PGA Championship Best Bets, Expert Tips & 2021 Betting Guide

Quick Tips

• Back Xander Schauffele to win at 22/1 with Karamba.
• Back Viktor Hovland Each-Way at 25/1 with 888Sport.
• Back Jordan Spieth Each-Way at 16/1 with Mansionbet.

It's time for the second major championship of the season as The 2021 PGA Championship heads back to Kiawah Island’s famed Ocean Course. Expect quick greens and strong breezes to blow off the Atlantic Ocean onto Pete Dye’s jewel of a layout on the South Carolina coast as we look set for four exciting days of top-class golf betting from Kiawah Island.

It’s easy to see why McIlroy recently prevailed at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C. It's a former PGA Championship venue which Rory thrives at and the Wells Fargo Championship gave McIlroy a much needed victory after 18 months without a win. His next start is on the Ocean Course, where he routed the field to win his first major at the PGA in 2012. No wonder the Northern Irishman was backed in favouritism after his recent win and he will surely relish getting back on a track he has already excelled at.

McIlroy won that 2012 PGA Championship by a record eight shots, on a weekend where only 20 players broke par. Kiawah Island could be more difficult this time around as the Palmetto State traditionally brings stronger winds and harder greens than August, when the event used to be played. On the Ocean Course’s toughest days, PGA pros can shoot 80 or above, so once the event goes in-play expect to see some interesting scorecards being signed off.

Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, and Corey Conners are all flying the Canadian flag at Kiawah Island next week with Connors being fancied by many based on his impressive play this season with the highlight being a top 10 finish at Augusta in April.

5 Best Bets For The PGA Championship

Rahm to Bounce Back from Wells Fargo Flop

Yes, Rahm missed the cut at Charlotte but after just becoming a father we can blame the baby for that. Otherwise Rahm has been in sublime form this season, with seven of his eight previous finishes being 13th or better. In events where he’s made the cut, his average finish has been 10.3. He and Schauffele are the two best active players without a major, and like the X-Man, Rahm continues to put himself in position to win the big one again and again and again.

Back Jon Rahm Each-Way at 14/1 with Bet365

Spieth Could Complete Career Grand Slam

We’re believers and few players on tour have been better in 2021 than the resurgent Spieth, who between Phoenix and Augusta posted six top-nine finishes in eight starts. He was solid all four days at The Masters, he has the monkey of winning again off his back, and he looks like a guy who could complete the career Grand Slam sooner rather than later.

Back Jordan Spieth Each-Way at 16/1 with Mansionbet.

Xander Close to Ending Major Drought

The X-Man is overdue and his third-place finish at The Masters marked another outstanding effort for a player who’s been top-10 in seven of his last 11 majors. His 14th-place result at the Wells Fargo Championship was his only event since Augusta, but Schauffele tends to be good in all types of majors. Can he handle the wind at Kiawah? A 2019 victory in Hawaii suggests he will be more than able.

Back Xander Schauffele to win at 22/1 with Karamba.

Hovland in Red Hot Form

Collin Morikawa was ranked 12th in the world when he won last year’s PGA, and No. 11 Hovland is poised for a similar breakthrough. He’s played very well lately, with back-to-back T3s at Charlotte and Innisbrook. One of his tour victories came on a coastal layout in Puerto Rico, which may bode well in terms of handling the wind.

Back Viktor Hovland Each-Way at 25/1 with 888Sport.

Simpson Going in Under the Radar

If you’re looking for an American who could be a surprise winner then one to consider is Webb Simpson, who hasn’t won this season but has played solid golf all year. This is a guy who can hang around and steal a major after everyone else makes mistakes, just as he did in the 2012 U.S. Open. Another player not known for his length but good everywhere else which is just the type of package it takes to win at Kiawah.

Back Webb Simpson to Win at 40/1 with Bet365

5 Betting Tips For The PGA Championship

Recent Form a Must

Listen, the Ocean Course is hard. Friday of the last PGA at Kiawah was one of the toughest days ever at a major championship. Players shot in the 90s, which you never see anywhere else. So this is not the week for a struggling player to magically rediscover their game.

Long Shots can Prevail

The PGA Championship boasts a deep field, and it’s developed a reputation for producing some unforeseen winners like Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker and Morikawa in the last decade alone. There are lots of players, like Hovland, Tyrell Hatton and Max Homa capable of continuing that trend, so don’t be shy about backing someone each-way at bigger odds.

Take Americans Seriously

Although the dominance of U.S. players has ebbed, Americans won 10 of 12 PGAs between 1996 and 2007 and this event still largely belongs to the red, white and blue. Americans enter this year having won three straight, with Morikawa’s victory following consecutive triumphs by Brooks Koepka, and they also owned five of the six top places in the World Golf Rankings as of last week.

Be Wary of Bombers

McIlroy’s comeback has spared us another week of fan hype on Bryson DeChambeau entering a major. He’s fun, inventive and unpredictable which is great for fans but not for bettors. Do you really trust the guy off the tee when the wind is howling 20 mph off the Atlantic, particularly after his T46 at Augusta? Wind is a nemesis of players known for their driving distance, a category where DeChambeau is No. 1 on tour.

Watch Out for Pin Seekers

With elevated greens, the likelihood of little rain and the near-certainty of consistent wind, the Ocean Course shapes up a layout made for iron players who hit strong approach shots. Maybe they’re not the longest drivers, but their accuracy from the fairway gives them a chance. While prowess varies by distance, this is an area where players like Justin Thomas, Spieth and Morikawa consistently excel.