Golf betting can be one of the most frustrating, and yet rewarding sports to bet on. With so many players in a tournament, picking the winner is extremely difficult, especially now that Tiger Woods is human again. The good news is, with odds in the 6/1 to 8/1 odds range for the heaviest favorites, and 20/1 – 40/1 for almost anyone else with a shot, you can wager on multiple players and still take home a nice win.
Since it’s hard to pick tournament winners, betting sites offer other types of golf bets, with better chances to win.
Types Of Golf Bets And Wagers
While it’s exciting to follow your 33/1 player down to the 18th hole on Sunday, that doesn’t happen very often. To keep handicappers interested, sports betting sites had to come up with ways for us to win more consistently. They’ve done this by creating head-to-head bets, 3 Ball bets, and a variety of props. Futures bets for the Majors and for the season-ending #1 player in the world are also available.
Betting On Golf Tournament Winners
When Tiger Woods was winning almost everything, we used to pencil him in and take home our winnings on Sunday afternoon. It’s different now, and picking a winner is very challenging. However, from a bettor’s standpoint it’s possibly more fun now than it was when Tiger was at the top of his game. The reason is, now we have a dozen or more players who have a legitimate shot at winning any tournament, and odds that reflect this.
As mentioned above, the biggest favorites are generally in the 6/1 – 8/1 range, and the rest of the field is in the 20/1 + neighborhood. So, if you don’t like either of the favorites, you can pick three or four other players and still walk away with a huge profit if any of them win. Not only does this give us a chance at a big win, but we also have more players to root for.
More than any other sport, golf handicappers betting on tournament winners need to shop for the best prices. There’s possibly more odds variation on these bets than any other bet that can be made. It’s very common to find a player at 20/1 at one betting site, and 30/1 at another. This is such a huge difference that if you’re not comparing odds, you’re choosing to be a losing handicapper.
To get the best odds available, register and fund accounts at as many reputable online betting sites as possible. Lines from several golf betting sites can be compared in a matter of minutes.
Head To Head Player Matchups
Head to head bets are very simple. The betting sites will list two golfers, and your job is to decide which one will have the best finish in the tournament. It doesn’t matter where they finish overall, only where they finish in comparison to each other.
Typically, the odds will look something like this:
- Tiger Woods -150
- Phil Mickelson +130
In this case, it would require a bet of $15 to win $10 on Tiger Woods, or $10 to win $13 on Phil Mickelson.
3 Ball Golf Bets
3 Ball bets are generally offered during the first two days of a tournament, when players go out in groups of three. Odds for each player in a group are posted, and our job is to pick which of the three will post the best round.
Most of the larger betting sites offer 3 Ball bets for PGA tournaments. Those that focus on European sports also offer them for EPGA. For LPGA golf, 3 Ball bets are more common than you might think. Most of the larger betting sites offer them for the top groups.
Of course it depends on the grouping, but you’ll generally find 3 Ball betting odds in the range of -150 to +150 for favorites. Underdogs usually come in at +160 to +350.
Golf Futures Betting
Futures bets are wagers that can be made well in advance of the event. In golf, this means betting on the season-ending #1 player, and betting on the results of Major tournaments.
Season-ending #1 favorites usually come in around +400 to +800, and the rest of the field is usually in the +2000 and higher range.
While it’s less common, some sites also offer futures bets on the winner of the PGA Major tournaments. Of course these are very difficult to win, so we recommend keeping these wagers to a maximum of .5% of your bankroll.
Futures bets are fun, and they give you a bet to follow all season long. However, they can be tough to win, and winners have to wait all season before collecting their winnings.
Golf Prop Betting Online
Prop bets are wagers that don’t fall into any of the standard betting categories. Prop bets are designed mainly for casual bettors looking to have some fun. As a result the vig is not always attractive, so these types of bets need to be shopped. Prop bets can be fairly standard, and they can get a bit bizarre as well. Some typical types of golf props include:
- How many fairways will players X hit in a specific round?
- Over/under on the number of Majors a player will win in a season.
- Yes/no on player X scoring an eagle during a tournament.
- Color of shirt or hat Tiger Woods will be wearing.
Golf Online Betting Tips
It’s tough to pick tournament winners. Look for easier bets to win to keep your bankroll replenished. 3 Ball and head to head bets will be won more often, and good odds can be found if you shop around.
Consider the type of course before picking your winners. Some courses are better suited for guys with a great short game, while others give long hitters an advantage. Are the greens fast or slow? How have guys done on this course in the past? Has the course changed much since the last big tournament here? Just because player X won the last two tournaments doesn’t mean he’s going to win here.
Don’t pay too much vig on your prop bets. Since they’re mainly designed for casual bettors, some betting sites are asking for too much juice. Don’t give it to them. If they’re asking for more than 10%, don’t make the bet.
Shopping around cannot be stressed enough. In golf, odds and vig vary so much that serious handicappers have to shop around for the best price. Sign up and fund several betting accounts, then find the best odds for every bet you place. In golf, it’s not about nickels & dimes like it is in some other sports. The difference is big enough that you could be throwing away rent payments.
If you live outside the United States and want to bet on EPGA, sign up at golf betting websites who do not accept U.S. handicappers. Sites that don’t accept U.S. bettors tend to focus more on European sports, and offer more betting options for EPGA tournaments.
Betting On Golf Majors
Almost every sports betting site offers expanded betting options for the Majors. More 3 Ball bets, more head to head matchups, and more props. They also tend to lower their vig for the most popular prop bets, offering better value.
PGA Majors
- Masters Tournament
- U.S. Open Championship
- The Open Championship (British Open)
- PGA Championship
LPGA Majors
- Kraft Nabisco Championship
- RICOH Women’s British Open
- U.S. Women’s Open
- Wegmans LPGA Championship
