The major championships bring out the best players in the world and a plethora of betting options. There’s no shortage of either for this week’s PGA Championship. A full-field of over 150 golfers will assemble at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina with Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy positioned as co-favorites on the odds board. However, with the biggest names in the sport pegging it up it’s really anybody’s game. And that also presents a number of intriguing tournament matchups. McIlroy claimed his second major title with a PGA Championship record 8-shot win when the event was last played at Kiawah Island in 2012. Around 40 golfers who competed back then are in the field this week. They will see a different layout, though. The Ocean Course has been stretched to over 7,800 yards making it the longest in major championship history. Below is a sampling of some of the tournament matchups with a complete list available at BookMaker.eu when you’re ready to place a wager.
PGA Championship Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Rory McIlroy +100 vs. Jon Rahm -130
Rory McIlroy -125 vs. Bryson DeChambeau -105
Rory McIlroy -115 vs. Justin Thomas -115
Jon Rahm -135 vs. Justin Thomas +105
Jon Rahm -160 vs. Bryson DeChambeau +130
Justin Thomas -135 vs. Jordan Spieth +105
Xander Schauffele -140 vs. Jordan Spieth +110
Xander Schauffele -140 vs. Collin Morikawa +110
Collin Morikawa -140 vs. Hideki Matsuyama +110
Viktor Hovland -160 vs. Hideki Matsuyama +130
Dustin Johnson -200 vs. Brooks Koepka +160
Patrick Reed -120 vs. Patrick Cantlay -110
Tony Finau -125 vs. Scottie Scheffler -105
Daniel Berger -145 vs. Scottie Scheffler +115
Tommy Fleetwood +125 vs. Tyrrell Hatton -155
Will Zalatoris -120 vs. Sungjae Im -110
Louis Oosthuizen -160 vs. Adam Scott +130
Paul Casey -110 vs. Will Zalatoris -120
Shane Lowry -115 vs. Marc Leishman -115
Sergio Garcia -135 vs. Marc Leishman +105
Lee Westwood -105 vs. Matt Kuchar -125
Bubba Watson +125 vs. Joaquin Niemann -155
Harris English -175 vs. Rickie Fowler +145
Garrick Higgo +120 vs. Robert MacIntyre -150
Corey Conners +100 vs. Abraham Ancer -130
Harris English -110 vs. Jason Kokrak -120
Matt Wallace +110 vs. Brian Harman -140
Charl Schwartzel -165 vs. Ian Poulter +135
Keegan Bradley -130 vs. Emiliano Grillo +100
Kevin Kisner -120 vs. Zach Johnson -110
Sam Burns -135 vs. Si Woo Kim +105
Ryan Palmer -115 vs. Marc Leishman -115
John Catlin +105 vs. Antoine Rozner -135
Thomas Pieters -140 vs. Victor Perez +110
Dylan Frittelli -120 vs. Erik van Rooyen -110
Joel Dahmen +105 vs. Harold Varner III -135
Alex Noren -110 vs. Russell Henley -120
Adam Hadwin -120 vs. Tom Hoge -110
Kevin Streelman -140 vs. Brendan Steele +110
Martin Kaymer -140 vs. Henrik Stenson +110
Brendon Todd -145 vs. Martin Laird +115
Tom Lewis -110 vs. Maverick McNealy -120
J.T. Poston -115 vs. Denny McCarthy -115
Danny Willett -110 vs. Bernd Wiesberger -120
Jason Dufner -120 vs. Chez Reavie -110
Cameron Champ +100 vs. Cameron Davis -130
Sam Horsfield -120 vs. Rasmus Hojgaard -110
Phil Mickelson +120 vs. Steve Stricker -150
Tommy Fleetwood +130 vs. Matthew Fitzpatrick -160
Need to Know
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort is back in the rotation for the first time since 2012. But it will have a different look to the handful of players that are returning. Over 200 yards was added making the course the longest ever in a major at 7,876 yards. That gives players who can hit the ball a long way an advantage. And when you think of driving distance Bryson DeChambeau comes to mind. He leads the Tour with an average drive of 322 yards. Nestled along the coast of the Atlantic, wind is always something players have to account for. Void of trees the layout has a links style look to it and it is a formidable challenge. Golf Digest called the Ocean Course the most difficult in the country.
PGA Championship Matchup Picks
Corey Conners +100 vs. Abraham Ancer
Besides distance off the tee, ball-strikers will seemingly have an edge. And few are better than Conners, which is why I’ll take the even-money odds in this matchup. His advanced metrics should be rewarded on this layout; he’s 11th in adjusted scoring, has pop with his driver, and is among the top-10 in GIR percentage. He hasn’t shown much in majors during his career, but he appears more comfortable on the bigger stage.
Rory McIlroy +100 vs. Jon Rahm
A lot of things are trending in McIlroy’s favor heading in and to grab the co-favorite at even-money is a bonus. Of course he’s matched up against the guy he’s favored with, but Rory busted loose last time out winning the Wells Fargo Championship and he torched this layout in 2012 lapping the field by a record eight swings. And we’ve seen McIlroy win consecutive tournaments before so there’s no issue throwing down on him in this matchup.
Jordan Spieth +105 vs. Justin Thomas
A bout with COVID couldn’t deter Spieth from the heater he’s on. Back in action for the first time after defeating the virus, Spieth finished T9 in the Byron Nelson, his fourth straight top-10 and seventh in his last nine starts. Included in that run was title at the Texas Open and a T3 at the Masters. There’s no one hotter than Spieth right now and with the career Grand Slam in his sights I’m counting on him going for it.
Xander Schauffele -140 vs. Collin Morikawa
I was a little surprised to Schauffele with such long odds in this matchup with the defending champ, but considering his play in majors and his current form I guess it’s about right. And although I typically don’t back someone at a price this high it’s hard to avoid the X-man. He always seems to be in contention with five top-5s among his 10 top-20s in 13 career major championship starts.
Garrick Higgo +120 vs. Robert MacIntyre
This is a risky pick, but if Higgo shows the form he’s displayed on the Euro Tour he’s in a good spot with a nice payout. Of course that’s a big if for a youngster making his major championship debut. He certainly has the talent with a pair of wins in three weeks during the ET’s swing through the Canary Islands.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu. The 2021 PGA Championship is scheduled for May 20-23 and can be seen on ESPN+, ESPN and CBS.
