Who are we backing for the 2018 majors?
The Open betting: Who to back at Carnoustie
I suppose I’m just destined to chuck money his way every time Sergio Garcia (25/1) appears at the Open. It always amazes me that the oddsmakers give me a price that suits.
Sergio has been gold in the oldest major – he has 10 top 10s and five top 5s since 2001. Before his unexpected Masters success, any pundit who thought he was going break his major duck would have expected him to do it on a windswept links in July.
Garcia finished tied-37th last year but that doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Of all the Open venues, Birkdale has been the one where he has underachieved.
He didn’t get off to a good start at Carnoustie, having said that. He walked off in tears after an opening round 89 way back in 1999. A month later, though, he hit THAT shot at the PGA Championship and his whole life changed.
He definitely should have won on this toughest of Scottish venues eight years later but, after three amazing days, was reeled in by Padraig Harrington and squeezed out in a play-off.
That defeat hurt, as his reaction afterwards to the Irishman was testament, and he will return here with a point to prove.
And also with the Masters jacket finally off his back. It’s a tough ask to play well after winning in Augusta – a lot is expected of you as the green jacket ambassador.
Sergio, however, won his home tournament in Valderrama. He loves his jacket, but he wants a Claret Jug. Is this finally the year?
Who is Steve backing for the PGA Championship? His 2018 betting guide continues over the page…
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
