Padraig Harrington is 10/1 with Ladbrokes to win a major in 2011Despite his poor 2010 campaign, Padraig Harrington isn’t being written off by the bookies as a major contender for 2011.

Rated 10/1 by Ladbrokes, he’s not exactly short odds, but the smart money appears to be on Ulstermen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell following their stand out performances in 2010.

McIlroy is 4/1 to win his first major in 2011 with reigning US Open champion McDowell a tempting 8/1 to add to his tally.

McDowell is also 33/1 to defend his US Open title at Congressional Country Club in Maryland next June - though the fact that they don’t say “successfully defend” is unlikely to cut much ice when you go to collect on the Portrush man’s 15th place finish.

The last man to retain the US Open trophy was Curtis Strange in 1989 but if McDowell doesn’t do it, the English bookmakers are also offering 12/1 that the trophy will remain in Ireland.
 
Despite his 2010 travails, Woods is still the man who strikes fear into the hearts of the oddsmakers - 5/4 to collect his 15th major and 6/4 to regain his world No 1 spot before the end of 2011.

Personally, I’d take McIlroy to break into the world’s top 5 at 2/1 as a better bet. Or Harrington at 10/1 to win another major, providing he starts hitting those fairways again.
 
Ladbrokes 2011

• Tiger Woods to win a major 5/4
• Tiger Woods to be world No 1 on December 31st 2011 6/4
• Rory McIlroy to be ranked world No 5 or higher in 2011 2/1
• Any Irish golfer to win the 2011 Irish Open 3/1
• Rory McIlroy to win any major  4/1
• Graeme McDowell to win any major   8/1
• Padraig Harrington to win any major 10/1
• Any other Irish golfer to win any major 20/1
• An Irishman to win the US Open 12/1
• McDowell to defend his US Open title  33/1