PGA Championship 2018: Betting Odds, Favorites and Tournament Preview

The 100th PGA Championship is shaping up to be a fantastic conclusion to golf's major season.

Just like the first three Grand Slam events of 2018, some of the top names in the sport are expected to be in contention over the course of 72 holes. 

Since the start of the 2016 season, Brooks Koepka is the only golfer to win multiple majors, but a handful of competitors are hoping to join the American in that category with a victory at Bellerive Country Club in Missouri. 

Among the favorites to take the final major of the 2018 campaign are Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods, who is getting closer to winning his first Grand Slam since the 2008 U.S. Open. 

Odds (via OddsShark)

Jordan Spieth (+1000) 

Rory McIlroy (+1000)

Dustin Johnson (+1200) 

Jason Day (+1200) 

Hideki Matsuyama (+1600) 

Rickie Fowler (+1800) 

Justin Rose (+2200) 

Justin Thomas (+2800) 

Favorites

Justin Thomas 

Justin Thomas enters the PGA Championship off his third victory of the season at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. 

With the victory, Thomas became the third player to secure a major title and a win in a WGC event before turning 26, per ESPN Stats & Info: 

The defending PGA Championship winner is expected to be near the top of the leaderboard after each of the four rounds at Bellerive, as he has been for most of the season. 

David Dermer/Associated Press

However, the one thing missing from Thomas' 2017-18 resume is a top-10 finish at a major tournament, with his best Grand Slam finish coming at The Masters (T17). 

The victory one week before the PGA Championship couldn't have come at a better time for the 25-year-old, as he produced poor performances at his three prior tournaments, including a missed cut at The Open. 

Thomas, who is second in the FedEx Cup standings, ranks in the top 10 in a handful of categories, as he's fourth in scoring average and ninth in driving distance. 

With the most momentum of any player heading into Bellerive, Thomas should be in a good position to strike for his second straight PGA Championship come Sunday. 

Dustin Johnson

Just like Thomas, Dustin Johnson is in search of a strong finish to his Grand Slam season after missing the cut at The Open. 

With a top-10 finish at Bellerive, the 34-year-old will produce a trio of top-10 finishes in majors for the third time in four seasons. 

Johnson's come close to winning the PGA Championship throughout his career with four results in the top 10, but he cracked the top five once in 2010 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. 

David Dermer/Associated Press

Outside of his forgettable showing at The Open, Johnson is one of the hottest golfers on the planet, as he's placed in the top 10 in five of his last six tournaments. 

Before tying for third at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, Johnson won the RBC Canadian Open and FedEx St. Jude Classic. 

Johnson ranks first in eagle, birdie and scoring average as well as seventh in driving distance, and it won't come as a surprise to see the No. 1 player in the World Golf Ranking rate highly in each of those categories at Bellerive. 

Tournament Preview

Thomas and Johnson will be under the microscope from the start of the tournament, as they hit the course in marquee pairings Thursday and Friday. 

Thomas begins the competition alongside Woods and Rory McIlroy in a threesome that tees off at 8:23 a.m. ET Thursday. 

Johnson is coupled with Bubba Watson and Adam Scott in a group that leaves the first tee at 12:53 p.m. ET Thursday. 

With most of the attention circled around Thomas, Woods, Johnson, Spieth and other top golfers, we could see a few unknown players slip through the cracks and reach the first page of the leaderboard.

One player to keep an eye on is Xander Schauffele, who finished in the top six at the last two majors, including a tie for second at The Open in Carnoustie, Scotland, in July.

Although he's placed in the top 10 in each of the season's first three majors, Tony Finau might fly under the radar as well, which could suit him well, as he's caught a minimum amount of attention for his play. 

Most of the competitors in the field will be dealing with a new course challenge, as Bellerive is hosting its first major since the 1992 PGA Championship won by Nick Price. 

Since then, the PGA Tour stopped at the course once for the 2008 BMW Championship, a tournament won by Camilo Villegas, who won the Tour Championship a week later to conclude the FedEx Cup playoffs. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from PGATour.com