This is an exciting time for golf fans. A total of eight tournaments are scheduled in June and July. And these will be followed by the Olympics! Men’s Golf Competition is scheduled in the first week of August 2024. So, if you’ve been planning to try your hand at golf betting, now is the time.
Scottie Scheffler is obviously the favorite to win the upcoming 2024 Travelers Championship. Scheffler has five outright wins to his name this year. The other contenders are Xander Schauffele, Ludvig Aberg, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, and Hideki Matsuyama.
However, should you place your bets on Scheffler, who is the 4-1 betting favorite as per CBS Sports? The question might arise considering his recent performances. He had a challenging outing in the US Open and finished tied for 41st at eight over.
Before placing your bets, you should have a thorough understanding of some ultimate golf betting tips. Let’s give you a brief on how to maximize your bets so you have a chance to win big.
Key Golf Betting Tips
Consider these important factors before placing selecting your golf picks:
Analyse the player performance and course history
Look at various metrics such as:
- Recent tournament results
- Course suitability
- Performance history
- Strokes gained statistics
Evaluate your chosen player’s form and trends. How do their current form compare to their historical performance? This can give you insights into their weaknesses. Also, factors like the course condition, weather, and field strength influence tournament outcomes.
Evaluate game statistics
Strokes Gained: This gives a nuanced understanding of a player’s game. For example, the Tee-to-Green means all strokes taken from the tee box until the player hits the green. You can also look at Off-the-Tee, Approach, Around-the-Green, and Putting data. This data is often available on the PGA TOUR website.
Driving Accuracy: Driving accuracy data tells how often a tee shot lands in the fairway. More the fairway hits, the better controlled approach shots are.
Greens in regulation (GIR): This measures the number of strokes a player makes to reach the greens. For example, one shot on a par 3, two shots on a par 4, etc. Top players usually hit over half the greens in regulation.
Putts per round: Great players have low putts per round, meaning they have better approach shots. Top players have better form, and therefore have the lowest number of putts per round.
An Overview of the Most Significant Golf Tournaments
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US Masters
Current Champion: Scottie Scheffler
Players to look out for: Brooks Koepka, John Ram
The Masters lasts for only four days, but is highly action packed. Every day, the players have to play a different round made up of 18 holes. Each hole has a “par”, or the maximum number of strokes a golfer can take to get the ball in the hole. The aim is to use the least number of strokes and be “under par”. The player at the end with the best score wins the coveted green jacket.
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US Open
Current Champion: Bryson DeChambeau
Players to look out for: Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy
The U.S. Open is renowned for its challenging course and a whopping $20 million purse. Also, the winner receives automatic invitations to other majors and exemptions from qualifying for the U.S. Open.
Unlike the Masters, this championship is open to both professionals and amateurs (with a Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4).
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PGA Championship
Current Champion: Xander Schauffele, Ruoning Yin (women’s)
Players to look out for: Justin Thomas, Nelly Korda
Although the men’s PGA is finished, you can still look out for the women’s PGA Championship starting on 20th June at the Sahalee Country Club in Washington D.C. Nelly Korda and Ruoning Yin are the top contenders, along with previous winners Sei Young Kim (2020), and Hannah Green (2019).
The par set for this tournament is at 72. The Sahalee Country Club has more than 7,500 trees and is known for its difficulty.
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Ryder Cup
2023 Standing: Europe won 16.5-11.5 victory over the United States.
The Ryder Cup is held every two years, showcasing the best players from Europe and the United States. In the 43 competitions held so far, the USA has 27 times and Europe has won 14 times (including the current title).
Strategies for Betting on Different Tour Events
To bet successfully in golf, you need to study players’ games and strategies carefully. Every golf course has different intricacies, which means it presents unique challenges. The weather also plays a big factor in betting odds.
Before placing your bets on tour events, make sure to look at historical data and statistics. This goes beyond simply selecting past winners. Always set a risk and reward, meaning you should not bet more than you can risk losing.
Also, remember the golden strategy that every player gets bad breaks. This doesn’t mean they are not worthy contenders. Scottie Scheffler seemed unstoppable last year. But this year, his form has slumped. On the other hand, Jon Rahm is rising steadily. He is the first European to ever win both the Masters and the US Ope, but still not a favorite because of his inconsistent performance on the LIV circuit in 2024.
Only two greats – Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo – have ever been consistent favorites in every game.
Maximize Golf Betting Success
While certain golfers may seem dominant in the sport, many tournaments still produce unexpected winners with high odds. Although picking winners isn’t easy, backing an underdog can result in much higher winnings. Big ticket winners in golf are often not huge surprises, as they typically fall within the top 30 list for that season. However, due to the competitive nature of the sport, many players in tournaments are given high odds, making them potentially valuable bets.
You can even find value by laying short prices. We don’t advise to randomly lay all short prices, but target slow starters or players who appear to be significantly underpriced. This could lead to long-term profitability.