Betting tips / Ralph Ellis / 08 December 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

With a lot of young emerging talent, Ralph Ellis wonders if Tiger's win at the Chevron World Challenge warrants the money that has come in for him in The Masters.

Rory McIlroy ought to have enough problems trying to take on Luke Donald this week but he's still been tempted to talk about Tiger Woods.

"Playing him would be a huge experience," says the US Open champ.

Meanwhile Lee Westwood, third in the world behind Donald and McIlroy, and one of the group of golfers who have taken over from Tiger at the top, says Woods remains: "the biggest name in golf".

Oh yes, the fact that Woods has finally brought himself out of the wilderness by winning the Chevron World Challenge on Sunday night has been warmly welcomed by everybody in a sport that has been missing it's brightest star. And just to underline the strength of his reputation, Tiger has already come in from a longest price of about [14.5] to be [6.8] favourite for The Masters.

Lay it while you can. Yes, it's great to see the man who gave golf worldwide appeal is finally putting his darkest days behind him. And we'd all love to see the Tiger story move into a beautiful, Hollywood style ending where he recovers his place on the pantheon. In reality, life's not like that.

For a start you've got to remember that the scene of Tiger's first tournament win in 26 months might have been called the World Challenge - but that's a bit like baseball naming it's top tournament the World Series. The very best players in the current rankings - the aforementioned Donald, McIlroy and Westwood - weren't there. They were busy in other parts of the planet collecting trophies and prize money, and most of them tee it up at the Dubai World Championship tomorrow. It's a tournament that far more deserves the word "World" in the middle of the title.

McIlory at [8.0], incidentally, looks worth backing for that one because the course is perfectly suited to his naturally high ball flight. In contrast Donald hasn't done so well there - ninth last year and 37th in 2009. It means Rory to end up as Race to Dubai winner at between [10.5] and [17.5] has to be worth a fun flutter.

Then you have to realise quite how far down Woods has slipped. Anybody will tell you that, in any sport, getting into the top ten is achievable. But the gulf from numbers five and six up to two or three is huge, and you don't cross it without a lot of work.

Jim Furyk said of Woods: "If he steadily progresses, keeps getting confidence, he's going to be one of the best again."

That's the sort of kind statement you say about an emerging teenager, but at 36 this month, Tiger is clearly in the old boys' camp.

He's not only got to compete against McIlroy and the Europeans who are hitting their peak. There's a whole new generation of college kids like Nick Watney, sixth in the betting for Augusta at [36.0], who are emerging. They might have grown up inspired by what they saw Woods doing, but they will have no fear of him.

It's good to see Tiger's tail wagging again, but is he out of the Woods yet? Not by a long way.

Five things you might not know about Nick Watney
1. Born April 1981 in Sacramento, his Uncle Mike was a PGA pro so he got good lessons from the age of three!

2. He only ever played one American Junior Golf Association event - most of them are held on the Eastern side of the States and he couldn't afford to travel.

3. He missed five of his first seven cuts when he left college and started out on the Nationwide Tour

4. His wife Amber is the niece of PGA tour veteran Omar Uresti. His other family claim to fame is a cousin Heidi Watney who is the on-field reporter for Boston Red Sox.

5. He's into rap music - but his favourite drink is chocolate milk! Very rock and roll!