Durham bookmakers Pagebet have responded quickly to a Journal Sport story - by opening a book on Michelle Wie winning a men's major title during her career.
We predicted the feat in the Teeing Off golf column yesterday and Pagebet agree with us her chances are good.
They are offering odds of no more than 2-1 on the 16-year-old American making history by one day blitzing Tiger Woods and the other top men off the course in a major.
Pagebet commercial manager David Grouse said: "When we noticed that story in The Journal, we got our heads together and decided we wanted to be at the forefront of opening a book on Michelle Wie winning a men's Open.
"We have specialist golf experts who determine our odds. They examined the Journal story and came to the conclusion it was logical Michelle should stand a great chance of becoming the first woman to do it.
"Odds of 2-1 do not sound generous, but we have to guard against the possibility of the golf authorities making rule changes in the future, such as allowing women to play off women's tees in the Open."
Pagebet are even more cautious on Wie's odds to make the cut in a 2006 PGA / European Tour men's accredited event, offering 1-6.
But she's a more generous 16-1 to achieve a top-10 finish on the same tour this year.
Said the No 1 ranked female golfer in the North-East, Whitley Bay's Northumberland champion Julie Ross: "The best bet of the three is the last one.
"She's almost made the cut a couple of times on the US men's tour, so that's a good sign.
"She'll go out and play a few women's tour events this year - getting used to playing three or four rounds in a row - and that will help her chances of a men's top 10 finish."
