By Ryan Bologna
The 2022 PGA Championship will tee off next week at Tulsa’s Southern Hills. We know the former winners and we know who is coming in hot. Let’s take a look at how all of that plays into the betting odds ahead of the tournament.
The Favorites
Jon Rahm: +1100
Jon Rahm is the slim favorite for this event. Rahm is coming off of a recent win at the Mexico Open at Vidanta and his recent performance definitely plays a part in him being the favorite. Despite tying for 27th at The Masters, Rahm is someone who puts himself in contention a lot and already has a major win in the bag with his victory at the 2021 U.S. Open.
Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy: +1200
These three are tied for the second-best odds to win. It is no surprise to see Scottie Scheffler included in this group as he has won four events so far this year, including his first major win at The Masters. Scheffler is one of, if not the hottest golfer right now. Some would likely argue that he should have equal or better odds than Rahm, but Scheffler is still deservingly one of the favorites.
Justin Thomas has 14 career wins, but said himself that he has underperformed in majors. Thomas’ one major win came in the 2017 PGA Championship, so maybe that is a good omen for him coming into the event. Despite this, Thomas is one of the top talents in golf and has all of the tools to pull out a win this weekend.
Another golfer who has one win so far this year is Rory McIlroy, but it’s also worth noting that he finished second at The Masters. McIlroy has been playing good golf and putting himself in the conversation, so it would not be a shock if he were to win this event. McIlroy won the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and other other major wins came at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014. While it has been a while since McIlroy has taken down a major, he should be a contender in this event.
An Underdog Pick
Jordan Spieth: +2000
Spieth is a well-known player with many notable wins, but I think he qualifies as an underdog given the odds and the fact that he missed the cut at The Masters. Spieth has won The Masters, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. The PGA Championship however is the one major Spieth has yet to notch a win, but came close in 2015 with a second place finish. Spieth’s putting has dropped off this year and will need to improve on that to take the win at this event.
Photo Credit: Arturo Baldasano
