If you are like me, a golf major means placing more bets than the average tournament.
Most weeks, I usually stick to my outright card and my one and done pool to have action on a golf tourney. When it is a major, however, I’m more inclined to bet first-round leaders and on particular matchups.
I’ve already shared my outright picks for the 2022 PGA Championship in this week’s preview, so now it is time to focus on the props. Fortunately for us, WynnBET recently released Round 1 matchups — so you don’t have to wait until Sunday to cash a ticket!
Here’s a look at those odds and a few bets I’d consider making for Thursday. Make sure to place all of your bets at WynnBET’s online betting app.
Round 1 Matchups
(All odds as of Wednesday, May 18)
Justin Thomas -130 vs. Collin Morikawa +100
Dustin Johnson +115 vs. Patrick Cantlay -145
Matthew Fitzpatrick -120 vs. Joaquin Niemann -110
Shane Lowry -125 vs. Brooks Koepka -105
Daniel Berger -110 vs. Louis Oosthuizen -120
Hideki Matsuyama -110 vs. Xander Schauffele -120
Tyrrell Hatton +110 vs. Will Zalatoris -140
Viktor Hovland -105 vs. Cameron Smith -125
Jordan Spieth +105 vs. Rory McIlroy -135
Tiger Woods +100 vs. Justin Rose -130
Cameron Young +100 vs. Sam Burns -130
Rickie Fowler +125 vs. Harold Varner III -160
Jon Rahm -115 vs. Scottie Scheffler
More selections available at WynnBET!
Three Bets To Consider
Shane Lowry (-125) over Brooks Koepka — After betting on him to win the Masters, Lowry just missed my outright card for this week. But I’ll wager on him here, because Lowry comes in with great form. Iron play will be huge this week, and Lowry ranks sixth in strokes gained approach over the last 50 rounds. I get why Koepka is a popular outright play at his current price, but it is just as easy to see how this could be a short weekend for him. I'll fade Koepka in Round 1.
Max Homa (-110) over Tony Finau — Homa won the Wells Fargo last time out, so let’s ride the hot hand after he gained 15 total strokes en route to victory. Homa hasn’t missed a cut since January, and has produced better numbers than Finau in almost every category over the last 10 events. In particular, Homa has gained 3.4 strokes on approach over the last five tournaments compared to a 1.7 mark by Finau.
Xander Schauffele (-120) over Hideki Matsuyama — Matsuyama told reporters today that he’s experiencing neck pain, which is never a good sign. I’ve lost a lot of money betting on Schauffele to win outright, but I only need him to do well in Round 1 here. Schauffele ranks 12th in this field in approach over the last 50 rounds, and is coming off a fifth-place finish last weekend.
