Gambling Today: PGA Season Returns Thursday

With the Charles Schwab Challenge ready to reignite the PGA season, our SI Gambling Insider Frankie Taddeo sets the scene and takes a look at the latest odds.

Frankie Taddeo | Jun 8, 2020

Get ready sports bettors, another major sport is finally returning to live action.

The PGA Tour, after nearly a three-month break, will finally return for the first time since The Players Championship was canceled back on March 12 due to the COVID-19 shutdown. Kevin Na and Justin Rose are winners of the last two events at historic Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, and are both in a field of over 100 this Thursday, June 11.

The field offers tremendous betting opportunities with many of the top 20 players currently ranked in the 2020 FedEx Cup standings projected to participate.

✅ 1. @McIlroyRory
✅ 2. @JonRahm
✅ 3. @BKoepka
✅ 4. @JustinThomas34
✅ 5. @DJohnsonPGA

The top five in the world and 17 of top 20 in the #FedExCup are set to tee it up when the PGA TOUR returns to action in two weeks @CSChallengeFW. https://t.co/oPMlQcWkc0
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 29, 2020

DATES AND VENUE:

Thursday, June 11-14. Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas

BETTING ODDS:

While not in the Top 20 of the FedEx Standings, one of the biggest names in the sport, Tiger Woods (No.26), is easily the most noticeable name missing from the field. Many were hoping to see Tiger back on the links after watching him play well on May 24; teaming up with Peyton Manning to defeat Phil Michelson and Tom Brady in “The Match II”. The event raised over $20 million of COVID-19 relief.

The field will have all five of the top players currently listed in the World Golf Rankings: Rory McIllroy (8/1), Jon Rahm (12/1), Brooks Koepka (30/1), Justin Thomas (16/1) and Dustin Johnson (30/1). It is no shock to see all five of them currently being listed among the top eight betting choices according to oddsmakers at the Westgate Superbook.

With 101 winners in the field at the Charles Schwab Challenge, just 47 players will have an opportunity to earn their first PGA TOUR title.

Since 1990, the only first-time winner at Colonial Country Club is Sergio Garcia (2001).
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 6, 2020

The top two players in the world, McIlroy and Rahm, are in great form and will certainly be tough to beat. However, additional names like Webb Simpson (25/1), Bryson DeChambeau (25/1), Xander Schauffele (30/1) and Sungjae Im (30/1) cannot be overlooked. It will be interesting to see if Brendon Todd (150/1), who was in tremendous form prior to the pandemic shutdown garners any action from the sharps in Vegas as the event gets closer. Todd earned two PGA victories earlier this season in the Mayakoba Golf Classic and the Bermuda Championship.

Justin Rose, who won the event back in 2018, offers value at odds of 40/1 if he is able to get his game on track after missing the cut at several events this year. Kevin Na, the reigning champion of the event, currently comes in at healthy odds of 60/1. Two deep sleepers the sharps have backed in recent years at Colonial are Danny Lee (125/1) and Emiliano Grillo (150/1).

Be sure to check back here at SI Gambling later this week! We’ll have predictions along with our best bets for the Charles Schwab Challenge from our betting team of experts; as well as where the sharps in Vegas are investing their money.

MORE FROM SI GAMBLING

Published Jun 8, 2020

FRANKIE TADDEO

Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frankie primarily performs as Sports Illustrated's Senior Betting Analyst providing his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene.