FILE – Jason Dufner celebrates after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Oak Hill … [+]
The 105th PGA Championship begins Thursday, May 18, and Oak Hill (East Course) in Rochester, New York will host this major championship for the fourth time. The PGA Championship odds have been posted for months, and wagering action will be strong this week. I spoke to Kerry Haigh, the Chief Championship Officer of the PGA of America, to get some added insight on the golf course and setup for the second major of the year.
While much of the media coverage will be focused on leading online sportsbooks favorites Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as the world’s three top-ranked golfers, there are dozens of other leading contenders to watch and wager on as major players that can capture the Wanamaker Trophy.
Leading Favorites and Top Contenders Odds to Win
Leading favorites and contenders golf odds from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting.
- +750: Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler
- +1200: Rory McIlroy
- +2100: Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka
- +2400: Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas
- +2900: Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson
- +2900: Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Young
- +3200: Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth
- +3600: Sungjae Im, Max Homa, Jason Day, Cameron Smith
- +4600: Sam Burns, Hideki Matsuyama, Tyrrell Hatton
- +5500: Tommy Fleetwood
The 156-player field includes 18 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League with Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson among the leading contenders. LIV Golf defector and longshot Mito Pereira is +19000 to win this year’s PGA Championship, and he nearly pulled off the shocker in last year’s event at odds of 200/1 or greater. Pereira stood on the 18th hole Sunday needing a par 4 to win his first major championship, and cash us a nice outright winner. But a tee shot into the water and a double-bogey left him 1-shot out of the playoff between Will Zalatoris (another outright bet) and winner Justin Thomas.
So don’t discount many of the capable dark horses when wagering to win and cash-in a top finishing position golf bet.
A hole-by-hole look at Oak Hill East Course
Designed by Donald Ross in 1922, the East Course went through a dramatic transformation in 2019-20 by architect Andrew Green. That included the removal of thousands of oaks, elms and maple trees, and remodeling of every green complex, fairway and landing zone.
The Par 70 course now plays to 7,394 yards, and three new holes were built. That includes the Par 3 at No. 5 which has one of the more difficult two-tiered greens along with the Par 4’s at No. 6, 12 and 14. Holes No. 6, 17 and 18 are all long 500-yard Par 4’s that rank among the most difficult on the course.
Allen’s Creek is in play on six holes and notably along No. 6 and 7 while surrounding the sixth hole green. The two Par 5’s at No. 4 and signature hole at No. 13 are both 615-625 yards. Fairway bunkers are true hazards at Oak Hill, and the runoff areas and close-cropped chipping areas around the green complexes on at least half the holes present added challenges for players that miss the green and avoid the hazards.
Insight from Kerry Haigh and Architect Andrew Green
Kerry Haigh says “the architectural changes provide more options for players,” and that the additional bunkers are “deeper and more severe.” Added hazards in the form of mounds and hummocks add to the test.
Andrew Green says the new bunkering is “bold and aggressive,“ and the steep sand traps are “true hazards.” Green adds that “the hummocks are another great way to challenge the players.” The hummocks often require players to hit shots from awkward stances and make more decisions about shot selection from open or closed faced clubs.
Green recently told Golf Digest, “There’s a certain rugged kind of boldness to what we’ve done that’s meant to provide a little more intimidation and to place some demanding circumstances on the world’s best players.” Golfers can be more aggressive off the tee, but Green added, “there will be some fairway bunkers where, if golfers end up in them, they won’t be able to advance the ball all the way to the target.”
The setup will include more hole location options with added corners on the more elevated green complexes. Haigh anticipates “a difficult and challenging” championship with a “premium on driving and keeping the ball in play” by hitting fairways off the tee.
Haigh added that the step-cut rough will be “consistent and dense” and 3-inches thick for players hitting from just off the fairway. Combined with more runoff areas and changes in green contours and edging to the smaller greens, fans can expect to see the best golfers in the world scrambling to save par more often.
In the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, Jason Dufner won with a -10 under par score of 270. But Oak Hill has turned back the clock with the newly transformed East Course bearing new energy and demands, and all indications point to a tougher test for the 2023 PGA Championship.
You can bet on it.
