Popular Wagers for Golf Betting. Sports such as football and basketball often have similar betting options, but the hole-by-hole format of golf opens up a world of exciting new possibilities for bettors. While these wagers are sure to differ from one sportsbook to another, they comprise the most popular golf betting options. Outright Winner. However, all sites that offer golf sports betting aren’t going to offer you all of these options. There are different levels of action offered at different sports betting sites. Some sites are only going to offer.

1. Best Golf Betting Sites
2. Betting On Golf Tournaments

The 2021 PGA Tour season is underway following a 2020 campaign which saw phenomenal golf betting interest.

The PGA Tour was the first of the major North American sporting organizations to return to play last year. The added attention from sports fans and bettors led to the rapid addition of betting markets at most major sportsbooks.

This page will look at the various ways to bet on golf, which can be done for roughly 50 of 52 weeks in a given calendar year. We’ll highlight weekly golf betting odds and the top sites, and break down the many available betting markets. Finally, we discuss various strategies and areas of research when betting on a golf tournament, and spotlight 2021’s four scheduled majors.

Due to the nature of golf – including the impact of Mother Nature, extensive traveling, and course history – it’s a sport in which research can be used heavily to find the right player on the right week.

Golf betting odds this week

Best golf betting sites

How to bet on golf

Outrights and futures bets

Outright betting in golf is simply wagering on a specific player to win the tournament. Because of the difficulty of a player winning a tournament in fields that are often around 150, outright odds are much higher than someone betting on team sports is used to.

Strategy: Because the return on investment can be so high, you can bet on numerous players and still make a nice profit if one of your players wins. Betting on a couple players in each “tier” can be effective. For example, favorites (+2500 or lower), contenders (+2500 – +5000), longshots (+5000 or higher). Betting $10 on six players in that scenario would be just $60 invested. Even if you bet on a heavy favorite at +1000, he would win back $100 for a strong profit.

Top 5, 10, 20

A less risky version of outright betting is wagering on a player to finish in the top 5, 10 or 20 in a tournament, depending on what your sportsbook offers. While it doesn’t offer the high odds that outright betting does, it is much less volatile and rewards steady performances from your golfers.

Strategy: If you prefer betting on placement instead of outright, you’ll likely need a slightly larger bankroll to see decent profit. The market for placement betting is completely different than outright. You’re looking for more consistent golfers who may not have the firepower to win most weeks but provide steady results with a high percentage of made cuts.

Matchups

There are many forms of matchup betting on golf depending on your sportsbook.

Head-to-head: These can be week-long or single-round bets that put two players against each other with odds on who will post the better score. This provides a unique market where you can bet against a player you may be down on for the week compared to his pricing.

Nationality: Many sportsbooks will provide lines on which countryman will perform the best for the tournament. If you’re high on a certain player but don’t want to jump into an outright or top 5 bet, you can get decent value on a nationality bet depending on who is in the field.

3-Ball: An increasingly popular way to bet on golf because it provides a way to gamble on each round. 3-Ball betting typically uses the pairings in the tournament and gives odds on which player in the group will perform the best in the round. This can provide for entertaining viewing if you bet on a player in a featured group on TV.

First-round leader

Betting on the first-round leader is a niche market but seems to be growing. It is still not available on every sportsbook.

Strategy: It’s much easier to lead a single round than win an entire golf tournament, but odds for first-round leader mostly remains the same as outright odds. Keeping an eye on weather conditions is key to pick a player who tees off in calm conditions.

Live golf betting

Golf has live betting like most sports, except it allows you to put in much more research with ample time between rounds.

Strategy: Most live betting odds on the outright winner stay true to the leaderboard, but the market often still favors the well-known and highly ranked players. Taking a look at statistics and jumping on a player that is in contention but underperforming in a category he or she usually excels in can be a good strategy in live betting on golf.

Golf betting strategies

Bankroll management

Bankroll management can be tricky in golf due to the alarming potential of profit when outright betting. It’s important to stay reasonable and stick to a weekly limit on how much you bet on a tournament. Picking an outright winner is hard and you will often go weeks without getting a winner. But the profit of just one winner will typically make up for multiple weeks and more, especially if it wasn’t a heavy favorite. Pairing your outright bets with top 10 or top 20 bets is a good way to get some return on investment instead of going all-in on outright winners.

