It’s been 13 months since the last major championship on the PGA Tour. Fans and golfers better enjoy this one since it’s the only major on the reimagined schedule. The best of the best make their way to TPC Harding Park in northern California this week for the 102nd playing of the PGA Championship, the first time since 1998 the event has taken place on the West Coast. There are only a handful of players who have competed at the venue with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy winning past WGC events at Harding Park. Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus (maximum $1000 bonus)
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Despite that new OWGR No. 1 Justin Thomas opened as the betting favorite. J.T. moved past Jon Rahm with his win last week after Rahm briefly supplanted Rory McIlroy as the top player in the world. Those three, along with two-time defending PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele, round out the top five on the betting board. We’ve seen a few upsets on the circuit this season, however, that’s unlikely to happen with a stellar field assembled. For a complete list of updated odds, matchups and props, visit BookMaker.eu when you’re ready to place a wager.
PGA Championship
Dates: Thursday, August 6 - Sunday, August 9, 2020
Location: TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, CA
PGA Championship TV Coverage: ESPN+, ESPN, CBS
Odds Analysis
Thomas has probably been the most consistent player since the season resumed. He finished five of his six post-COVID starts landing in the top-10 four times, including a three-shot victory at the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invite last week with a near flawless performance that elevated him to the top of the odds chart. He also grabbed wins at the CJ Cup and Sentry TOC before the lockdown to lead the Tour with three victories this season.
You could make an argument for several players as to why they should be on top of the odds board. The best claim likely belongs to Koepka, who can become the first player since 1927 to win the PGA Championship three years in a row. Koepka has won three of the last seven majors while finishing as runner-up twice during that stretch. His game jumps a notch on the big stage.
We’re still waiting for McIlroy to show up after the shutdown. He was on a roll prior to the hiatus but hasn’t been the same since the return. He’s one of a few players to have competed at Harding Park winning a WGC event in 2015. That doesn’t mean much since the layout has changed, but he has to feel comfortable in familiar surroundings. He has just one top-10 since the reboot but he can bust out any time.
Distance and accuracy will be deciding factors at par-70 TPC Harding Park. The course plays longer after being stretched to 7,234 yards and the fairways shriveled. There are seven par 4s that play over 460 yards so big hitters will have an edge as long as they hit ‘em straight. It’s a challenging layout so don’t expect low scores this week.
Odds to Win PGA Championship at BookMaker.eu
Justin Thomas +875
Rory McIlroy +1015
Brooks Koepka +1225
Jon Rahm +1351
Xander Schauffele +1386
Bryson DeChambeau +1816
Dustin Johnson +1933
Patrick Cantlay +2745
Collin Morikawa +2870
Jason Day +2988
Webb Simpson +3039
Tiger Woods +3550
Rickie Fowler +3679
Hideki Matsuyama +3783
Daniel Berger +4050
Woods returns to his old stomping grounds – sort of – and as always he’s getting a lot of attention. Along with McIlroy, Woods won a WGC event here back in 2005 and has some familiarity with the course since he played college golf just down the road at Stanford. I’m pulling for the Big Cat but inactivity and an achy back might be too much to overcome.
With so many talented players in the field I’m hesitant to go down the odds board. We typically see favorites emerge in these high-profile events and that’s not likely to change. One player who looks poised to win his first major is Schauffele. He’s hung around in past appearances going 10 for 11 with four top-5 showings among his six top-10 finishes. His game fits the Harding Park layout and he’s on a run of good form with four straight top-20s.
From a personal standpoint Jordan Spieth has extra motivation. A win at the PGA Championship will get him the career grand slam. He’s been inconsistent this season falling down the odds board to +6050, but there were positive signs in his most recent outings with a T13 at the Memorial and T30 at last week’s WGC FedEx St. Jude. Those came after a MC at the Workday so he is trending in the right direction.
PGA Championship Pick: Xander Schauffele
Top -5 Lock: Brooks Koepka
Top-10 Lock: Justin Thomas
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
