Bookies Saved Millions at 2009 Open Championship

Most of the online bookmakers didn't even offer odds on the old timer Tom Watson.  The only thing that hurt the bookies was Watson coming in second to Stewart Cink, whose Tweeter followers are enough that there had to be a few bets placed on the American.

Sportsbook.com did have Cink with payout odds of around +3500 when all was said and done.

$3.2 million was wagered on at William Hill, England's second biggest bookmaker, according to Bloomberg.  This was double the amount taken in last year.  So much for the recession!

Bloomberg also reported that betting support had grown for Watson, who at 59 was seeking to become the oldest winner of a major, after Woods failed to qualify for the final two rounds for only the second time in a major since turning professional.

U.K.-based Ladbrokes took 10 bets on Watson before the championship and saw thousands of people getting involved as the American led going into the final day.

Gambling911.com reports that "British Open Payout" and its many variations was the most hottest search term generating traffic to the site for the month of July thus far, followed with some distance by "2009 British Open".

Payton O'Brien, Gambling911.com Senior Editor