Published: January 3, 2025, 12:41h.
Last updated: January 3, 2025, 12:41h.
The 2025 PGA Tour season officially began in Kapalua with The Sentry, offering a $20M prize pool for a field comprised of last year’s winners and those who qualified for the Tour Championship.
With the expansion of legal sports betting, golf has become a popular sport for bettors, especially those willing to take risks.
Most PGA Tour events feature a large field of players, making it challenging for bettors to pick a tournament winner. While some wager small amounts, losses have accumulated for sportsbooks over time.
Even when a bettor beats the odds in golf, the payouts are usually modest. For example, a $10 bet on Justin Thomas at 10/1 odds would only yield $100.
High Stakes, Low Returns
Some bettors are now taking bigger risks in hopes of increasing their chances of winning. In addition to outright winner bets, sportsbooks offer options like top 10 finishes, top 25 finishes, and making the cut, providing bettors with more betting opportunities.
This week in Hawaii, Sporttrade’s “Whale Tracker” noted several high-value bets on players not winning, including bets on Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, and Nick Dunlap.
After the first round, Morikawa is tied for fourth, while Cantlay and Dunlap are off to decent starts with scores of +1 and +3, respectively.
A particularly risky bet on Will Zalatoris not winning would only yield $98 despite his strong showing in the opening round.
Conventional Golf Betting
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler recently suffered a hand injury, but remains a favorite in betting markets for upcoming major tournaments.
After a successful season in 2024, Scheffler is favored to win all four major tournaments this year, according to FanDuel.
Rory McIlroy is also a top pick in the betting markets for the upcoming major tournaments.