The sporting weekend

One of the few ethical issues that trouble those that wager on sport is betting against your own team. On one hand there are those that say why not, winning can be a consolation for defeat on the pitch, whilst others view it as heresy. It is undoubtedly true that having a financial interest in the result affects your viewing.

I found myself in this position in the Lions test. I had the All Blacks to win by 1-12 points but was warming to the possibility of a Lions victory.

This is why I stake low. If I lose my tenner so what? It is also the reason why I like to bet on golf, namely I have no particular favourite. You also get generous odds, it is not fixed and chance does not play such a large role.

The problem with golf is that if you back a player to finish in top five and he shares that position they fractionalise the odds. I also more patriotically backed Conor Murray to score a try at 6-1 which still put me ahead of the game with something to spare.

In the French Open played on the 2018 Ryder Cup course I had backed Tommy Fleetwood who won comfortably and doubtless as the Open approaches we will be hearing a lot more of this 26 year old from Southport who claimed his second European Tour win.

How many times will we have to hear about him sneaking as a lad into the Royal Birkdale course? That and Mr Lu hitting his drive miles out of bounds, striking a lady on her head and bouncing back onto the fairway to claim a birdie will be the main stories alongside Ian Baker Finch winning in 1981 and never winning anything again.

I enjoy the Tour de France but the problem for us spielers is the injury count. We have already lost Contador and my fancy Izaguirre for the Mountains. It’s becoming a bit of a Grand National.

Over at the USPGA Quicklen Loans Kyle Stanley won the play off over Charles Howell 111, the man who has trousered over $30m but never won a tourney. David Love 111, Harold Varner 111, these third generations are worth a punt.