Golf has long been a popular sport to bet on, especially in the UK and other parts of Europe. But it is now one of the fastest rising betting markets in North America as well. The PGA Tour is embracing gambling and is forming partnerships with betting operators. This has led to odds being integrated into telecasts and more betting markets being offered at betting sites.
Whether you’re just starting out in golf betting or you’re looking to improve your game, read on to learn more about how to bet on golf as we all get set to enjoy the 2024 Masters from Augusta National.
How to bet on the PGA Tour
Professional circuits such as the PGA Tour offer golf odds almost every week, making golf very much a year-round sport. The biggest events in golf betting are the major PGA tournaments and team events like the Ryder Cup:
With more people betting on golf, the ways in which you can wager have exploded. And with tournaments lasting four days, sportsbooks are quick to post updated golf betting odds, offering options far beyond which golfer will top the leaderboard.
Types of golf bets
Much like major team sports, there are many options on how you can bet on golf. The most popular market is picking the outright winner of the tournament, but you’ll find many other options, including head-to-head matchups and plenty of props.
Betting on the outright winner
The most common way to bet on golf is to pick which player will win the tournament. For example, here were the odds to win the British Open, June 12, 2023.
| Golfer | British Open Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +750 |
| Jon Rahm | +900 |
Here, Scottie Scheffler is a +750 favorite among the British Open field to win the tournament, which means you could profit $750 for every $100 wagered if Scheffler wins at Royal St. George's Golf Course. The favorite to win a golf tournament generally see their odds range from +700 to +1,200.
Now let’s look at someone who’s further down the betting board like Jon Rahm. With odds of +900, a $100 bet would profit $900 should Rahm win the tournament.
Each-way odds
Each-way odds allow you to bet on a player to win the tournament but also finish within a certain standing, such as Top 3 or Top 8. An each-way bet is technically two bets with two separate payouts. If a player wins the tournament, they would win both sides of the each-way bet. If they didn’t win but finished third, then just the Top-3 side of the each-way bet would win.
As shown in the example above, you can bet on which player will win the tournament. These bets are normally placed before the event begins and are graded on the final leaderboard after four rounds. You can also bet on the outright winner between rounds and during play if sportsbooks offer live golf odds.
Head-to-head and three-way odds
Rather than bet on one player versus the entire field, you can bet one player versus another in head-to-head golf betting odds, similar to a moneyline. Oddsmakers will set odds on which player will post the higher finishing position and you can pick which player you think will have the better tournament.
Three-way golf odds simply add a third player to the odds mix and you can bet on which of the three players involved will finish higher at the end of the tournament.
Golf parlays
Parlays are a type of bet that involves combining two or more individual wagers into a single wager, with the payouts from each bet rolling over into the next. To win a parlay bet, all of the individual legs of the wager must be correct. For example, a bettor might place a parlay bet on three different golfers to win their respective matches. If all three golfers win, the bettor wins the parlay bet and receives a higher payout than if he had placed three separate wagers. However, if even one of the golfers loses, the entire parlay bet is lost. Parlays in golf betting can be a high-risk, high-reward option for bettors looking to win big with a smaller initial wager.
Nationality Bets
Nationality bets are a type of wager that involves betting on which golfer from a specific country will have the best performance in a given tournament. For example, a bettor might place a nationality bet on which American golfer will finish with the best score in the Masters. The odds for each golfer are typically set by the sportsbook based on their previous performances and current form, with favorites typically having lower odds and underdogs having higher odds.
Four more ways to bet on golf
Round totals
Oddsmakers will set a projected final score for the round for a player and you can bet on whether the player will finish with an actual score Over or Under that round total.
For example, Tiger Woods’ Round 1 score total could be 69.5. That means that if you think Woods will finish with a score of 69 or better, you would bet on the Under. If you think Woods will shoot more than 69 in Round 1, then you would bet the Over.
