7th January 2024 (12pm)
Well moving day at the Sentry couldn't have went much better for GBC! 40/1 in-play tip Chris Kirk has moved into pole position whilst our pre-event pick 100/1 Harris English shot the round of the day to move into T6th, three back of Kirk. 28/1 Matt Fitzpatrick is one further back, not completely out of it.
To top off the evening, my speculative 3 ball treble of Kirk, Bhatia and Hun An came in at 50/1! I would never put these sort of bets up for Golf Betting Club as they are just a bit of fun and rarely come in, but it made staying up until 1am worthwhile!
The Masters snooker begins today and I'm going to make an effort to follow it this year. I used to be a massive snooker fan growing up but lost my way with it for some reason, maybe the amount of time golf betting/viewing takes. There's not much to separate Trump and O'Sullivan at the front of the market but it's a pretty open event. I'm likely to back Ronnie as he chases the triple crown, something he will be desperate to add this year.
6th January 2024 (5:30pm)
It's Saturday of the FA Cup but I can't help feel the competition isn't as exciting as it once was. I'm not sure if it's due to the lack of shocks today and the feeling that there has never been a bigger gulf in class between the premier league and lower leagues, but for whatever reason it doesn't excite me like it used to. A great atmosphere at Sunderland hosting Newcastle but the match seemed to emphasise how much money has changed the game.
I spent most of the morning giggling away at Joey Barton's meltdown on twitter although maybe we shouldn't be laughing, that man is seriously troubled and it has a feeling this will only end bad for him.
Scottie Scheffler has taken command at the Sentry and is going to be a hard man to beat. All very much to play for though. Our three ball bet on Chris Kirk loses by one as he misses a short birdie putt on the last, a classic!
5th January 2024 (5:30pm)
A brutal reminder last night how tough watching golf in Hawaii is for UK punters! I lasted until about 1am, with every year that comes in my thirties I am losing ability to stay awake! A frustrating start for us as our main pick Mat Fitzpatrick bogeys two of his last three holes to fall back to 4 under par - oh how I've missed you golf!
4th January 2024 (7pm)
Well my 28/1 in-play bet on Littler wasn't to be, but what a final we were treated to! It could have been so different had Littler nailed that double two to go 5-2 up on sets and again, missing three doubles in the final set. Those three missed doubles also cost me my over 101.5 Luke Littler average bet but Humphries delivered for me, averaging well over 102.5.
I did also manage to cover Humphries in the outright market when he went 4-2 down. I was on for a good win with Littler but a little hedge softens the blow when they don't come in and I went bed relatively happy with my tournament's work despite not having the winner in the end! I'm going to make more of an effort to the follow the darts in 2024 as it seems to work well for me, time will tell whether it was a fluke or I have a knack for it.
The golf has just got under way in Hawaii so that's all for today!
3rd January 2024 (6pm)
Luke 'the Nuke' Littler! What a performance and as I write this, he is hours away from his final with Luke Humphries. Unfortunately, I didn't back Littler each way so it's going to be a nervy night ahead, I will likely hedge a few hundred quid profit though - if Humphries plays like he did last night I think even Littler will struggle to beat him.
We have posted our first golf tips of the year in The Sentry subscribers group but it's always one of the trickiest event to call with the lack of form available, so we will be focusing mostly on in-play betting. Cameron Davis is our favourite price at 66's each way, a vastly improved player who has the perfect game for Kapalua.
The story of the golfing world today was Rory McIlroy's interview with Gary Neville and co, where it felt like he was backtracking quite a bit on his stance on LIV. I must say he came across very well on the interview and for anyone that hasn't watched it, give it a go. He appears to have put the LIV hate to one side for now and it will likely only improve his golf, a big year should be expected for our Rory.
Over in the football world, Bowen didn't bang and I'm looking forward to a welcome FA Cup break!
2nd January 2024 (5pm)
It always amazes me how quickly you can lose your fitness if you have a couple of weeks off but the first one back is always the hardest! I've also banned having bread/bagels/rolls in the house - my honeymoon is in 14 days and the dad-bod panic has begun, you don't need any kids to have one of them I can assure you!
It was a mixed day sporting wise for me yesterday. In the darts, Chris Dobey was sent crashing out in the cruellest of fashions, losing 5-4 from a 4-0 lead, but I also backed Cross, Dobey, Littler and MVG to beat an average of around 98.5 and the first three obliged before MVG collapsed. I wasn't complaining though, as it's improved the chances of 16 year old Luke 'the Nuke' Littler! I read today he has a 21 year old girlfriend which was inevitably followed by the "what if it was the other way round" comments on Twitter/X. All of which were trumped by "Luke Fiddler" at the top of the comments!It's day two of 'clean living' and the lunchtime boot camp class at the gym nearly finished me off, the phrase 'blowing out my arse' comes to mind!
Over in the footballing world, a 2nd half goal burst at Anfield sent my Fantasy Premier League (FPL) dreams crashing, having not captained Mo Salah. How shit are Newcastle - Liverpool had an XG of 7.3! It may be worth warning you from the outset that I take FPL far too seriously, to the point where it can ruin my day/week! I have developed an unhealthy habit of placing a small hedge on dangerous players I have not selected or captained. It has been kind to the bank balance in truth but I honestly think I'd rather lose the money and make up some much needed ground on my rivals! I have Bowen playing tonight so my wife should be prepared for a chorus of "Bowen's on fire, and he's shaggin Dani Dyerrrrrr" if he scores!
We're a day closer to the start of The Sentry and the research has begun. It's a tricky task until we hear some interviews though, who's been pissing about over Xmas etc, hopefully we will have some transcripts available tomorrow.
1st January 2024 (3pm)
It may be a sign of old age but the 1st of January has now become a day of relief, that I can give my body a much needed rest from the holiday binging and get back into the usual routine of work, fitness and annoying my wife with golf on the TV Thursday-Sunday. I will happily not see any cheese, prosecco or gravy for some time.
It's also the day which I start to turn my attention towards the PGA Tour, with the Sentry starting earlier than ever on the 4th of January, before some lunatics haven't even taken their Christmas tree down no doubt. A strong field is assembled for the first elevated event of the year, with only Rory McIlroy absent, excluding the LIV Rebels of course.
More on that later in the week but a quick word about the PDC World Darts Championship which seems to be growing with popularity every year. Who hasn't been captivated by the story of Luke Littler who reached the semi final with ease this afternoon at the age of 16? I certainly have, not least because I backed him in-running at 28/1 when my jaw was dropping at how good he was!
I'll admit I am late to join the bandwagon but it's an incredibly entertaining sport to watch and has been a profitable one so far too. I have been enjoying betting on the 'averages' on Betfair exchange, picking quality operators to produce the goods - every dart counts which makes it an entertaining betting experience! The timing of the event in particular fills the void for golf betting fanatics and I intend on trying to follow other events closer in 2024 - Darts Betting Club anyone?
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