Injury reports

Injuries aren’t as common in golf as most sports, so there’s typically not much news on injuries most weeks. But there can be some withdrawals on Wednesday evenings or Thursday mornings, so it’s good to stay up-to-date on any lingering injuries that could come into play and ruin your bet.

Course form and recent form

Form will be talked about endlessly when taking in any content from golf betting experts. Not only is recent form important like it is in most sports, but the unique-to-golf course form is also a key factor. Finding players who perform well at a course in the past is an element that should always be considered when betting. Augusta National is a course that strongly favors course history due to its tricky nature, but an easier, simpler course like TPC Deere Run shouldn’t weigh course history as strongly.

Schedules

Golf requires a lot of traveling at times and has a very exhausting schedule at some points in the year. Keeping an eye on players traveling on short rest from overseas or someone who has played multiple weeks in a row can be a simple way to fade players who might be getting too much love from the casual eye.

Line movement

Most normal golf tournaments don’t have much line movement throughout the week leading up to the tournament, but some sportsbooks will have more favorable odds than others. If you see someone early in the week that might get a push to lower odds because of talk from the media or a storyline, it’s smart to jump on it quickly. Otherwise, it’s usually fine to take your time.

Situational betting

Golf has a lot of external factors to keep in mind each week. Weather is something you should always look at before betting. There are players who excel in easy conditions and there are those who do better when the wind is blowing and good scores are harder to come by. Getting ahead of the curve by checking the forecast and taking players who fit it is important. Motivating factors from week-to-week can also play a role – FedExCup points needed, a win to get a Masters invitation, local support etc.

Golf betting stats: Which ones matter?

Thanks to websites and podcasts specializing in golf betting content, knowing the golf stats that matter each week has gotten increasingly easier for bettors. But there’s still plenty of individual research to be done that can help you get ahead of the market on a player that might be peaking at the right time. Generally, the strokes gained statistics are the golden measure in golf. But certain courses will favor “strokes gained: off-the-tee,” certain courses will favor “strokes gained: approach” and certain courses will favor “strokes gained: putting.” Most courses will favor that statistic year-to-year, but it can change depending on weather and how the course is set up.

It is generally smarter to favor players who excel in ball striking statistics – driving and approach shots – due to their ability to run away with a tournament if they have a good putting week.

Golf majors: odds and trends

Masters Tournament

The 2021 Masters takes place April 8-11, returning to its regular position on the PGA Tour schedule. It is always held at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia, and is one of the most famous courses in the world.

Recent winners’ odds: Dustin Johnson (2020): +800, Tiger Woods (2019): +1400, Patrick Reed (2018): +5000, Sergio Garcia (2017): +3000

The Masters favors course history more than any other event on the PGA Tour based on Data Golf’s course history tool. Creative ball-strikers excel, as evidenced by recent winners like Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson.

PGA Championship

The PGA Championship will run May 20-23 at Kiawah Golf Resort (South Course) on Kiawah Island, S.C.

Recent winners’ odds: Collin Morikawa 2020: +3000, Brooks Koepka (2019, 2018): +1100, +2000, Justin Thomas (2017): +3000.

The PGA Championship is typically the easiest setup of the four majors and the most similar to a regular PGA Tour setup. That means if conditions allow, the tournament favors long and high hitters. Rory McIlroy won the 2012 PGA Championship here at 13-under par.

US Open

The US Open is scheduled to return to its standard spot on the golf schedule from June 17-20. Torrey Pines (South) hosts the major for the first time since 2008, when Woods at minus-1 in a playoff.

Recent winners’ odds: Bryson DeChambeau (2020): +2500, Gary Woodland (2019): +7000, Brooks Koepka (2018, 2017): +2000, +4000.

The US Open is typically the toughest test of golf in the world each year. The USGA sets it up to ideally be a challenge to break par, which is often the case when looking at the winning score. Length and accuracy off the tee have been a key statistic in recent years as the courses have gotten longer.

