Rhodes to profit

John Rhodes: It was a great week at Sky Bet Towers on the Golf, with all the losses from last week's Stanley and Lawrie double tip recouped and more! Cabrera-Bello was certainly a surprise winner, although I tipped him on here for the Qatar event, so I was a week too early. Gutted that I never stuck with him for one more week!

SS: What were the lowest prices that Westwood, McIlroy and Kaymer traded at in-running and what odds was Cabrera-Bello pre-event?

JR: Cabrera-Bello was 100-1 with Sky Bet for the Dubai Desert Classic and virtually friendless in a very strong event. During the event, Lee Westwood traded at 4-9 during day four, Rory traded at 5-4 during day three and Martin Kaymer was as low as 11-4 during day two after his hole-in-one.

SS: I had a bit of a twitter chat about hole-in-one betting after Kaymer made his ace. It seems some decent judges still think the odds for a hole-in-one at a particular tournament are 100/1 so were flabbergasted when I said it was more like 5/4! Were you betting on a hole-in-one last week and is it a popular market with punters?

JR: Yeah, we bet on a hole-in-one in all US and Euro events. The odds are around even money, but can fluctuate around that mark, depending on what the par 3s are like at each event. The market itself isn't that popular, but I guess it wouldn't be so, especially when you go back years ago to the infamous "Hole in One gang" who caned the ignorant bookies who were laying big prices.

SS: Are you a fan of Cabrera-Bello and what are his Race to Dubai odds now?

JR: I am Dave. As mentioned, I tipped him on RTP for the Qatar Masters at 80-1, so to see him win the week after was a bit gut-renching for me. I put him in the same bracket as Alvaro Quiros. A big hitter, who likes the sun on his back, one who is most certainly a horses for courses player, so look out for him on courses where length is the premium. He is down to 40-1 for the RTD after his win in Dubai, from a 150-1 quote.

SS: On the US Tour, Phil Mickelson produced a stunning charge to win for the fourth time at Pebble Beach. What odds was he pre-tournament, what price was he when going into the final round six shots back and was he a good result for Sky Bet?

JR: Yes, despite Mickelson being second favourite for the event, all the money was for Woods at our standout 11-2 quote, so Phil went mostly unbacked through the event. He went off 20-1, and was 14-1 heading into the final round, despite being six shots back of Charlie Wi. Amazingly by the sixth hole he held the outright lead himself, a huge turnaround.

SS: It now seems more common to see Tiger wilt rather than thrive in the final round. Was there a big plunge on him at Pebble ahead of the last round or are punters starting to doubt him?

JR: It was more pre-tourney Dave. I wanted to take him on at 11-2 before the event, as I suspected his putting would struggle on the bumpy greens in California. And although my prediction looked a bit shaky entering the final day, his fourth round putting looked as though Tiger had the proverbial "live rattle snake" in his hands, a putting performance you certainly wouldn't have expected from Woods back in his pomp.

SS: Mickelson has now beaten Tiger five times in a row in final round head-to-head clashes and hammered him by 11 shots on Sunday at Pebble. What were your two-ball prices before that match-up and what would they be next time?!

JR: We were 8-11 Woods, 6-4 Mickleson and 15-2 the Tie. Mickelson won very easily, due to his own excellent play and Woods having a shocker. It's hard to say what the prices would be next time they go head-to-head as it's mostly a decision taken on the day. After all, in the 54 holes before they met on Sunday, Woods was leading by two over Mickelson, so obviously playing a little better.

SS: I see you've cut Mickelson's Masters odds on the back of that win. But why is Tiger still favourite given that, in the last nine Masters, Phil has won three times and Tiger just once?

JR: Mickelson's price has halved now Dave. I was 16s before Pebble Beach, and now go 8-1 after laying him a lot during Sunday night's play. Woods is still favourite on reputation alone in my opinion, as you could make an argument that both Rory and Phil, and maybe even Westwood and Donald, could be shorter than him for Augusta. We all know that if the old Tiger comes back then he would be a huge favourite. I remember only a few years ago he went off at sub 2-1 for the Masters, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him tee off being a 7 or 8-1 chance.

SS: Mickelson looks to make it back-to-back victories on the US Tour by capturing this week's Northern Trust Open at Riviera. How do you price that one up?

JR: On a course he clearly loves, Lefty is an 8-1 shot to make it back-to-back victories. His stats for victories in the month of February is unbelievable, so he has to be kept onside, as his game looked in tip top shape on Sunday night and he was very bullish too. Luke Donald is 14-1 second best, and big hitting Dustin Johnson is 22-1. Last year's winner Aaron Baddeley is 28-1 to repeat.

SS: The European Tour heads to India for the Avantha Masters. Odds for that one?

JR: A second rate field in terms of quality line up here Dave. Dutchman Joost Luiten is the 16-1 favourite with consistent Frenchman Gregory Havret next at 18-1. Jamie Donaldson at 20-1 may have found a golden chance to break his European Tour duck this week.

SS: Any other events you're betting on this week?

JR: A plethora of events are keeping me busy this week with no less than 10 tournaments from around the globe for Sky Bet punters to get their teeth into. Apart from the two main events, we have the Champions Tour event, the LPGA event in Thailand, the NZ Women's Open, the Nationwide Tour gets underway in Columbia, the Victorian PGA on the Australasian Tour, the Alps Tour in Morocco, the Hi 5 event in Spain and finally a strong field is assembled in South Africa for the Dimension-Data Pro-Am. With Coetzee, Aiken, Grace and Kingston in action this event really should be worth a second look.

SS: Finally, John, what is your best bet of the week?

JR: Nothing really sticks out at all this week, but I'll stick with Mickelson after his most impressive victory last week. Okay the odds are skinny but he's a multiple course winner and is the class act in California.

SS: Thanks John.