While the PGA Tour traveled back to SoCal for a three-week stint, we’re using the time to check out a few future bets on the 2023 majors.
We’re going to look at five prop bets for the 2023 majors and why they are good–or bad–betting options.
As we all know, sometimes the numbers look great, but looking closer they might be too good to believe. Let’s take a glimpse at these prop bets, courtesy of BetMGM, and dig a little deeper to see if we can cash a few tickets down the line.
Or in some cases, stay away from bets completely. The one thing about these wagers is they are all “yes” bets. There isn’t a “no” option for these props, which is unfortunate because two of them would get a big following from us.
Here are a couple of bets to shy away from and a couple of bets to go ahead and put a few bucks on.
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Five Props Bets on Major Tournaments in 2023
Prop No. 1: Any player to win two or more majors at +175.
We’re going to take a hard pass on this bet for a couple of reasons. First, the odds are way too low. Granted, this isn’t picking any one golfer to win two majors. The bet is whether any player wins two majors this year.
While the PGA Tour’s players are impressive week-in and week-out, winning two of golf’s elite events out of the four on the schedule is worth more than +175.
When you’ve got players like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, and other top-ranked players gearing up for golf’s biggest four events, we would need much, much better odds to even think about taking this bet.
Prop No. 2: Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm to each win a major at +1400.
Now we’re talking. This prop bet has solid odds with the spotlight on two of golf’s top players. That can certainly be a winning proposition, but there is a caveat.
We have no doubt McIlroy will be competitive in all four majors. Rahm may be a different story despite the fact that right now he’s the hottest player on the planet.
In 2022, McIlroy had an average finish of 4.5 in the majors, meaning he was on the first page of the leaderboard in all four. For his career, the world’s No. 1 player, has four majors so last year’s high finishes shouldn’t surprise anyone.
On the other hand, Rahm had an average finish of 30.25 last year. He did win the 2021 U.S. Open, so he has a major victory, but last year’s finishes make this the questionable portion of the bet for us.
If you’re looking for a prop that gives good bang for the buck, here’s one that fits the bill.
Prop No. 3: All four majors won by US player at +1000.
This is another bet that, on the face of it, is intriguing. Diving a little deeper, though, we don’t feel this is a good bet. Now, if you can find a “No” option for this bet at a different sportsbook, go ahead and grab it. We certainly would.
As always, shop around the sports betting industry for the best odds on your plays.
Since 1982, when Tom Watson won two of the majors — and Raymond Floyd and Craig Stadler each picked up one major win — it hasn’t been done.
One more caveat to add: In 2020, three U.S. players won majors (Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa, and Dustin Johnson) but the Open Championship was canceled that year due to the COVID pandemic.
And once again, putting the likes of McIlroy, Rahm, and other foreign players in the mix makes it a tough bet.
Prop No. 4: Which major will have the lowest score in relation to par?
Bettors have options here, but this one takes a little more diving. The odds-on favorites are the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool at -160, and The Masters at Augusta National at +160. Third on the list is the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club at +1000. Bringing up the rear is the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club at +2000.
Now comes the fun part: Dissecting all the possibilities.
We’re going to drop the favorite, the Open Championship, for one simple reason: weather possibilities. At -160, it’s not great odds to start with, but throw in the possibility of wind, rain and cold–or all of the above at the same time–and this number doesn’t appeal to us.
At the other end of the spectrum is the U.S. Open. If you’re a golf fan, think back to previous U.S. Opens, and how the people setting up the course have a tendency to give it a little more bite than normal events. That doesn’t bode well for low scores.
That leaves us with Augusta National at +160, and Oak Hill Country Club at +1000. We’re going to take the smaller odds at +160 and go with the Masters. The reasoning is simple as these guys play this course every year. The other courses are rotated.
This will be the fourth time the PGA Championship has been held at Oak Hill, and the three previous winning scores are 10-under-par in 2013 by Jason Dufner, Shaun Micheel at two-under-par in 2003, and Jack Nicklaus at six-under-par in 1980.
On the other hand, the winning total at The Masters has reached double digits in five straight years and six out of the last eight. We’re expecting this group of PGA Tour stars to keep that trend moving in this direction.
Prop No. 5: Will Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele both make the cut in all four majors?
At +300, it’s a decent number. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are two of the world’s best golfers, but here’s a disclaimer. Schauffele withdrew from the Tournament of Champions with a bad back, and if you play the game of golf you know those can flare up at any time.
The “X” man’s T-3 last week at the American Express seems to show he’s back in form. If he stays healthy, both players are near the top of the world rankings for a reason. They perform each and every week.
And in each and every major.
Also read: The Masters Odds | PGA Championship Odds | US Open Odds | The Open Odds
Longshots who can win Majors in 2023 | McIlroy, Rahm Lead Odds to Win 2023 Major
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