The Open Championship

The Open Championship was canceled for 2020 but returns to the schedule for July 15-18. Royal St. George’s Golf Club in England will remain the host the 2021 Open Championship after losing the 2020 Open.

Recent winners’ odds: Shane Lowry (2019): +6600, Francesco Molinari (2018): +2500, Jordan Spieth (2017): +1400.

The Open Championship is always held at a classic links-style golf course that often has windy and tough conditions. If the weather is calm, players can go low and any style of player can win. Windy conditions favor solid ball strikers who can keep the ball low. It’s one of the few golf tournaments where long hitters don’t have much of an advantage.

Golf is an excellent competitive pursuit in its own right, but nothing beats putting a little money on the line at safe and reputable golf betting sites.

Best Golf Betting Sites

Before we get into the mechanics of gambling on the great game of golf, let’s talk about where to bet on golf online. Our main focus in choosing a golf betting site is its reputation. In the world of online wagering, trust is a mandatory part of doing business.

Reputable golf betting websites have been around for many years. New golf betting sites come and go, but the ones that are around long term and maintain squeaky-clean reputations are the ones that are worth playing at.

Here’s a quick overview of golf bookmakers that fit those criteria. You may recognize the names on this list because they’ve been in business for years. During that time, each of these has paid winners and operated in good faith.

How We Rate Golf Sportsbooks

The best golf betting sites offer year-round coverage. Event frequency is another factor to consider. Not all sites are equal. We only list golf betting websites that offer odds for all PGA, LPGA, and EPGA events. Most will also offer wagering on smaller tours like the Web.com and Championship tours.

Golf Betting Bonuses

A long-running marketing tactic used by golf betting sites around the world is the new player signup bonus. Just visit any gambling website and one of the first things you’ll see plastered all over the front page is a first deposit bonus. The basic promise always looks the same: sign up with us and we’ll give you extra cash on your first deposit.

All golf betting bonuses are unique, but all offer you cash in return for making a deposit. The idea is to give you a good reason to sign up. If you are skeptical whenever you see promises of free money, you’re not alone. There has to be a catch, right?

The “catch” is that you don’t get the free cash up front. In most cases, any golf betting bonus that you get for signing up and depositing is considered “pending” until you place enough wagers with your own cash to release the bonus. All in all, this isn’t a bad deal. Yes, the bonus requires you to place wagers before it is released, but if you were already planning on gambling, it can be a good deal.

We don’t recommend choosing a golf betting site based solely on bonus offers. Security and reputation are much more important, use incentive offers to find added value.

Types of Golf Bets and Wagers

Golf bookmakers have come up with some clever ways to offer just as much betting variety in golf is there is for any other sport.

• Golf Futures and Outrights: This is the most common and simplest type of golf bet. In a futures bet, the sportsbook provides you with a list of all golfers expected to compete in some future tournament. Odds are offered on each golfer and you’re welcome to choose one or more golfers to win the whole thing. Your wager wins if your golfer takes first place. Payouts for golf futures tend to be high due to the difficulty in predicting just one player out of many to win it all.
• Golf Match Betting: Match betting takes any two golfers in a tournament and puts them in a heads-up battle for the purposes of betting. The golf betting site lists two golfers with moneyline odds and lets you choose either one to win the match. The winner is determined by who has the lowest score between the two at the end of the tournament.
• Three Ball Betting: 3-ball bets work just like the match bets described above except with three different golfers. The bookmaker lists three golfers, assigns each of them odds and then it is your job to predict which of these three will end up with the lowest score at the conclusion of the tournament.
• Golf Specials and Prop Bets: Prop bets cover everything other than predicting which golfers will win or perform better in a specific tournament. Examples of golf prop bets might be odds on the nationality of the tournament winner, who will finish top in the money rankings at the end of the year, whether or not there will be any holes-in-one and so on.

Major Golf Events

With a few exceptions, professional golf events are hosted as every-man-for-himself tournaments. Each player plays four rounds of 18-hole golf and the champion is determined by who has the lowest overall score for the entire 72 holes. This is called “stroke play” golf.

