By Kenny Burgess Contributor
Updated 6/6/23 9:23am ET
After nearly two years of back and forth, the tension between the LIV Golf and the PGA Tour seems to be resolved. This morning, it was announced that the two governing bodies will be merging, which comes after lawsuits regarding antitrust claims. The merger would put an end to the current legal battles and see the tours move forward as one unified entity.
This was shocking news to everyone in the sports world, including us here at Only Players. At the moment, we’re not sure how it’s going to affect the sport as a whole and the golf betting market, but some others have begun to weigh in on how this merger will change the betting landscape of golf.
The Possibility Of Teams In Golf
One of the biggest implications for golf betting could be the introduction of a team aspect to the unified tour. The market types could expand and on Tuesday, Nick Hennion of Forbes Betting said, “In addition to outrights, head-to-head matchups and finishing position markets, sportsbooks could introduce a market allowing bettors to wager on the winning team or head-to-head matchups featuring teams rather than individual players.”
This would be a drastic change to the sport as a whole and also give fans a new way of betting on golf.
Easier To Compare Golfers More Accurately
For the past two years, it has been hard for linemakers and bettors alike to set/gage lines on golfers, specifically in majors. This is mostly due to the fact that the members of LIV were playing in so few events prior to these tournaments and not competing against PGA players. Not to mention that many experts believed that the LIV courses were generally easier than the PGA Tour courses. Now all these golfers will be back on an even playing field, it will be easier for bettors to compare the golfers more accurately.
Odds Shifts With Big Name LIV Golfers
BettingPros staff highlighted the possibility of lines changing with big-name golfers re-entering the fold, “Golfers who had previously defected to LIV Golf, such as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau, could now potentially return to the PGA Tour fold. This shift may result in fluctuating odds in the betting markets and could present valuable opportunities for the discerning bettor.”
The next few months will be interesting for golf fans and bettors alike. But all we can do for now is try to predict how things will play out.
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