Golf betting does not offer a lot of options, but there are ways to make money for sure. Golf has major events such as the Masters, the British Open, PGA Championship and US Open, just to name a few. But there are tournaments all year and many opportunities to bet golf. There are more options for betting golf than just picking the winner of a tournament. We will cover a few of the different ways to bet golf in a way that is easy to understand.
Outright Golf Betting
Outright golf betting is betting which player will win the tournament. It is tough picking out one golfer to win over the rest of the field, but it can have the highest pay out of any bet you make with golf. Most players in the field will have odds based on how the handicappers perceive the player’s chances to win the event. Sharp bettors sometimes bet on more than one player to win the event. Sharp bettors know if they spread their bets accordingly, they can still make a profit if one of their picks wins. Here is an example at how this type of bet might be listed:
Betting on the 2012 Masters:
Bubba Watson: +2500
Lee Westwood: +2000
Phil Mickelson: +1800
Rory McIlroy: +1200
Odds to Finish in the Top 3, Top 5, and Top 10
Just as the header says, you can also bet on players to finish in the top 3, top 5 and top 10. The odds are not as long as they are on picking the winner, because it is easier to pick. To give you an idea of the odds based on the example above Rory McIlroy would be somewhere around 7/1 for a top 3 finish, 5/1 for a top 5 finish and 3/1 for a top 10 finish. With a little bit of homework you can figure out players that are consistently in the top 10, top 5 or top 3.
Matchup Bets
A matchup bet is simple. The book will offer pairs of players and all you do is pick which one will beat the other. Where a player finishes in the tournament is irrelevant. This bet only concerns the outcome between the 2 players in question. This is the most popular way to bet golf and sharp bettors use this to make good money. The odds are not as high as picking the winner of a tournament, but it is a lot easier to pick. Below is an example of a match-up bet:
Tiger Woods: +120
Rory McIlroy: -160
As you can see this looks just like a money line in other sports. You would bet $100 on Woods to win $120 or you would bet $160 on McIlroy to win $100.
Golf Prop Betting
Prop betting in golf at first glance looks more for fun than taking seriously. But if you watch golf, it is actually not a bad way to make money. There are bets on things that sound silly like will a certain player wear a blue shirt in the third round or will a player wear a hat during the event. But golfers are suspicious and have their little rituals. There are also prop bets related to play. Examples of this are if there will be a hole in one during the event or how many majors will a player win in a year.
Golf Futures Betting
When talking about golf futures, we are talking about the odds for winning the FedEx Cup. It is the championship trophy for the player who finishes at the top of the PGA Tour. Players get points over the course of the season based on how they do in major events. At the end of the year, 125 players enter a playoff system and play until there is a champion. Picking the winner of the FedEx Cup before season is difficult, but also gives very long odds. Below is an example of a golf futures bet on the FedEx Cup halfway through the season.
Odds to Win the 2012 FedEx Cup:
Tiger Woods +700
Rory McIlroy +700
Nick Watney +1000
Bubba Watson +1000
Brandt Snedeker +1200
Dustin Johnson +1500
Golf betting is getting more popular in recent years as gamblers are learning you can make money. Don’t be afraid because you are not familiar with a certain sport. Some pro bettors know how to bet and win on sports they know very little about.
