Tiger Woods will make his 2018 PGA Tour debut at Torrey Pines, the site of the Farmers Insurance Open. It is a place Woods knows very well, having won this tournament seven times while also winning the 2008 U.S. Open on the South Course.
While Woods has mostly been a fading commodity in recent years, there is some reason to believe that the old Tiger might be back. He played relatively well at the 2018 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, finishing with a very solid 8-under. That’s ramped up the excitement for this week’s event to see whether it was just an aberration or if the Big Cat is back on the prowl.
BetDSI Sportsbook has posted props on Woods at the Farmers Insurance Open for everything from where he’ll finish to how many birdies he’ll make. Let’s take a closer look at the lines and see if there’s any value on the board.
Where will Woods finish?
Woods had to withdraw from the event last year, but the oddsmakers at BetDSI expect him to finish the event this year. On the board currently, he’s at -700 to finish and +450 to withdraw.
Woods looked healthy at the Hero World Challenge and didn’t appear to be hindered by his surgeries. He posted three rounds in the 60s and finished T-9.
If you believe another top-10 finish is in the cards, there is a nice payout on the board at +350. That means you’d earn $350 in profit for a $100 wager if he did finish in the top 10. You can also bet ‘No’ at -550, which means a $550 bet would return $100 if he finished 11th or worse. For a top-5 finish at Torrey Pines, ‘Yes’ is rated at +750 and ‘No’ is favored at -1000.
Tiger Woods finishing position at 2018 Farmers Insurance Open
1st (+4000)
2nd-10th (+2000)
11th-19th (+1100)
20th-30th (+750)
31st-40th (+400)
41st-50th (+350)
51st or worse (-140)
The Hero World Challenge wasn’t as competitive as Torrey will be for Woods. The Bahamas course was flat and forgiving. This course is serious business, including a U.S. Open-density rough. The main objective for him is to simply finish four rounds of tournament golf without having any tightness in his back or knee problems.
While Woods was once a legendary player, he’s 42 years old now. He’s also missed the cut in 11 of his last 19 events. That’s why the oddsmakers don’t give him much of a shot to show well this week.
Tiger Woods Torrey Pines props
The odds for Woods hitting the fairway with his first tee shot at the Farmers Insurance Open are -180 for ‘Yes’ and +145 for ‘No’. It hasn’t been announced if Woods will start on the North or South Course as the players will play one round on each course during the first two days, so that is something to watch for. That being said, Woods did drive it well at the Hero World Challenge.
The total for Tiger’s birdies has been set at 6.5, with the ‘Over’ priced at -110 and the ‘Under’ coming in at -120. For bogeys or worse, the total is 7.5 and the ‘Over’ comes in at -130 while the ‘Under’ is +100. You have to think with the rough being so thick at the tumultuous Torrey, Woods is due for a blow-up hole or two.
Also, a prop for the highest score Woods shoots on any hole, the total is 7. Woods shot 76-72 to miss the cut by four shots at Torrey Pines last year, but he still never made higher than a 6 on any hole. A 7 or higher would be a small disaster.
North Course vs. South Course props
Finally, there are odds for Woods’ lowest round score on each course. On the North Course, the total is set at 70.5, and on the South Course the total is set at 73.5.
Tiger Woods lowest round score (18 holes) on North Course during 2018 Farmers Insurance Open
Over 70.5 (-140)
Under 70.5 (+110)
Tiger Woods lowest round score (18 holes) on South Course during 2018 Farmers Insurance Open
Over 73.5 (-115)
Under 73.5 (-115)
The North Course is known as the easier of the two courses while the South Course is the longest course played on the PGA Tour.
Last year, Woods started on the South Course and shot a 76. He then followed that up with a 72 on the North Course. While Woods has had plenty of success at this course over the years, not much of it has been recent.
On the North Course, some holes have been redesigned and the greens have been completely redone. On the South Course, it’s now much longer than it was during Tiger’s prime. It could be tough for him to crack the under on both of these props.
