It is that time of the year again.

The 2009 US Masters gets underway this Thursday the 9th April 2009 from Augusta Georgia on the famous Alistair McKensie course.

If you fancy a bet, Tiger Woods is the current favorite running at 15/8 with Phil Mickelson at 8/1.

Be sure to check out our 2009 US Masters Betting Guide and Good Luck!

Tags: US Masters, golf, golf Betting, Tiger Woods

Into Golf? Then why not visit our Sports Betting pages to try your luck!

Tiger Woods clinched a 13th major title with a hard-fought victory in the USPGA at a steamy Southern Hills in Oklahoma.

The world number one held off a spirited challenge from Ernie Els and Woody Austin to inch to within five of Jack Nicklaus' major record.

The 31-year-old was three clear overnight but saw a five-shot lead whittled down to one before edging Austin by two and Els by three.

Woods carded 69 for -8, American Austin took 67 and South African Els shot 66.

Australian John Senden and American Arron Oberholser finished one under, while England's Simon Dyson carded a blistering 64 to rocket into a share of sixth at level par and guarantee a return next year.

Woods's victory gave him back-to-back USPGA titles for the second time - he won in 1999 and 2000 - and a fourth USPGA in all. Fellow Americans Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen lead the way with five apiece.

The win was built on a sensational round of 63 on Friday when Woods lipped out for birdie on the 18th to miss out by one shot on the record for the lowest score in major history.

A solid 69 on Saturday gave Woods a three-shot cushion over Stephen Ames going into Sunday's final round but the Canadian quickly melted away in the heat to end on two over after a 76.

Woods leaked a couple of wayward drives early on and his lead was cut to two after a bogey on the 2nd to journeyman Austin's birdie up ahead.

But as Woods settled down, the lead fluctuated between two and five shots as the challenges of Austin and Els ebbed and flowed.

Els, six behind overnight, missed golden birdie opportunities on the 9th and 11th but he and Austin both reconvened on six under, two back, after their 14th and 13th holes respectively.

Woods looked worried and a three-putt on 14 brought the gap down to just one.

But Els fell back again up ahead on 16 before Woods bounced back impressively with a 12 footer for birdie on the 15th.

Woods pointed at the cup as the ball dropped as if he knew that would be the death knell for his pursuers.

"I said going to 15, 'you got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out of it. That birdie was huge," said Woods, who won last week's WGC Invitational by eight shots.

From then on he strolled unchallenged to his first major title of 2007 following second at this year's Masters and US Open and tied for 12th at the Open Championship in Carnoustie.

Woods' wife Elin and two-month-old daughter Sam were beside the 18th green to watch him hole the winning putt and he admitted that was a special moment.

"That is a feeling I have never experienced before and to have her (Sam) here brings chills to me even now. It's so cool," he said.

The victory gave Woods 59 PGA Tour wins in 213 professional starts, fifth-best on the all-time list behind Arnold Palmer (62) and five off Ben Hogan in third. Sam Snead holds the career win mark at 82, nine ahead of Nicklaus.

All seven winners of majors held at Southern Hills have now led at both the 54 and 36 hole stage, while the winner of the USPGA has come from the final pairing for the past 11 years.

Els, 37, insisted he is going in the right direction following a fourth place at last month's Open.

"My putts on the 9th and the 11th holes and the drive on 16 are the three shots I'd like to have back," said the world number four.

Els won the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and the Open at Muirfield in 2002 and has had eight top 10s in majors since then.

But he missed most of 2005 after injuring his knee on a sailing holiday and is still trying to rediscover his previous form.

World number three Phil Mickelson carded 17 pars and one birdie in a closing 69 for six over as he struggles back from a wrist injury.

Tags: golf

Congratulations to Angel Cabrera on his victory at Oakmont in the US Open Golf.

The 37-year-old Cabrera was forced to play a cruel game of wait-and-see after posting a 1-under-par 69, which made him the only player in the field to post two sub-par rounds all week and led to his eventual winning total of 5-over-par 285. Cabrera's wait was made exceptionally uncomfortable because after 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk faltered with a bogey at the 17th hole, the only player left that could catch him was the one player no one wants to be chased by -- 12-time major champ and world No.

...Life is good for Cabrera right now, a three-time winner on the European Tour, whose previous best major championship finish was a tie for fourth at the 1999 British Open -- which coincidentally was played at Carnoustie, the same course that will host the 2007 British Open in five weeks.

...Woods was looking for his first come-from-behind win in a major, but instead had to settle for the fourth runner-up/co-runner-up finish in majors of his career, including the second time in 2007.

...Australia's Aaron Baddeley had a two-shot lead after 54 holes, but saw it disappear after just one hole in the final round with a triple bogey to Woods' par at No.... The three-shot swing put an end to Baddeley, who tied for 13th after his final-round 10-over-par 80 -- his worst round of the week by eight shots.

...Just because Badds made 7 on the first hole, we still have 17 more to go; it's not like they're handing out the trophy on the first green," Woods said.

..."Considering that they softened the golf course up for us and we still shot 5 over par as a winning score, that shows you how difficult this golf course really is.

...Leading into the tournament, the talk surrounding this U.S. Open had less to do with Phil Mickelson's debacle on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot in 2006 and more to due with the left wrist he injured while practicing at brutal Oakmont a couple of weeks before the Open.

...The 10-over 148 total required to make the cut turned out to be the third-highest in relation to par since World War II, tying the 10-over 154 cut line in 1972 at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

..."You should get penalized for missing a shot, but I don't know if it should be as black and white as it is," Ogilvy said, obviously frustrated after his round on Sunday.

...While the U.S. Open didn't end with the best player in the world -- Woods -- taking home his third title, Cabrera's victory made him the third consecutive first-time major winner at the U.S. Open, joining New Zealand's Michael Campbell at Pinehurst in 2005 and Ogilvy last year at Winged Foot.

Tags: golf