West Virginia bettors, savor the most interesting PGA board you will ever see.
The Tour Championship, playing Thursday-Sunday, provides a multifaceted betting platform.
Based on a point system, heavily weighted by recent playoff tournaments, the action begins with all 30 players having an established score.
Why is Patrick Cantlay at +2000 and +380 to win at DraftKings WV Sportsbook?
Two separate wagering boards.
He starts at -10, good for a two-stroke lead over Tony Finau and four strokes over the favorite Jon Rahm. That’s why he’s a short price, at +380, to preserve the lead.
But if he started even with the field, he’s +2000.
That’s the beauty of this unique, two-pronged PGA finale, which awards $60 million in bonuses to the players and $15 million to the winner. All players are essentially competing in two simultaneous tournaments.
Here are the scores the players start with and their corresponding odds at DraftKings:
- Cantlay -10, +380
- Finau -8, +700
- Bryson DeChambeau -7, +550
- Rahm -6, +350
- Cam Smith -5, +2500
How much will this impact the outcome?
Tour Championship Odds At WV Sportsbooks
The scores for the entire field go all the way down to even par. Some players have a long uphill climb.
Hideki Matsuyama is -1, nine strokes down. Dustin Johnson, one of the most heavily wagered players on tour, is -3, seven strokes down.
“It gives certain players a good starting position, but we have seen guys make a big run on a weekly basis,” Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, told PlayWV.
“You will see the leader shoot -6 on the first day and the eventual winner come in at +2. Players have four rounds to win a tournament.”
Bettors have a second, unique option in the form of a separate wagering board. It provides odds without the starting strokes.
Every player starts even, just like in the typical PGA tournament.
At DraftKings, Rahm is the favorite at +600, while Xander Schauffele is +1100 and Dustin Johnson is +1200.
Pressure Factor
After the $15 million top prize, second place gets $5 million.
The seven-figure paydays go all the way down to eighth place, with $1.1 million. Even the last-place player will get $395,000.
The championship recognizes FedEx Cup points, obtained at every tour stop, and the playoff system, which heavily rewards the last three tournament winners. Cantlay won the BMW Championship last week, and the points propelled him into the lead starting this four-day event.
“I like this format,” Avello said. “It has generated a lot of interest in the playoff system.
“This is a great way to end the season. We are pleased with the handle in golf all year. It’s been outstanding.”
PGA Betting At WV Online Sportsbooks
Nice Mixed Bag At BetMGM
BetMGM Sportsbook WV has a prop for the leader after Round 1, with strokes applied.
- Cantlay -110
- Finau +350
- DeChambeau +450
- Rahm +600
Nationality props for various countries are represented.
Do you anticipate a hole-in-one?
It pays +1400 for every round of the tournament. Remember that the field is 30 players, about one-fifth of many tournaments. There are fewer players to deliver the goods, but it pays well.
Two To Tango At FanDuel
Bettors can organize their own tournament within a tournament. FanDuel WV has several offerings, including head-to-head, two-player matchups. This is an excellent side bet, or series of wagers, to provide interest in case one’s favorite player does not do well.
Hideki Matsuyama and Scottie Scheffler, for instance, are -112 for a head-to-head matchup that is decided over four days.
Collin Morikawa is -126 versus Viktor Hovland at -102.
There are scores of individual matchups. Just pick some that are suitable.
Handicapping The Short Field At Caesars
Finau and DeChambeau are well priced, considering they are competing in a field of only 30 and already starting near the lead.
Otherwise, the Caesars WV board is chock full of twosomes and threesomes in head-to-head battles.
East Lakes Golf Club Overview
The layout will not be intimidating to the pros. The greens are remarkably open in the front, eliminating a major source of trouble.
Six is an excellent birdie hole, a par-5 that is reachable in two. For next-hole considerations, gamblers can ponder whether to take a shot at an eagle.
Par will feel like a bogey and basically cause a player to drop a shot to the field.
Following a certain player? A par on six could be deflating and may affect him on the next couple of holes. There’s no stat for that, but it could provide a gut-feel angle for the gambler.
How To Watch:
- Thursday, Sept. 2: 1-6 p.m. EST (Golf Channel)
- Friday, Sept. 3: 1-6 p.m. EST (Golf Channel)
- Saturday, Sept. 4: 1-2:30 p.m. EST (Golf Channel); 2:30-7 p.m. EST (NBC)
- Sunday, Sept. 5: 12-1:30 p.m. EST (Golf Channel); 1:30-6 p.m. EST (NBC)
