A Quick Guide to Betting on Golf
At present, ten states have legal sports betting in the US and a further eight are close to having legislation that allows it. The climate for legalized sports gambling is becoming brighter with every bill passed across the US. So, what does this mean for the armchair golf fan, and how can you benefit from a change in the sports betting laws in the US?
Golf betting is more popular than ever
It isn’t just Tiger Woods that makes golf a compelling watch with different storylines appearing every week; golf betting means each weekend is another opportunity to test your knowledge of the sport and perhaps make some money on a Sunday too. It might even make golf more popular than ever because, if you’re betting on it, you’re far more likely to watch it.
Golf has a huge variety of betting opportunities, far more than other sports and this is due to the 144+ players arriving to tee it up, hoping to win, every Thursday morning on the PGA Tour, LPGA, European, Korn Ferry (previously Web.com) and the Champions Tour.
Types of golf betting
From individual outright tournament betting to basic wagers on a player’s finishing position, there are probably more kinds of bets available than the average player will take around the course. And you can bet on a player’s score on any given hole too.
Of course, sports betting has its own language and, if you are new to it, it can be a little intimidating – do you know what a Prop Bet is? It’s actually one of the most popular types of US sports betting, not really connected to who wins or anything like that, but more to do with certain propositions, like if a player will make the cut or if a player will finish in the top 20. In fact, with Tiger bouncing his way back into the picture with his Masters win in April, an entire industry of prop bets has resurrected itself.
How to pick a tournament winner
Of course, to make big gains from a modest wager means picking the tournament winner and there are two basic concepts to consider before just picking your favorite player or randomly picking the most fancied player at the top of the betting list.
Current form – Choosing any player that is consistently performing week in/week out is often an indication that a player is in top form, comfortable with their game and ready to win.
Course history – Oftentimes, players will prefer certain events, signing up to the same events each year because they like the course. For instance, Jason Day loves playing in the Farmers Championship, Webb Simpson never misses the Wyndham (he even named his daughter after it), and Matt Kuchar will always be in the starting field for the Heritage. And these players will nearly always be contending for the win.
With a bit of research, you’ll also find some players with a string of top tens in a tournament that still carries very high odds and you’ll find certain courses have particular characteristics that suit different types of players.
For anyone interested in having a wager on golf, always look for the value position and do some research into the field, the golf course and the conditions the players will experience. But also take the time to look at the different types of golf betting markets a sportsbook might offer; you never know when you might find one that looks too good to be true.
Discover more from GolfBlogger Golf Blog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
