While the PGA Tour takes a break, we’ll stay on the hunt for golf wagers to help keep bettors happy through the biggest downtime in the golf betting calendar.
This time, we’re taking a look at the odds to win a golf major in 2023, but not in the way you might think.
We’re going to break down a couple of golf betting options that might pique bettors’ interest as we celebrate the holiday season with family and friends.
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Can Your Favorite Player Win a Major?
This one’s easy: If you’ve got a golfer you like to bet on, you get four chances to cash this bet with the four majors coming up throughout 2023.
If you’re new to the golf scene, the four majors are the Masters, the PGA Championship, the US Open, and the Open Championship (formerly known as the British Open). All four feature a wide variety of layouts. Only the Masters at Augusta National stays as a permanent site for the event each year, while the other three are hosted by different courses.
If your favorite player already has won a major, you’ve got a leg up on bettors whose favorites are still seeking their first.
That brings us to the odds. Guys like Rory McIlroy (+200), Jon Rahm (+300), and a few others are always high on the fans’ list but their odds certainly aren’t great payouts. Add to the fact a lot of players already have a major victory under their belt, so they have found out they can deal with that added pressure the majors bring.
These Stars Are Seeking a First Major Championship
This brings us to the first of our bets: Players who have won a tournament, but not yet a major. There’s a big difference between the majors and the rest of the PGA Tour schedule.
Don’t believe us? Well, there’s a reason they have one of the oldest sayings around: “He’s the best player right now who hasn’t won a major.”
We’re going to look a little deeper at DraftKings‘ odds and reveal two players who just might help bettors hit that big payout in 2023.
Sam Burns: Odds to Win a Golf Major in 2023
The first player to put on your radar is Sam Burns (+1100 to win a 2023 major at DraftKings).
Burns had three victories in the 2021-22 wraparound season, but his best finish in a major was T-20 at the PGA Championship. That’s the bad news.
The good news is those three wins came throughout the year. Add in seven other top-10s and his play was solid all year long.
This season, Burns has been in three events with a T-7 in the CJ Cup as his best finish. This just might be his year to check ‘Winning a Major’ off his bucket list.
Tony Finau: Odds to Win a Golf Major in 2023
The second one on our early list is Tony Finau (+800 at DraftKings).
He’s slowly, but surely, coming into his own. We say slowly because it’s taken longer than he probably hoped to make an impact on golf’s biggest stage. But once he hit his stride, Finau’s game and attitude both hit high gear.
He put up a pair of wins in the 2021-22 season and added an early-season win this wraparound season, so he’s picking up right where he left off last year. The American doesn’t have any majors on his resume yet, but we’re thinking he will look pretty good in a green jacket.
Finau had a mediocre season going in 2021-22 before he turned it on at the end with four top-five finishes in his last five events, including two victories. Once the calendar hits 2023, he should be in the mix more often than not.
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A Bet Where Your Player Doesn’t Have to Win
A little strange, but this bet is quite simple: Can your player finish in the top five in all four majors?
Sounds simple enough, but when you factor in the toughness of the fields and the variety of the courses, it makes this bet a challenge. In fact, finishing in the top five in all four events hasn’t happened since Rickie Fowler did it back in 2014.
Now the betting favorite on this wager is, of course, McIlroy at +6500. In fact, he’s the only one on the list under +10000. That shows you how much of an impact he has on the majors. Add in the fact he averaged a finish of 4.5 in the four majors and he was right there.
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The only problem is he didn’t have a win in that run. He was second at the Masters, eighth at the PGA Championship, T-5 at the U.S. Open, and third at the Open Championship. Pretty impressive, but despite that fact, he still wouldn’t have cashed that bet.
It’s a risky proposition at best, but we feel if there’s anyone who can cash this huge ticket, McIlroy’s the man. At +6500, it would be an impressive payout.
For a longer long shot, check out Rahm at +10000. He’s always at his best when the spotlight is the brightest.
Top 10 in all 4 Majors? It’s Possible
If the top-five finish has bettors a little leery, how about dropping that wager down a little to a top-10 finish in all four majors?
This one has us licking our lips at backing Justin Thomas at +2000. It’s still good money to back a player who is always around the leaderboard come Sunday, especially when it comes to the majors.
Thomas won the PGA Championship in 2022, so he’s comfortable on the biggest stages. In fact, he’s won the PGA Championship twice as his only two major wins. But, we’re not talking about winning a title. We’re talking about finishing in the top 10. Sure, he can certainly win another major this upcoming season, but the good news here is he doesn’t have to.
Majors: Golf’s Toughest Showcase
A final thought to remember: It’s one thing to play well on the PGA Tour. It’s an entirely different animal when it’s one of the majors.
Players have these four events circled on their calendars as top priorities. To win a major — any major — elevates a player to a different level in everyone’s eyes.
But don’t underestimate how impressive it is to finish top-five or finish top-10 in any of those four tournaments. To do it in all four is beyond impressive.
Also read: Longshots who can win Majors in 2023
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