Each-Way Golf Betting Rules & Strategy Tips

Picking the outright winner in a professional tournament can be tough - which is why many punters place each-way bets on golf at the best betting sites.

In this guide, we cover the top tips and strategies for each-way golf betting.

We'll also explain the payout rules for each-way golf bets and outline what happens your bet when golfers finish tied for places. 

Read on to find out everything you need to know about each-way golf betting.

What is Each-Way Betting in Golf?

There are so many good players, so many variables out on the course, and so many other factors that can dictate who wins each week. 

Field sizes rarely drop below 100 players for tournaments on the PGA Tour and European Tour, so backing the winner is extremely difficult.

However, there’s another way to bet on golf that provides a bettor with more options and more chances of collecting a return.

Each-way golf betting allows you to bet on a player not just to win, but also to place. 

Essentially, you are placing two separate bets when you back a player each-way in a golf tournament - one on the golfer to win the whole event and the other on the player to finish near the top of the leaderboard.

The number of places bookies pay out for each-way golf bets varies depending on what tournament you're betting on and which bookmaker you're betting with.

Five is fairly standard, with six and seven places paid also being quite common. However, the best golf betting sites will pay out on 8-12 places for bigger tournaments like the majors. More on that later.

Each-Way Golf Betting Odds & Payouts

The odds you get on a player to place will obviously never be as high as the odds on that player to win a tournament. But on the flipside, the chances of a bettor cashing in are much better. 

An each-way golf bet is a great way to reduce risk while still having the chance to collect a tidy return from the win part of the bet.

Taking the 2021 Masters Tournament as an example, here's how to calculate your each-way golf bets.

2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama entered the first major of the year at Augusta National with outright Masters odds of 40/1.

Among the best Masters betting offers available was Coral's extra places deal, with this bookie paying out on 10 places at one-fifth of the outright odds.

If you staked £5 each-way (total of £10) on Matsuyama before the tournament, you would have won £250. Here's how:

• A £5 bet on Matsuyama to win at 40/1 returned £205 (5 x 40 + your original £5 stake)
• A £5 bet on Matsuyama to finish in the top 10 at 8/1 (one-fifth of the win odds) returned £45 (5 x 8 + your original £5 stake)
• £205 + £45 = £250

What Happens Each-Way Golf Bets if Players Finish Tied?

This is where things can sometimes get a little confusing for bettors, as players often finish tied for places in golf tournaments.

Dead-heat rules can vary from one betting site to the next, but you will be paid out less if your backed player is tied for a place in some instances. 

To better understand dead-heat rules, take a look at the following example of a final leaderboard. In this example, the bookie is paying out five each-way places before the tournament starts at one-quarter of the outright odds.

If you backed Jordan Spieth here, you would win your each-way bet both ways - as Spieth was the outright tournament winner and finished in the top five places. 

If you backed Scottie Scheffler or Jon Rahm, you would receive full payouts on the each-way part of your bet, as they are both inside the top five for the purposes of your bet.

However, If you backed McIlroy, Finau, or Leishman, you would be looking at reduced returns from your each-way bet. 

You can work out your returns by dividing the number of places left in the top five by the number of players tied for those places. In this case, three players are tied, so that's 2/3 or 66.6%.

• If you placed £5 each-way on Finau, your stake now becomes two-thirds, or 66.6% of your original £5 stake, so £3.33 in this case
• Remember that in this example the bookmaker is paying out five places at one-quarter of the outright odds, so the 40/1 price for Finau becomes 10/1.
• Multiply £3.33 by 10 and you get £33.30 added to your original stake of £3.33, so your each-way bet in this case would return £36.63

Each-Way Golf Betting Tips

Every bettor's each-way golf betting strategy will differ slightly according to their preferences. 

But there are a few key tips you should follow when placing your each-way golf bets.

Here are three of the each-way golf betting tips we've found most useful over the years.

Make The Most of Extra Each-Way Places

Take note of the betting sites that offer more each-way places than their competitors. It's far easier to predict a top-10 finish for a player than a top-five, so it's always smart to favour the bookies with the most places.

Extra each-way places is more common for the majors than for regular PGA Tour or European Tour events. 

PGA Championship, Open Championship, Masters and US Open betting offers are always more generous and you can find tonnes of specials and promotions online.

BoyleSports, bet365, Coral and Betfred have some of the best each-way golf betting terms for the four major championships and regular tour events.

Always Remember - You Can Profit Without Your Player Winning

Each-way bets can act as a kind of insurance. If you do your research and spread your funds wisely over a few different contenders, you can land a tidy profit without any of your selections actually winning.

In the 2020 PGA Championship, Tony Finau was trading at odds of 20/1 to win and 5/1 each-way, meaning a bettor would have landed a £250 profit on a pair of £10 wagers had Finau went on to triumph.

Finau finished fourth that year - but the bettor still would have won £50, more than doubling their initial investment.

The big-hitting American has racked up lots of top 10 finishes and top fives over his career, but he had only ever won twice on the PGA Tour before that tournament (he has secured four more victories since).

When making an each-way bet, don't just look for winners. Consider players who regularly contend for titles but often come up short.

Look For Value

As always, research is key. Make sure to be aware of a player’s recent form entering a tournament. If a player is battling an injury or some other issue, strong past performances may not be as relevant.

Also take a look at a player's course history, which can often be a big pointer as to how they'll fare. Consider an outside shot like Canadian player Corey Conners, who has a strong record at Masters, meaning he is always a good each-way bet for the first major of the year at Augusta National.

The goal is to find value, as in any betting situation. Golf research materials are readily available online, and each-way betting widens the pool of prospective betting candidates, allowing punters to dig deep and unearth potentially lucrative opportunities.

Read More: The best new betting sites - ranked and reviewed by our experts

Each-Way Golf Betting - Summary

Each-way golf bets can ramp up the excitement when you're watching a tournament. They can also be profitable if you employ the right strategy and luck is on your side.

One of the best things about each-way betting on golf is that you'll always get a good run for your money if a player you've backed is contending - and fun is what golf betting should be all about at the end of the day.

Best of luck with your each-way golf bets!