Tiger Woods odds-on to stay world number one

This has been an unbelievable year for Henrik Stenson and also pretty memorable for Adam Scott and Justin Rose, but Coral make Tiger Woods 4/7 to see off all challenges and stay top of the pile in 2014.

The 14-times major champion may have failed to deliver when it really mattered in 2013, but he is still the daddy with bookmakers and punters alike. He’s 5/1 to win the US Masters at Augusta in April for a fifth time and the same price to win his fourth Open title at Royal Liverpool in July.

Though without a major victory since 2008, Woods has climbed back to number one after a long spell out due to injury and personal reasons and nobody could be more determined to hang on to what he’s got. He is also 5/6 to chase down and pass Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour wins next year – he needs just four more.

Coral have any number of New Year golf specials and one that catches the eye is the 9/4 somebody shoots a 59 or less on the PGA Tour.

This was first achieved back in 1977 by Al Geiberger and only five times since, so at first glance 9/4 doesn’t seem much of a price, but three players have shot the magic number in the past four seasons as improved technology helps the scores go lower.

Nobody has yet broken 60 on the European Tour (Coral go 11/2 that it happens next year), but that, too, is surely only a matter of time.

Annika Sorenstem shot 59 on the LPGA Tour in 2001 and you wonder whether one of the many brilliant teenagers playing around the world today will match that feat in the coming years.

Charley Hull is England’s own big hope for the future, but 16-year-old New Zealander Lydia Ko, though one year younger, has already stolen a march on the Solheim Cup star by shooting up to fourth in the world rankings, despite turning professional only last October.

Ko has already set records on the LPGA Tour and is such a talent that Coral rate her a 6/1 chance to win her first major during 2014.

Only two golfers have ever won the Sports Personality of the Year award (Dai Rees in 1957 and Sir Nick Faldo in 1989) and in a World Cup year, the sport may struggle to get a look in again.