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By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast
Every Side Angle to Know
It’s the final major championship, and for a lot of books and oddsmakers out there in the golf space, it’s the final tournament for a bit of time with a full buffet of prop bets aside from typical action. That means it’s the last target buffet of spreads and props in the golf calendar, and one last chance to feast on the most random of angles in golf betting.
With it being The Open championship, it’s a unique and diverse, and truly worldwide field with representatives from over a dozen different countries eyeing the claret jug. Aside from who actually wins the event on Sunday at Liverpool, there’s a myriad of ways to enjoy and win money on the action without even picking the winner. Let’s get into the weird and wild angles on golf’s final major championship.
Top 10 Picks
Forget hoisting the trophy – let’s just find guys that can compete and contend, show their face on the first page of the board, and cash us a winner. This makes the game a little more winnable and it still allows us to find some good value on lesser-known players that can sneak into the top 10 with a good weekend showing. On the high side of the top 10 board, I like Scottie (who hasn’t finished outside the top 10 this year) around even money and Fleetwood at +225, the consistent bridesmaid. As for the sleepers with jackpot potential on a top 10 finish, names like Rasmus Hojgaard at +1400 and local hero Matthew Jordan (+1600) intrigue me enough to throw a unit on them.
FRL
Always a fun and frenetic way to spice up your Thursday afternoon, we’re looking for who jumps out of the opening gates the fastest and grabs the first-round clubhouse lead just in time for the 19th hole. This betting is listed very much like the outright winner odds, with Rory (+1800), Scottie Scheffler at +2200, and Jon Rahm at +2500 leading the way. What jumps out at me here are odds like Shane Lowry at +4000 or Robert MacIntyre at +5500, two players with good recent form that have a slight uptick in their FRL odds. Both could be in for a Thursday shot of adrenaline to get their weeks going.
Hole In One!
The most magical shot in golf is always a head-turning highlight, and now it can light up your bankroll in a moment’s notice. As far as hole-in-ones in recent majors, the block has been hot as of late. At The Masters, we were surprisingly ace-free, and Michael Block’s Sunday Ace at the PGA Championship may be the most memorable golf shot of the year so far. At the U.S. Open at LACC, there were a few aces and even a sub-100-yard par three on Saturday, so as we head into The Open you have to think a couple drops on a course that’s previously yielded lots of low scores? The Hole In One odds for the week are right around even money, and the fun play on my radar is the +300 pick on an ace that specifically happens during round two on Friday.
Top American Finish
Despite the lack of trophies as of late, Scottie Scheffler’s incredibly consistent play makes him the overwhelming favorite as the top-finishing American player in the field. Scottie is practically even money to finish top 10 so in theory this accomplishment is about the same but at a better number in the +300 range. Looking a bit further down the board, names like Jordan Spieth at +1200 and Cameron Young at +2500 to beat the other American players in the field are eye-catching numbers that I’m latching onto this week. The best part is they don’t even have to win the event, just beat their countrymen.
Top Great Britain & Ireland Finish
In these country-specific prop bets, I find myself picking players that I don’t have outright to spread the money across a larger group of contenders. With that thought, I’ve seen great play from Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton in recent events, and both are popping up in analytical models as potential suitors for Royal Liverpool. In this mini field of players their main competition from Great Britain or Ireland is Rory…obviously. If you’re fading Rory off of his win last week, look for sleepers in this category to hit your payday.
Top Senior
This is one play I especially love – hammering Irishmen Padraig Harrington (+150) to basically just beat out Phil and Stewart Cink. After that there’s no senior player that is in the competitive form to play the weekend, so this is a three-man mini-tournament and Padraig has solid recent form in PGA Tour Champions events.
Alex’s Top Props for The Open
Hole in One in Round Two – YES +300
Matthew Jordan Top 10 +1600
Scottie Scheffler Top 10 -125
Padraig Harrington – Top Senior +150
Golf FAQs
How do PGA Golf Majors Pools work?
In PGA Golf Majors Pools, member select six golfers to compete on a roster over the course of an event. The member with the best combined score from the six golfers wins.
Can you include all four majors into one pool?
Yes, but your commissioner can also customize these setting with RunYourPool. Pools can include up to all four majors, repicking golfers each time or adding bonus points for finishing positions
How do I assemble a roster?
Golfers are broken up in to six tiers, as members select one golfer per tier to be on their Major roster.
What happens to golfers who miss the cut?
Any PGA Player who does not make the cut will be given the highest score of Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
What are the four golf majors?
The Masters is the first major of the season, in April. The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open follow, with the British Open ending as the final major.
How do PGA One and Dones work?
Members in a pool select one golfer to win a tournament, but can't pick that golfer again for the rest of the season. The member with the best score at the end of the season wins.
What is a PGA One and Done pool?
A PGA One-and-Done Pool is a contest similar to Survivor Pools, in which members can only select a golfer one time per season for events.
Which tournaments are played for PGA One and Dones?
Pool commissioners can set up the season for as many or as few tournaments as desired. Go crazy and do all of them! Or dial it back for the major events. As commissioner of a RunYourPool contest, you decide which events to play in!
How to run a weekly golf pool?
In order to run a golf pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like One and Done or Pick-X Pools. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
How do golf Pick-X Pools work?
Members select a certain number of golfers per tournament, set by the pool commissioner. The member earns the total winnings that their selected golfer won for the tournament. Whichever member earns the most winnings over the duration of the season wins.
What is a golf Pick-X Pool?
A Pick-X Golf Pool calculates tournament winnings rather than strokes gained when deciding a winner. This amplifies the big name events that feature a higher prize purse.
How to run a golf pool?
How you decide to run a golf pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How do Masters Prop Bets Pools work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
When is the Masters?
The Masters is typically in April and the first major of the golf season. The 2023 Masters is set for Thursday, April 6 and will run until Sunday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is annually held at the Augusta National Golf Club located in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