Golf prop bets
Betting golf props is one of the fastest-growing markets, with golf odds on everything from hole-to-hole results, odds on a hole-in-one, and if a player will make the cut or not. You’ll find the most golf betting props at the major tournaments such as the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, British Open Championship and the Ryder Cup
Golf futures
Futures odds to win the major tournaments are often open well before the week of the event, such as odds to win the Ryder Cup or the Masters. Golf betting markets for those big tournaments are taking action months before Round 1 begins.
Live betting on golf
Most online or mobile sportsbooks will offer live golf odds as a tournament plays out, constantly adjusting to the results on the course. This includes outright winner odds, odds to win the round, and hole-by-hole odds for select players.
Live golf betting is becoming increasingly popular among golf fans and bettors due to the excitement and unpredictability it adds to the game. With live golf betting, bettors can adjust their wagers based on how the match is progressing, with odds and lines changing in real-time. This allows for a more dynamic and interactive betting experience, and can also provide opportunities for savvy bettors to capitalize on changes in momentum or other factors affecting the match. Live golf betting is available at many online sportsbooks and can be accessed through mobile devices, making it easy and convenient to place bets from anywhere at any time.
Golf betting tips
When betting on golf odds and making golf picks, there are a few key factors to consider before placing your wager:
Current form
Current form is where the oddsmakers start when building out the weekly tournament odds, so it’s where golf bettors should begin their handicapping. Just like teams, golfers can go through hot and cold streaks.
These streaks can include tournament wins, Top-5, and Top-10 finishes or just playing beyond their usual standard and average finish. You’ll want to look closely at these streaks and what’s driving them. Sometimes it’s an uptick in performance but other times it’s simply competing against weaker tournament fields.
Cold streaks can also manifest themselves, and many times these skids can be connected to a particular part of a player’s game, like poor putting or driving accuracy. Injuries and recovery time, as well as tinkering with swing mechanics, techniques, and working in new clubs, can also impact a golfer’s results.
Course fit
The popular golf betting term is “horse for courses”: matching a player’s strengths and weaknesses to the current course layout.
Some golf courses have wider fairways and boast a longer average length per hole, making them better suited to golfers who carry a hefty average distance per drive and can quickly find the green. On the flip of this, courses with narrow fairways and hazards off the tee box reward player’s with greater driving accuracy.
A surplus of water and sand bunkers, as well as tricky pin placement, emphasizes finding players with an accurate approach and solid scrambling metrics, while unpredictable undulating greens can quickly give those elite putters the edge on the leaderboard.
Course history
Be it layout, familiarity, or just consistent comfort, golfers often take to certain courses and can be counted on to follow their recent history from those past rounds. The same can be said for struggles on particular courses.
Golf bettors should always look at a player’s history on a course, dissecting for round-by-round consistencies and how the tournament’s layout matches those of the previous years. Regional familiarity should also be considered, as golfers from that state or region likely have experience playing these courses outside of pro events.
Weather
Weather can completely change how a course plays, from strong winds forcing players to shorten their drives and lean on accuracy to rain soaking the fairways and greens, making the course play slower. Before betting the golf futures, head-to-head markets, or prop odds, always look at the extended forecast for the entire tournament as well the detailed daily forecasts.
From there, you can measure how much the weather can help or hurt a player based on their skill sets or look at which players are used to playing in less-than-ideal conditions based on where they’re from.
Depending on start times, golfers could face varying degrees of weather during the day. A player scheduled to go out in the early morning could face a softer and slower course than a golfer playing later in the afternoon when the sun and heat have dried out the fairways and greens, making them play faster.
Where can you bet on golf?
You can bet on golf at most online sportsbooks and casinos. The variety in golf odds varies from book to book. Check our recommended golf betting sites in your area.
Golf betting FAQs
Yes. If sports betting is regulated in your region, betting on golf and the PGA Tour is legal.
Yes. Most online sportsbooks in the world offer golf betting.
Yes, betting on golf has been popular in the U.K. and Europe for a long time and is quickly becoming more popular in North American markets.
The easiest, and most popular, way to bet on golf is by simply betting on who will win the tournament. There are many other betting markets, however. Learn more in our guide!
