PGA Championship Betting Guide
The PGA Championship is one of the most important professional golf tournaments that occurs every year. During this event, dozens of the best golfers in the world gather to compete in a massive tournament until one is crowned the champion. With all this excitement also comes a ton of betting action.
This PGA Championship betting guide will equip you with all the tools and statistics you need to bet on the PGA Championship this year. You’ll find the best bets to make, advanced statistics you should follow, and expert advice on improving your success rate.
PGA Championship Betting Odds
Understanding the PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is one of the four major championships in professional golf, alongside the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. It has been a prestigious event in the golfing calendar since its inception in 1916.
This event is organized by the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The PGA Championship is known for attracting the world’s top golfers, providing a platform where skill, strategy, and endurance are put to the ultimate test.
The significance of the PGA Championship lies in its rich history and the level of competition it fosters. Winning this major not only brings a substantial prize and a major championship title but also offers a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a five-year invitation to the other three majors, and a lifetime invitation to the PGA Championship.
The field typically includes the top 100 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, ensuring that the competition is fierce and outcomes are often uncertain. This uncertainty makes for an exciting betting environment, as bettors analyze various factors such as player form, course conditions, and historical performance to make informed wagers.
The PGA Championship’s broad media coverage and the prominence of golf in the sports betting industry contribute to its popularity. The tournament’s timing in the late summer also positions it well within the sports calendar, allowing it to capture the attention of golf enthusiasts and bettors alike.
Best PGA Championship Bets to Place
There are many ways to bet on the PGA Championship tournament, but there are specific types of bets that offer you more value than others. Some of the best PGA Championship bets to place include:
To Win Outright
This bet involves picking the player who will win the entire tournament. It is a straightforward wager where bettors select the golfer they believe will finish in first place at the end of the event.
To Lift Trophy
Similar to the “To Win Outright” bet, this wager focuses on the nationality of the player who will be declared the champion and lift the trophy at the end of the tournament. It’s essentially betting on which country will win the tournament.
Top Finishers
In this type of bet, bettors wager on a player to finish within a specific range, such as the top 5, top 10, or top 20. This allows for more flexibility, as the selected player doesn’t need to win the tournament, just finish within the chosen range.
Group Betting
Group betting involves picking the best-performing player out of a small group of golfers predefined by the sportsbook. Bettors choose who they believe will have the lowest score among that group over the course of the tournament.
Round Leader
This bet focuses on which player will have the lowest score at the end of a specific round, typically the first round. Bettors wager on who will be leading the tournament at the conclusion of a particular day, rather than at the end of all four rounds.
Prop Bets
PGA Championship prop bets give you the ability to bet on specific outcomes or occurrences within the tournament rather than the outcome, such as specific players shooting above/below par, hazard shots, etc. These are a fan favorite among bettors.
Player Statistics for Data-Driven PGA Championship Bettors
Bettors can make more informed decisions by tailoring their strategies to the specific strengths and weaknesses of players in relation to the courses they are playing. This more in-depth insight can lead to more accurate predictions and potentially more successful betting outcomes.
Some of the most insightful advanced stats for the PGA Championship include:
- Birdie average
- Strokes gained
- Scrambling
Birdie Average
Birdie average is the average number of birdies (one stroke under par) a player makes per round. This is a great indicator for scoring ability and being able to maintain momentum in a match.
For betting, this data is extremely useful. Since it gives you an idea of a player’s ability to score well, it can be great for predicting a player’s potential to go low in tournaments such as the PGA Championship. It’s also good for gauging a player’s ability to keep confident and play consistently when in critical moments.
Strokes Gained
Strokes gained is a metric that measures a player’s performance relative to the field. It encompasses several sub-categories, such as Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Approach, Strokes Around-the-Green, and Putting.
Strokes gained offers bettors a nuanced understanding of a player’s performance by breaking down different aspects of their game, helping to identify strengths and weaknesses. This comprehensive analysis can be particularly useful for pinpointing areas where a player excels or struggles, giving bettors a clearer picture of overall performance.
This advanced stat can also be instrumental in assessing course fit. Certain courses may favor specific skills, such as accuracy off the tee or short game proficiency. By analyzing Strokes Gained in these areas, bettors can predict which players are likely to excel on particular courses. Moreover, tracking Strokes Gained over time provides insight into a player’s form and consistency, making those with consistently high metrics often safer bets.
Scrambling
Scrambling measures a player’s ability to make par or better after missing the green in regulation. It essentially gauges a player’s effectiveness at recovering from poor shots.
High scrambling percentages indicate a player’s ability to save par from difficult situations, showcasing their resilience under pressure. This can be crucial in tournaments with tough conditions and challenging greens, where making par saves can significantly impact a player’s score.
On courses with smaller or more difficult greens, scrambling becomes even more critical. Players with high scrambling stats are likely to perform better under such conditions, making them more reliable picks. Additionally, understanding a player’s scrambling ability helps bettors gauge how well they manage risk and adversity, which is particularly valuable in close competitions or match play formats.
Course Statistics
The course for PGA championship changes each year, but is often a prestigious course in the US. In 2024, the championship was played at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, and in 2025, it will be played at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Each course comes with its own unique set of statistics that can also be extremely beneficial for bettors. These help give a historical view of how other players have performed at the course.
Some of the most important course statistics include:
- Long vs. short holes
- Par distribution
- Dogleg severity
Long vs. Short Holes
This metric compares the length of holes on a golf course, categorizing them into long and short holes. Long holes typically require more powerful drives and long approach shots, while short holes may emphasize accuracy and precision over distance.
Betting Edge: Understanding the distribution of long versus short holes on a course can help you identify which players are likely to excel. Players with strong driving distance and long iron play will generally perform better on courses with many long holes.
Conversely, players who are accurate and have a strong short game may have an advantage on courses with more short holes. You can use this information to predict player performance based on their skill sets relative to the hole lengths of a specific course.
Par Distribution
Par distribution refers to the mix of par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes on a golf course. Each type of hole presents different challenges and requires different skills to score well.
Betting Edge: Analyzing par distribution helps you understand the strategic demands of a course. Courses with more par-5 holes might favor players who can capitalize on birdie opportunities with their length and scoring ability.
On the flip side, courses with more par-3 holes may favor players with precise iron play and strong par-3 performance. You can better predict how a player might fare on a course with a particular par distribution by evaluating their historical performance on different par holes.
Dogleg Severity
Dogleg severity measures the sharpness and frequency of bends or turns in the fairway. A severe dogleg requires precise shot placement and strategic thinking to navigate effectively, while a course with gentle doglegs might be more forgiving.
Betting Edge: Dogleg severity impacts a player’s ability to manage the course and position themselves for favorable approach shots. Players who excel in shaping their shots and demonstrating course management skills are likely to perform better on courses with severe doglegs.
Use this metric to assess which players are adept at handling complex course layouts that require precision and strategic planning. Analyzing dogleg severity in conjunction with a player’s driving accuracy and shot-shaping ability can provide valuable insights for predicting performance.
Will You Make Money from the PGA Championship?
The PGA Championship tournament features a hundred of the best golfers in the world playing for the title. For motivated bettors, this provides a ton of useful data and advanced statistics that can give you an edge over sportsbooks during the tournament.
One of the best ways to find success is to use a professional handicapper to recommend you the best bets to place that offer the most value. Lucky for you, we offer this service and provide you with instant access to historical data, detailed statistical breakdowns, and expert recommendations on bets to place.
Sign up today and start winning all of your bets during the PGA Championship tournament.