Well, this is different.
The John Deere Classic, which was originally scheduled for this week, was canceled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. To replace it, the PGA Tour added the Workday Charity Open at the Muirfield Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, just outside of Columbus. And next week, the PGA Tour will stay at the same course for the Memorial Tournament, giving golf fans a rare doubleheader one week apart.
It’s a unique situation that will add some extra intrigue for sports bettors, as well as some course history to analyze next week. And it’s all happening just a few hours away from the sportsbooks in West Virginia and Pittsburgh. (Unfortunately, fans will be prohibited at both events, so all the wagers will have to be placed and the action followed from afar).
With seven of the world’s top 15 golfers playing in this weekend’s tournament, there’s plenty of sizzle in the upstart event. Let’s take a look at some of the odds and available wagers at the top PA sports betting apps.
Can the betting favorite win again?
Last weekend, tournament favorite Bryson Dechambeau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit after entering at +600. The PGA tournament accounted for 35% of the betting last weekend at Bet Rivers Sportsbook and PlaySugarHouse and figures to play a prominent role once again this weekend.
But Dechambeau is taking a tournament off, so there’s no chance for a back-to-back. Instead, Justin Thomas (+1000) has been installed as the favorite for the Workday Charity Open, according to BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse.
As noted in a preview at SI.com, Thomas has seven top 10 finishes this season. And the second favorite, Patrick Cantlay (+1200), won the Memorial Tournament on this very course last year, bolstering his chances, according to an article in Golf Digest. Jon Rahm (also +1200), Brooks Koepka (+1400) and Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) round out the top five.
Odds vary somewhat at DraftKings, FanDuel and Fox Bet, so players are smart to shop around for the best pricing. The rest of the top 15 and their odds at BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse are as follows:
- Xander Schauffele: +1600
- Rickie Fowler: +2500
- Viktor Hovland: +2500
- Justin Rose: +2500
- Collin Morikawa: +2800
- Patrick Reed: +2800
- Gary Woodland: +3300
- Marc Leishman: +3500
- Matt Kuchar: +4000
- Sungjae Im: +4000
Pricing is available on the entire field for those who want to chase even longer odds. There are also betting lines on top 5, top 10 and top 20 finishes, as well as some group betting and tournament props available. A full betting preview for the event can be found at TheLines.
DraftKings poised to make another millionaire
DraftKings daily fantasy is hosting another Millionaire Maker in conjunction with the Workday Charity Open and will once again pay out $1 million to the winner of its flagship contest. The $20 entry pool will award $100,000 for second place and $50,000 for third.
Over at FanDuel, a more affordable $7.77 contest will pay out $100K to first, $25K to second and $10K to third.
The sites also offer some showdown contests for those who are interested in single-day action. And DraftKings Nation has a preview posted if you need help making your picks.
Follow your bets and tourney action on the Golf Channel and CBS
The Workday Charity Open tees off at 6:50 a.m. Thursday, with live television coverage on the Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday from 3-6 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the Golf Channel will have the live broadcast from 1- 3 p.m. before CBS takes over from 3- 6 p.m.
Champion golfer Jack Nicklaus, who designed the Muirfield Village Golf Club, borrowed a quote from another famous athlete (baseball player Ernie Banks) in a recent tweet, saying, “Let’s play two!”
Indeed, that’s exactly what they will do.
They’ll play it twice. Do something a little different. Complete a rare golf doubleheader.
And it’s all worth watching.