This is markedly different than “match play” in which each hole is played as an individual competition. The goal is still to finish each hole with the lowest possible score, but total strokes don’t carry over from one hole to the next. The player who wins the most individual holes is declared the winner.

Stroke play and match play change the strategy for golf and reward different styles of play. Stroke play events pit the player against everyone else in the tournament at the same time and every stroke has great significance. One poorly played hole is all it takes to change the outlook of the entire tournament.

Match play events are typically played player vs. player in a round robin format. Individual strokes don’t matter as much because (1) the worst that can happen is you lose one hole and (2) individual strokes affect only one other person. This is why it’s legal to concede the hole to an opponent in match play but not in stroke play.

For the most part, match play rewards aggressive golfers. Risk-taking is acceptable because of point 1 from above. If your aggressive strategy blows up in your face, you can still recover and beat the opponent. Stroke play events reward steady, conservative golfers because the consequences for messing up a single hole impact you for the duration of the tournament.

Going back, most of the big events you see on TV are stroke play events. The four biggest events in all of golf are collectively known as The Majors. These tournaments attract the biggest names in golf and are considered the most prestigious tournaments in the sport, naturally they also generate the biggest online golf betting handle. The four tournaments that make up the Majors are:

The Masters Tournament is one of the four major championships take part each year on the professional golf circuit. It is commonly referred to as just The Masters, or the US Masters outside of America. It is the first of the golf majors to be played each year, taking place in the first full week of April. As with other golf majors it regularly attracts the top golfers in the world, although the field does tend to be smaller than the others as entry to the event is by invitation only.

The Masters Tournament is the only major that is played at the same course every year – the other three all rotate through different locations. The Masters always played at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. This golf course was opened in 1933, but has been altered many times since and is generally considered a testing course. There are a number of traditions associated with The Masters, the most famous being the legendary green jacket. Each year, the winner of the tournament is awarded a green jacket which they may keep for a year before returning to the clubhouse.

Other traditions include the awarding of the Silver Cup to the lowest scoring amateur who makes the cut, and a crystal vase to the player with the lowest daily score. If a player scores a hole-in-one during The Masters, they are awarded a large crystal bowl. Winners of The Masters are invited to play in all future Masters Tournaments, as well as earning invitations to the other three majors for the following five years. The Masters has a strong association with amateur golf and another tradition is that the defending Masters champion plays in the same group as the current US Amateur champion.

The US Open Championship, commonly referred to as just the US Open, takes place in mid-June every year. It takes place at one of number of different courses each year, and is one of the four major golf championships that take place annually. It is one of the top golf tournaments in the world and attracts serious interest from golf fans and sports bettors alike.

As with the other majors, the US Open Championship always features the very best players in the world. Since the first US Open in 1895, the tournament has been largely dominated by American players with 79 of the winners hailing from the States. The next most successful nation in the tournament is Scotland, with 13 wins. Typically, the US Open is a very competitive tournament and the scores are usually pretty tight. The big exception to this was when Tiger Woods won by 15 strokes in 2000 – the largest winning margin ever in any of the golf majors.

The Open Championship, often referred to as the British Open, is one of the four major championships for professional golf players. In takes place annually in Scotland or England, and is held on the weekend of the third Friday in July. It is a prestigious tournament loved by players and fans alike. On this page, we list some of the most common wagers that can be placed on the Open Championship and also provide some background on this tournament.

The Open Championship is the oldest of the four majors, and also the only one to be played outside of the United States. As with the other three majors, it is held annually, at one of a select number of golf courses. There are currently nine golf courses on the rota, five of which are in Scotland and four which are in England. The Open Championship is always played on a links course.

There are a number of ways to gain a place at the Open Championship. Players can qualify locally or internationally, or through one of a number of exemptions. Exemptions are largely in place to ensure that the top players all get to take their place in the field. The top fifty ranked players in the world automatically qualify, as do the top thirty in the previous year’s money lists. The players who finished in the top 10 of the previous Open Championship are also automatically invited, as is any previous Open champion aged 60 or under.

