PGA Championship 2013 Odds: Tips for Golf-Betting Novices

Like any other sport, golf has its own rules when it comes to betting, so you want to be prepared before putting money down on the PGA Championship.

The fourth and final major tournament of the year takes place at Oak Hill Country Club. The par-70 course will make it difficult for even the best players to post low scores, keeping the event wide open for all four days.

This championship will be won by a player who can provide accurate shots off the tee and consistent putting. The big hitters will have some advantage, but not as much as other tournaments around the world.

As a bettor, you can make plenty of money on this event if you follow these tips heading into the week.

Top PGA Championship Odds 

(Odds courtesy of Vegas Insider as of Aug. 7. Check back for the latest updates.)

Golfer	PGA Championship Odds
Tiger Woods	3-1
Phil Mickelson	12-1
Adam Scott	15-1
Brandt Snedeker	20-1
Henrik Stenson	22-1
Keegan Bradley	25-1
Dustin Johnson	25-1
Matt Kuchar	25-1
Hunter Mahan	25-1
Justin Rose	28-1
Lee Westwood	28-1
Rory McIlroy	30-1
Jason Dufner	30-1
Jason Day	35-1
Luke Donald	35-1
Zach Johnson	35-1
Charl Schwartzel	40-1
Bill Haas	45-1
Steve Stricker	50-1
Sergio Garcia	50-1
Bubba Watson	50-1
Ian Poulter	50-1
Graeme McDowell	50-1

Be Cautious When Betting on Tiger

Everyone is going to want to bet on Tiger Woods coming into the week and for good reason. The superstar is coming off his best performance of the year at the Bridgestone Invitational, finishing 15 strokes under par.

With five tournament wins this year, it is only a matter of time until he finally gets one in a major.

However, the biggest events are where he has struggled. Woods has not won a major since 2008 and does especially poorly in the final two rounds, according to ESPN Stats and Info:

The 14-time major champion is still the most likely to win it all and could be worth placing a little bit of money on. Still, the extremely low payout for a win makes it too risky to bet heavy.

How to Find the Sleeper

The best way to bet on golf is to find a player with relatively long odds who still has a decent chance of winning. This will not get you guaranteed money, but it will lead to the best payout.

These sleepers are not always easy to find, but there are a number of factors to look at to predict who will do well. You want to track someone who has performed well in recent tournaments, has had strong finishes in majors in the past and has a game that suits the course.

One player who fits this description is Zach Johnson. The former Masters champion has two top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship in his career and his coming off three straight top-10 finishes. This includes a sixth-place finish at the Open Championship.

He also is one of the more accurate drivers in the sport and should get an advantage over the field in this way.

Jason Day is another player who could do well based on his performances at past majors. The Australian finished third at the Masters and second at the U.S. Open this season and has been putting extremely well recently.

Although he has not had high finishes over the past month, he has not missed a cut this year and always steps up at the bigger tournaments.

Each of these men have favorable 35-1 odds and would provide a nice payday if they come away as winners. 

Keep an Eye Out for Former Major Winners

Just over a year ago, there was an incredible streak alive in golf. Nine straight majors and 12 out of 13 from 2009-2012 had been won by first-time winners. 

Winning a tournament seemed like more luck than anything else as lesser known players like Webb Simpson and Lucas Glover received large paydays.

However, this has changed recently, with three of the last five winners having at least one championship under their belt. The other two—Adam Scott and Justin Rose—had been on the leaderboard many times before finally winning.

Do not be surprised if this streak continues as guys look for a second major or more at Oak Hill. Johnson is one example of someone who could pull it off, as well as Keegan Bradley, Charl Schwartzel and others.

Don't Rule Out the Long shot

The great thing about long shots is that you do not have to spend a lot of money to make it worth it. Throw a few dollars on the players with over 100-1 odds, and it is a low-risk, high-reward transaction.

One that stands out is Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who is listed with 200-1 odds. He is a consistent putter and is able to get birdies and eagles on this difficult course, which will help him climb up the leaderboard.

The Spanish player already has one top-10 at the U.S. Open and is capable of more this time around.

Tim Clark is also a reasonable bet at 125-1. He is someone who has excellent accuracy and should do well hitting fairways and greens throughout the week.

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