What is the US PGA Championship?
The US PGA is one of the most prestigious golf competitions thanks to its illustrious history. The first ever US PGA was played in 1916 and was held in Bronxville, New York. Ever since 1958, it has been a stroke-play competition that covers 7,556 yards (6,909m). As it is a stroke play competition, golfers are ranked on their overall strokes, rather than how many holes they have won in the event.
The tour invites up to 156 contestants and consists of four rounds of 18 holes. After the first 36 holes, certain players will be eliminated from the competition. The first 65 players on the leaderboard will ‘make the cut’ whilst players that fall outside of the first 65 will ‘miss the cut’. The tournament then proceeds with those players that have made the cut.
After the 65 players have completed four rounds, a calculation is made to compare the number of strokes that each player has made. The player with the least number of strokes wins the competition. In the case of a tie, two (or more) players will enter a sudden-death playoff until there is an outright winner.
The 2022 US PGA
In last year’s edition of the tour, the competition was hosted at the Southern Hills Country Club course. The defending champion, Phil Mickelson, withdrew from the competition following a controversy regarding his remarks about LIV Golf. It is the first time he had not featured in the tournament since 1992 and the first time a defending champion did not compete since 2008, when Tiger Woods withdrew after a knee surgery.
The 2022 US PGA winner was the American Justin Thomas, who defeated Will Zalatoris in a three-hole aggregate playoff. It was Thomas’ second PGA Championship title, following his success in 2017. Winning the 104th US PGA edition was no easy feat for the professional golfer, as he had to come back from seven shots behind at the start of the final round to win.
It was the first major championship to go to a playoff since the 2017 Masters. That means between the 2017 Masters and 2022 US PGA, 19 consecutive majors were played without a playoff. It was the longest period in golf history without a sudden death round.
US PGA 2023 Predictions
In the upcoming tournament, there are a number of players that could cause an upset. Below, we look at a few of the favourites that could go all the way this year.
Jon Rahm
Rahmbo, as he is known in the world of golf, is the current favourite at mr.play to win the US PGA. The Spaniard will be looking to add to his major championships having won the Masters Tournament in early April. It was his second major championship, adding to his US Open triumph in 2021.
Rahm defeated Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson in the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament. Rahm was chasing Koepka in the first, second and third round before eventually overtaking him in the final round. Koepka, who has already won four major championships, has yet to win the Masters Tournament.
Rory McIlroy
Rory will be celebrating his 34th birthday a few weeks before the US PGA begins. The Northern Irishman is a two-time US PGA winner, although his most recent success at the tournament was almost ten years ago. McIlroy has a total of four major championships, having won the US Open in 2011, the US PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and The Open Championship in 2014. In recent times, he has not won any major tournaments.
Wee-Mac has had a difficult career that has been hampered by injuries and lack of full physical fitness. However, he appears to be on the road back to his best, having narrowly missed out on winning the 2022 Masters Tournament where he finished as runner-up to the American Scottie Scheffler. If there was ever a major championship for McIlroy to back himself to win, it would most likely be the US PGA Championship.
Scottie Scheffler
One of the favourites to win the US PGA Championship is Scottie Scheffler. As mentioned above, he won a major championship last year, the Masters Tournament. The American is a fairly young player at just 26 years of age. He finished the 2023 Masters Tournament in the Top 10 and was the runner-up in the 2022 US Open Championship.
Scheffler is backed by mr.play as one of the three favourites to win, with not much separating the odds on him and the two players discussed above. However, in last year’s edition of the competition, he did not make the cut, which potential bettors should keep in mind.
Justin Thomas
The winner of last year’s PGA Championship, JT has only won two major tournaments, the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022. The American professional golfer has an abundance of experience, having played at 29 events and making the cut 23 times. However, in his most recent major championship – the 2023 Masters Tournament – JT failed to make the cut.
Thomas is not considered as one of the primary favourites to win the US PGA. However, writing him off would be an injustice to the two-time PGA Championship winner. The 30 year old may replicate his success from last year’s edition and go on to win a third PGA Championship.
Jordan Spieth
To complete the list of top five favourites to win the 2023 US PGA Championship, the odds suggest Jordan Spieth is worth a close look. At present, the US PGA Championship is the only major tournament that eludes Spieth’s trophy cabinet.
Spieth won the Masters Tournament in 2015, the US Open in 2015 and The US Open Championship in 2017. He has never won the US PGA, but he came close in 2015, when he finished second. Earlier this year, the 29 year old was joint-fourth in the Masters Tournament. His current form is impressive, as the American aims to secure a first ever PGA Championship and add to his tally of major trophies.
How to Bet on the US PGA Championship
Here at mr.play, you will find a variety of different bets that can be placed on the US PGA Championship. Generally speaking, golf is slower than most other sports, meaning bettors will have enough time to consider their bets carefully as the tournament progresses. We will update the odds as the tournament progresses and those who keep a careful eye on them may spot some fantastic opportunities.
The most popular bets that you can place are the outright bets. Essentially, this is a bet on which contestant you believe is going to win the competition. It is possible to bet on the outright winner before the tournament starts or while it is taking place. However, as mentioned the odds will change once the PGA Championship is underway.
If you do not want to risk betting on an outright winner, there are a number of safer bets on offer. For example, you can bet on a golfer to finish in the top 5 or top 6. As there is less risk involved in this bet, the odds will not be as long as those in the outright markets, but they still represent a chance to win.
Golf also gives punters the chance to place head to head bets or versus the field. The head to head betting markets pair up two golfers and you simply need to predict which will perform better over the course of the tournament. As for the versus the field bet, it is a wager on a golfer to not win the tournament. In simple terms, it is the opposite of the outright winner bet. It does not pay as much, but as the tournament progresses, a clear favourite will emerge and a versus the field bet against them could pay more rewardingly.
Be sure to keep a close eye on the markets and odds as the tournament draws nearer and then check back throughout the tournament. While there is no such thing as a guaranteed bet, by keeping a close eye on the action and the betting markets, you can give yourself the best possible chance of placing a winning wager.
Credit Cards vs e-Wallets – The Pros and Cons
Kentucky Derby 2023: Predictions and Betting Preview