The best betting props for the PGA Championship

The first major of the season, the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, tees off Thursday. 

The par-70, 7,234-yard course in San Francisco is a first-time host of the major and the former site of the 2009 Presidents Cup, as well as the Charles Schwab Cup in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

World No. 1 Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner, heads in as the co-favorite (+900), alongside two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka.

These two could battle it out for the title, just like they did Sunday at the WGC-St. Jude Invitational, but there is far more to bet on than outright champion.

Here are the five best prop bets to wager on for the PGA Championship.   

Back in 2017, when Thomas won his only major at Quail Hollow, he claimed the PGA Championship by two strokes, over Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, and Patrick Reed.

In 2018, Koepka outlasted Tiger Woods for a two-stroke victory at Bellerive Country Club, then defeated longtime friend Dustin Johnson by two strokes at Bethpage Black in 2019.

The margin of victory varies from 2010 to 2016, from back-to-back playoffs (2010, 2011) to an eight-stroke win by Rory McIlroy in 2012.

Although the layout won’t look exactly the same as the Charles Schwab Cup Championships of the early 2010s at Harding Park, those three tournaments included a pair of two-stroke victories, as well.  

Based on the PGA Championship’s 10-year averages and previous Harding Park Tour events, a two-stroke win margin makes for a solid play.

Bet: Two strokes exactly +350

To make the cut

Most of the names listed on the oddsboard boast a high probability to make the cut at Harding Park, but Brandt Snedeker at +100 will offer you the greatest return if he reaches the weekend.

The 39-year-old’s form has suffered recently, with three missed cuts in five tournaments since the PGA Tour resumed play. But he steps up his game in the PGA Championship.

Since 2013, he has made the cut in all six of his appearances at the major and finished tied for 16th at Bethpage Black in 2019. His best finishes occurred in 2013 and 2014, when he tied for 13th and 12th, respectively.

Snedeker ranks fourth in strokes gained around the green and 32nd in strokes gained putting. If he can get his driver up to speed, he should make the cut for the seventh straight time at this major.

Pick: Snedeker to make the cut +100

To miss the cut

Nothing against Justin Rose, but his golf has been lacking recently. He started off strong at the PGA Tour’s restart in June, with a third-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge and 14^th place at the RBC Heritage.

At the end of June, Rose missed the cut at the Travelers, after he unraveled in the second round, and has since missed the weekend at the Workday Charity Open and the Memorial.

Rose played Harding Park at the 2015 WGC-Match Play and lost as a sixth seed to No. 56 Marc Leishman in the opening round.

Rose was tied for 29th at Bethpage last season but has missed the cut three times since 2010 at the PGA Championship.

Based on his recent form, he is most likely to slip up in the early rounds.

Pick: Justin Rose to miss the cut +150

Of the five players in this grouping, Johnson, Webb Simpson, and Tiger Woods each own at least one win on Tour this season.

Tiger earned his back in October at the ZOZO, Johnson collected a win at the Travelers in June, and Simpson triumphed at the Phoenix Open and July’s RBC Heritage.

Based on the PGA Championship’s 10-year trends, eight of the past 10 champions won a stroke-play event in the same season of their victory at the major.

Xander Schauffele came close to a win this season, but he lost in a playoff at the WGC-Champions and Tournament of Champions.

Looking at strokes gained off the tee, you can narrow the group further. Eight of the past nine PGA Championship winners ranked 30th or better in that statistic. Only Schauffele (seventh) and Johnson (11th) fit the mold.

The deciding factor is previous performance at the major. Last season, Johnson finished second at Bethpage, and his driver should help him excel at Harding Park. Schauffele tied for 16th last year, and tied for 35th and missed the cut in his other two appearances.

The 26-year-old California native is worth consideration for a strong finish at this tournament, too, but take Johnson to land a bit higher on the leaderboard.

Pick: Johnson Group B winner +275

Top 10 finish

From 2015-2017, the PGA Championship crowned three first-time major winners — Jason Day, Jimmy Walker, and Thomas.

Abraham Ancer could be next in line and has a reasonable shot at the Wanamaker Trophy this weekend.

Ancer hasn't missed a cut since early October and has performed particularly well since the PGA Tour resumed play in June.

He nearly forced a playoff with Simpson at the RBC Heritage, landed 14th at the Charles Schwab Challenge, 11th at the Travelers, and 15th in last week’s St. Jude.

Ancer also ranks 29th in strokes gained off the tee, 26th in strokes gained approaching the green, and tied for 17th in strokes gained putting at the St. Jude.

In his only appearance at the PGA Championship, he tied for 16th last year.  

Look for the surging star to crack the top 10 at Harding Park on Sunday.

Pick: Top 10 finish for Ancer +500

Find the full list of prop odds for the PGA Championship at BetAmerica!