005: ???????
2006: ??
2007: ???????
2008: ??
2009: ??
2011: ??
2013: ??
2016: ??A different country has won in the last 11 editions of the #WorldCupofGolf. pic.twitter.com/tEfg5Efhmj
— World Cup of Golf (@WorldCupofGolf) November 17, 2018
The top five betting favorites (Australia, England, USA, Denmark, South Africa) to emerge victorious have all won in the last 11 attempts, so there’s a strong possibility that streak will come to an end.
Last 5 winners at World Cup of Golf
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Denmark |
| 2013 | Australia |
| 2011 | United States |
| 2009 | Italy |
| 2008 | Sweden |
Best Value Picks
- South Korea (+1200): Ben An and Sii Woo Kim have too much talent and have either won or come close in many events the last few years. They’d make it 12 straight different countries to win this event.
- Belgium (+1600): Thomas Detry has two top-seven finishes in last three tournaments and Thomas Pieters has top 20 finishes in last three events.
- Mexico (+5000): Abraham Ancer just won in Australia this weekend so why not put some cash on a big underdog that’s a hot team clearly in great form?
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
