Scottie Scheffler is the hottest golfer on the planet, even after a baby break for a couple weeks. Rory McIlroy is soaring as he returns to a course where he’s won the Wanamaker Trophy before.
All of this is old news by now. So instead of putting money on Scheffler (+450) or McIlroy (+750) to claim the PGA Championship this week, and settling for that meager return on investment, here are five other options down the board who offer both a good shot to win and a nice number worth chasing. (All odds courtesy of BetMGM.)
Brooks Koepka (+1400)
He’s tied with Xander Schauffele for the third-shortest odds on the board, but 14-to-1 isn’t a bad number to get the best major champion of his generation. Not only is Koepka the defending champion, he’s won three of the past six PGA Championships and five majors overall since 2017.
Koepka comes to Louisville, Ky., off a win at LIV Singapore. He remains one of the best drivers in the world and his putting has shown improvement on the LIV circuit. And while all the focus is on Scheffler and McIlroy, maybe Koepka will have extra motivation to strut his stuff on one of the biggest stages in golf.
Ludvig Aberg (+1800)
The great unknown for Aberg right now is his health. He dropped out before the start of the Wells Fargo Championship, citing a knee issue. This was news to the golf world and new territory for the 24-year-old shooting star who’s succeeded at just about everything since turning pro 11 months ago. Aberg is scheduled to speak to the media Wednesday and could reveal how serious (or minor) the injury is.
If Aberg were at 100 percent, he might have been a top-three pick to win this week. His first major start further proved that he is not afraid of the spotlight, as he improved as the week wore on and finished solo second at the Masters behind Scheffler. Aberg is already one of the best ball-strikers on tour and it’s practically a given that he will win a major — the question is when.
Bryson DeChambeau (+2500)
Two LIV golfers on one list? Believe it. DeChambeau flexed his major championship pedigree in 2020, tying for fourth at the PGA before winning the U.S. Open. Injuries and seemingly conflicting priorities (i.e. his long drive competition phase) knocked him off the path for a while, but joining LIV has not marked the end of his relevance as a golfer.
DeChambeau has three top-10s in the past six majors, including another T4 at the 2023 PGA and a T6 at last month’s Masters, where — guess what? — he was still one of the best drivers of the golf ball in the field. He’s no longer in his Beefy Bryson era, but DeChambeau’s length will be an enviable weapon for him at the 7,609-yard Valhalla Golf Club.
Tommy Fleetwood (+4000)
For someone who hasn’t won a major yet — someone who’s never won on American soil, in fact — there’s a lot to like about Fleetwood when this time of year rolls around. He’s finished top-10 in three straight majors and eight overall, the kind of consistency that begs bettors to believe next time will be his breakthrough.
Fleetwood won in Dubai back in January and has missed only one cut on the PGA Tour this season. While his numbers don’t exactly jump out and grab you, he’s done a fantastic job of limiting mistakes. He hasn’t scored any worse than a 72 in his past 20 rounds and he ranks No. 21 on tour in bogey avoidance, an underrated element in competing in majors.
Jason Day (+5500)
This is a really nice number to get for a former major champion enjoying an extended career resurgence. After ending a five-year gap between PGA Tour wins last year, Day has kept it up with four top-10s this season — all coming against stacked fields at signature events.
Day drives the ball well enough to contend at a major like this, but he can combine that with stellar putting — he ranks No. 13 in strokes gained putting this season. And if it means anything to you, Day tied for 15th when Valhalla held the PGA Championship in 2014, one year before he won this major at Whistling Straits.
–Field Level Media
