Caesars posts proposition on handicapped pro golfer

Spencer Patterson

Tuesday, June 16, 1998 | 10:58 a.m.

Casey Martin fever has hit Las Vegas.

With the cart-driving Martin slated to play his first major tournament at this week's U.S. Open, Caesars Palace posted a proposition bet Monday on whether or not the handicapped golfer will make the cut.

Martin opened at minus 300 not to make it past Friday's second round and plus 250 to play this weekend.

"There has been some notoriety about this kid, and it enables us to post odds on something a little different," Caesars Race & Sports Book Manager Rich Baccellieri said.

Although the Open won't generate the type of action local casinos saw for The Masters, it is expected to be the year's second most heavily bet golf event.

As always, a lot of the action likely will center on Tiger Woods, a favorite to win the tournament at the Imperial Palace with 8-1 odds.

But at Caesars, Woods' recent back injury has had a major effect on the golfer's perceived chances to capture his first U.S. Open trophy. After opening as a strong 9-1 favorite, Woods has slipped to 12-1, where he sits with Els and David Duval.

And after opening his Caesars' head-to-head matchup with Jim Furyk as a pick 'em, Woods is now a plus 110 underdog to finish ahead of Furyk, who has surged to minus 130 in the matchup and 15-1 to win the tournament.

According to Imperial Palace Race & Sports Book Director Jay Kornegay, most of the bets his casino takes will come on those types of head-to-head matchups.

"The smarter player will tend to bet the matchups because it's very difficult to pick a winner for the tournament," said Kornegay, who has Woods paired with Duval. "But you can handicap Woods versus Duval from a lot of different angles."

Already, Duval has been a popular choice around town, as evidenced by his move from a 10-1 to 7-1 pick at the IP and from a 15-1 to 12-1 choice at Caesars.

For sentimentalists, a bet on Jack Nicklaus will pay 250-1 at Caesars and 150-1 at the IP, while amateur Matt Kuchar, who sparkled at The Masters, is on the board at 500-1 at the IP and 300-1 at Caesars.

Kornegay said casinos generally expect about 70 percent of their action to come on Wednesday, the day before the Open starts.

To capitalize on the weekend's tourist influx, Caesars will post new odds on Friday night, after the cut has been made. The IP also will take bets after the first two days, mainly on over-unders for what top golfers will shoot during the weekend.

* FREE INSTRUCTION: Boys and girls ages 17-under are invited to participate in the first Las Vegas Junior Golf Day on Saturday, June 27 at the Las Vegas International Golf Center (4813 Paradise Road). The event, which is hosted by the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, Pro Golf of America and the host center, will provide free instruction for players of all levels. Session one, (10-and-under) will be from 9 a.m.-12 noon, while session two (11-17) will be from 12:30-3:30 p.m. To register or for more information, call 798-8700.

* IN MEMORANDUM: The Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association will host the David Kish Memorial Junior Golf Tournament June 22 at Boulder City Golf Course. Kish, a local golf pro who worked as a caddy at Shadow Creek, died in a motorcycle accident in April. Proceeds from the event will help establish a scholarship in his name. For more information, call Jane Schlosser at 433-0646.