The PGA Championship is the last of the four golf majors played each year. It is played annually in August, around 4 weeks after the British Open. The venue for the PGA Championship rotates every year, and it has been played at a number of different courses. It is often referred to as “Glory’s Last Shot”, a reference to it being the final major played in a calendar. The PGA Championship regularly features the top players in the world and attracts large worldwide audiences.

The first PGA Championship took place at the Siwanoy Country Club in New York, in 1916 and the winner received $500 in prize money. These days, the winner of the PGA Championship will earn in excess of $1 million. It started out as a match play tournament but is now a stroke play contest, as are all golf majors.

Best Golf Betting Sites

The PGA Championship is the only one of the four majors that doesn’t invite leading amateurs to take part, although it is possible for amateurs to qualify through winning one of the other majors. There are 20 places reserved for leading club professionals, the most of any of the majors. The maximum field is 156 entrants, and there are a number of ways to earn qualification to the tournament. Any player that wins the PGA Championship automatically qualifies for all subsequent tournaments.

Another major tournament hosted every other year is the Ryder Cup. This one is different than most as it pits two teams, one from the US and one from Europe, in a series of heads-up match play competitions. Team captains are chosen each year and they draft a dream team of golfers from the area. Although the Ryder Cup is one of the most prestigious events in golf, it offers no prize money. This event is played purely for pride and glory.

Golf Betting Tips and Strategy

Golf is a tough sport to gain an advantage in because individual players are so well-known. This makes it easy for golf oddsmakers to set the lines in comparison to team sports, where there is much more information to analyze. You’re going to have to do some work to get an advantage in golf handicapping.

Betting On Golf Tournaments

Number one is to keep up to date on all the latest golf news. Check golf-specific news sites, watch how the top players are doing, and look for clues for each golfer’s mental state.

Golf is largely a mental game and personal issues can have an impact on a player’s game. Just think back to a few years ago when Tiger Woods went through that high-profile divorce, having a profound impact on his game. It won’t always be that obvious, but it’s worth keeping an eye on what golfers are up to off the links.

Research the Course

Although no two golf courses are the same, all courses are known for certain characteristics. Some courses play better to long hitters while others cater to finesse hitters. Some reward risk-takers while others reward consistency. Different “styles” of courses reward different styles of players.

Whenever you see an event you’d like to bet on, take a quick moment to research the course.

Golf oddsmakers understand this concept but they also have to take into account the trends shown among the betting public when setting their lines. If you research the course and adjust your wager appropriately, you just might find an advantage play overlooked by the public.

Build a Stable of Players

The big names are always out there making the news, but lesser-known players comprise the bulk of registrations in most tournaments. We suggest building a “stable” of players and watching them closely.

Let’s say we wanted 10 players in our stable, all with contrasting styles. We might look for the following: a long hitter, a strong putter, a short game guru, an all round “steady Eddy”, an upcoming talent, an older veteran, a top 5 ranked player, a player that’s unpredictable, a harsh conditions specialist, and a wildcard entry.

Now, you’ve got a small collection of players who you can default to when researching a course and wagering options. This gives you a significant advantage over the general public who tend to stick with the “safe” big names.

Shop Around for the Best Odds

The only guaranteed method to improve your return is to get into the habit of shopping around for the best golf betting odds. Pick a couple of safe golf betting sites (see above) and keep accounts funded at each site. Whenever you find a bet you’d like to take, check the odds at each site, and take the one that is paying the most for your pick.

It’s amazing how much variance there is sometimes when comparing golfers across books. There have been times when I’ve seen one site paying 20-1 while another site pays something like 60-1 for the same person. The odds tend to be pretty stable for the big names, but you start to see large variances when comparing the odds of middle-of-the-pack guys.

Reduce Variance with Matchup Bets

Outright golf wagers are high variance because not even the best golfers in the world win tournaments with any consistency. Even the best handicapper in the world can expect to see long dry streaks marked by only the occasional big win.

Matchup bets reduce the field to just two golfers. Your guy doesn’t have to beat everybody to earn you a payout; he just has to beat the other guy in the matchup. The payouts are but much more frequent in matchup wagers.