I mentioned a couple of weeks ago I’d give some thoughts on my recent decision to back my golfers win-only. Choosing today to do that is something of an irony, because of last week’s eight golfers put up by Weekly Golf Value, five of them I backed each way! The only reason I did so was because I could, and get value on the price of each golfer to place, which is what WGV sets out to provide. How? Simple. Because it was one of golf’s majors, BetFred were going eight places in the shops, so I was able to back the relevant players with cash, netting a return from Rickie Fowler’s Top 5 finish (it could have been so much better for the guy who led for three quarters of the tournament). I backed three of the WGV picks win-only on the Exchange, plus another two win only that I got from the Bookie Bashing Golf Tracker.
However, value is not always prevalent at the shops on the more mundane, week-to-week tournaments. At least, not when I can get to the shops. I will be trying to find some, and utilise those ‘to place’ prices, not only with WGV but those players put up by Edwards Tips and PGA Profit too.
So I would estimate that 80% of my golf bets moving forward will be win-only on the Exchanges, and 20% placed in cash in the shops.
Adaptability through your betting journey was a key theme discussed when I was a part of recording a soon-to-be-released SBC podcast last week. And it’s interesting when I reflect on the fact that if at the start of my betting life I’d even consider backing golfers at big prices win-only, never mind actually doing it, well… It just wouldn’t have been something I’d have given a moment’s consideration to. I found backing horses at odds over 4/1 a mental trial.
I guess experience counts for a lot. Now, I genuinely do just switch off any thoughts of winning, try to be as consistent as I can be in what sort of bets I take and from whom, and dispassionately wait for the next winner. Sure, it’s great when the winner comes and it can get tense when I’m watching a golfer I’ve backed and in contention battling down the back nine on the last day…but for 99% of the time it’s all a pretty mundane exercise. Very, very few adrenaline rushes. Just an acceptance that it’s all a waiting game, and it could be a long wait. So what’s the point of getting excitable? Tom Brownlee has spoken of the ‘Dark Arts of betting’. One of them is making sure you can get on. Got to admit, that’s kinda what I concentrate on now. Getting on. And after that, what will be will be.
Perhaps I’m dead inside?
Results update on Wednesday.
