PGA Championship: Latest betting odds, favorites, sleeper picks
This week, we have a special early edition of the picks for the 2021 PGA Championship. We will not be able to recap last week, but at the moment, it looks as if we’re due for a rebound in suburban Dallas.
Many storylines are swirling as we head into the second May edition of the PGA Championship. Will Rory McIlroy regain his major form in his’ return to the Ocean Course? Does Jordan Spieth have the chops to complete the career Grand Slam? Will Jon Rahm or Xander Schauffele finally break through on a major stage? Will Brooks Koepka continue his dominance in this tournament? Or, will another youngster, similar to Collin Morikawa in 2020, continue the strong youth movement in the game?
We will certainly find out all the questions above and more when the world’s best touring professionals and club pros arrive at Kiawah Island.
The late designers Pete and Alice Dye normally are well-represented throughout the PGA Tour season, but this year also adds both marquee PGA of America-run tournaments to the resume. Next week, the Ocean Course will be at center stage before the long-awaited Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. The seaside track in South Carolina hosts for the first time since Rory McIlroy won the PGA by a record eight strokes in 2012. The longer players will have a serious edge, considering the layout can stretch beyond 7,800 yards.
According to William Hill, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy comes in off his victory Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship as the 10-1 favorite. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and No. 2 Jon Rahm were listed at 12-1. Justin Thomas, who won this year's Players and was the 2017 PGA winner, joined Bryson DeChambeau, the reigning U.S. Open champion who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year, at 14-1.
For our favorite, we’re going to follow the theme of last week and take a player just outside of the notables in Viktor Hovland at 25-1. There are some question marks around many players ahead of him, and Hovland just provides the best value in comparison. Since winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic in December, he has had five top-five finishes, including two straight at the Valspar and Wells Fargo events coming into the PGA. His game has been so consistent this season that he ranks fifth in strokes gained total on the PGA Tour. Look for Hovland to contend for his first major.
For a value midrange pick, we’re going with Mexican Abraham Ancer at 50-1. Along with Hovland, he also finished in the top five in the same two tournaments heading into the PGA Championship. Since the 2020 Masters, Ancer has finished in the top-25 10 times in 13 starts along with a T-26 at this year’s Masters. Still looking for his first Tour win, Ancer has been on the precipice for a couple of years now and will use his elite ball-striking to be right there again at the Ocean Course.
For a sleeper, we’re taking Sam Burns at 66-1. The newly minted PGA Tour winner at the Valspar Championship is supremely talented and had been on cusp of winning. Before his victory, he held 54-hole leads at the Vivant Houston Open and the Genesis Invitational. The victory moved the 24-year-old Burns into the top 50 in the world and lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. Burns should be relaxed and ready to contend for his first major.
2021 picks scoreboard:
Winners: 3
Top 10s: 8
Top 20s: 9
Misses: 30
Here are some notable odds, according to William Hill:
Rory McIlroy 10-1
Dustin Johnson 12-1
Jon Rahm 12-1
Justin Thomas 14-1
Bryson DeChambeau 14-1
Jordan Spieth 16-1
Xander Schauffele 16-1
Brooks Koepka 20-1
Collin Morikawa 22-1
Viktor Hovland 25-1
Hideki Matsuyama 25-1
Patrick Cantlay 28-1
Daniel Berger 33-1
Tyrrell Hatton 33-1
Webb Simpson 33-1
Patrick Reed 33-1
Tony Finau 33-1
Will Zalatoris 40-1
Justin Rose 40-1
Tommy Fleetwood 40-1
Cameron Smith 40-1
Scottie Scheffler 45-1
Louis Oosthuizen 50-1
Matthew Fitzpatrick 50-1
Jason Day 50-1
Paul Casey 50-1
Abraham Ancer 50-1
Sungjae Im 60-1
Joaquin Niemann 60-1
Adam Scott 60-1
Gary Woodland 66-1
Matthew Wolff 66-1
Shane Lowry 66-1
Sergio Garcia 66-1
Marc Leishman 66-1
Harris English 66-1
Corey Conners 66-1
Sam Burns 66-1
Brian Harman 80-1
Max Homa 80-1
Garrick Higgo 80-1
Lee Westwood 80-1
Bubba Watson 80-1
Si-Woo Kim 80-1
Francesco Molinari 90-1
Billy Horschel 100-1
Matt Wallace 100-1
Rickie Fowler 100-1
Matt Kuchar 100-1
Keegan Bradley 100-1
Cameron Champ 100-1
Robert Macintyre 125-1
Kevin Kisner 125-1
Branden Grace 125-1
Jason Kokrak 125-1
Martin Kaymer 125-1
Christiaan Bezuidenhout 125-1
Kevin Na 125-1
Matt Jones 125-1
Henrik Stenson 125-1
Ian Poulter 125-1
Brendon Todd 125-1
Phil Mickelson 125-1
Sebastian Munoz 150-1
Brandt Snedeker 150-1
Alex Noren 150-1
Bernd Wiesberger 150-1
Thomas Pieters 150-1
Stewart Cink 150-1
Victor Perez 150-1
Zach Johnson 150-1
John Catlin 150-1
Mackenzie Hughes 150-1
Danny Willett 150-1
Byeong Hun An 150-1
Rasmus Hojgaard 150-1
Dylan Frittelii 175-1
Rafa Cabrera Bello 175-1
Matthias Schwab 200-1
Thomas Detry 200-1
Ryan Palmer 200-1
Joel Dahmen 200-1
Hudson Swafford 200-1
Thorbjorn Olesen 200-1
Kevin Streelman 200-1
Padraig Harrington 200-1
Tom Lewis 200-1
Adam Hadwin 200-1
Erik van Rooyen 200-1
Chez Reavie 200-1
Carlos Ortiz 200-1
Lanto Griffin 200-1
Charles Howell 250-1
Jimmy Walker 250-1
Martin Laird 250-1
Andy Sullivan 250-1
Sam Horsfield 250-1
Jason Dufner 250-1
Graeme McDowell 250-1
Omar Uresti 300-1
Jim Herman 400-1
Brian Gay 400-1
Vijay Singh 500-1
Davis Love 500-1
Y.E. Yang 500-1
Rich Beem 1000-1
Shaun Micheel 1000-1
John Daly 1000-1
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