Golf is a sport that lends itself perfectly to betting. You can get a full four-day sweat, bet between rounds or even on individual holes, and there is the potential for a big payday if you correctly pick a tournament winner. There’s nothing better than watching the final round on a Sunday afternoon with one of your players in the hunt. Golf betting has taken off in popularity in recent years and the entertainment value is one of the best in sports betting.

Whether you’re looking to bet on The Masters, pick a long shot at a regular PGA Tour event, or wager on head-to-head matchups between the game’s biggest names, this page has you covered. If you’re brand new to sports betting in general, our online betting guide is a good starting point before diving into golf-specific wagers.

Best Sportsbooks For Betting On Golf

The three sportsbooks listed above are the top golf betting sites online because they offer the widest variety of fair golf betting lines, some great sign up bonuses, and each sportsbook is highly respected and trusted within the industry.

Recent Golf Betting Articles

How To Bet On Golf Online

Getting started betting on golf online is very easy. Here is a step-by-step guide to get you placing golf bets today.

1. Open A Sports Betting Account – Visit any of the three recommended sportsbooks listed above. For the purposes of this guide we recommend BetOnline.ag, which offers the widest variety of golf betting lines among our recommended sites. Click the sign up button and fill out the short form to create your account.
2. Fund Your Account – Click on the Cashier or Deposit section, select your preferred deposit method, and follow the instructions to complete your deposit. Credit card deposits are generally the fastest and easiest, but each of our recommended sportsbooks also accepts cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin), e-wallets, and bank transfers. Be sure to check for any available promo codes to take advantage of the sign up bonus.
3. Place Your Golf Bets – Select ‘Sports’ from the top menu, open the ‘Golf’ drop down, and select the type of bet you want to make. Click on the odds for the golfer you want to bet on to add it to the Bet Slip, enter your risk amount, and click ‘Place Bet’ to lock in your wager.

Types Of Golf Bets

Golf is unlike most other sports you may bet on because the athletes do not often compete head to head against other players. That being said, oddsmakers offer a wide range of betting options for each tournament including head to heads, outright winners, group betting, props, futures, and more. Below we’ll walk through each type.

Tournament Winner

The most popular bet on a golf event is simply wagering on which player will win the tournament. Tournament winner bets generally pay out a hefty sum because of the large field sizes in golf – a typical PGA Tour event has over 100 players competing. Bettors pick which player will win the tournament and if that player pulls it off they are paid out according to the odds.

Here are some tournament winner odds from a recent Masters:

If Scheffler won this particular tournament then a $100 wager on Scheffler would win $475, while if Koepka pulled out the victory a $100 wager on him would win $2000. The further down the odds board you go, the bigger the potential payout, but of course the less likely the player is to win.

Head To Head

Sportsbooks will often pit two golfers against each other and allow bettors to wager on which golfer will have a lower scoring tournament or round. Here is an example:

In this example Scottie Scheffler is a -172 favorite to finish the tournament with a better score than Rory. You have to bet $172 on Scheffler to win $100 if he scores better than McIlroy. A $100 bet on McIlroy to finish ahead of Scheffler would win $142 (payout $242).

You can also bet on head to heads for individual rounds, not just the full tournament. There are also times, such as in match play events or the Ryder Cup, where golfers do battle it out head to head directly and in these circumstances you will find similar odds to the ones listed above.

Group Betting

Sportsbooks will also separate golfers into groups and allow bettors to wager on which golfer from the group will have the best tournament finish. These groups can be completely random, groups of golfers with similar odds, groups by nationality (top Australian, top European, etc.), or any other grouping the sportsbook creates. Group betting is a great way to narrow the field and improve your chances compared to picking a tournament winner from the full field.

Prop Bets

Prop bets are very popular in golf betting and sportsbooks offer a wide variety for each tournament. Some of the most common golf prop bets include:

• First Round Leader
• Top 5 / Top 10 / Top 20 Finish
• Player To Make or Miss The Cut
• Tournament Cut Line (over/under)
• Hole In One During Tournament
• Winning Score (over/under)
• Winning Nationality (American, European, etc.)
• Will There Be A Playoff?

Top finish props like top 5 or top 10 are a popular alternative to tournament winner bets because they give you a much broader path to winning while still offering solid payouts. If you like a player but aren’t confident enough to bet on him winning the whole thing, a top 10 or top 20 finish bet is a good option.

Futures

Futures bets allow you to wager on outcomes that span the full golf season rather than a single tournament. The most common golf futures include which player will win each of the four majors (Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, The Open), which player will win the FedEx Cup, and whether a specific player will win any major during the year. Futures odds are available year-round and adjust as the season progresses based on player form and results.

Live Betting (In-Round)

One of the best things about betting on golf is that you don’t have to commit all your money before the first tee shot on Thursday. You can wait until after round 2 to see how the field has shaken out, then place bets on adjusted tournament winner odds, round 3 leaders, or head-to-head matchups based on what you’ve actually seen. The odds update throughout each round based on leaderboard movement, so a top player who bogeys his first three holes might suddenly offer value that wasn’t there at the start of the day. Some sportsbooks even offer hole-by-hole betting during feature group coverage.

Golf Betting Odds

Golf betting odds can be found in either American or decimal format. There are a few American odds examples above, so here is the Scheffler vs McIlroy head to head displayed in decimal format so you can see the difference.

Scottie Scheffler 1.58
Rory McIlroy 2.42

With decimal odds you multiply the odds by the risk to find the payout. So if we risk $100 on McIlroy then the payout is $242, which is winnings of $142 – the same as the American format displayed. A $100 bet on Scheffler is (100 x 1.58), which equals a payout of $158 for winnings of $58.

Golf Betting Tips

Here are some golf-specific tips to help you make smarter picks. For more general advice that applies to all sports, check out our general online betting tips page.

• Bet On Confident Players – Golf is a game of confidence, which means players can be very streaky. Bet on golfers who have been playing well in recent tournaments and stay away from golfers who have struggled recently. Recent form is one of the strongest indicators of success in golf.
• Consider Course History – Some golfers consistently perform well at certain courses. Before placing a bet, look at how each player has performed at that specific course in previous years. A player who finishes top 10 at Augusta every year is a better Masters bet than a player with no track record there, even if their current form is similar.
• Don’t Bet On No-Chance Players – You will find odds for every single player in a tournament, but the truth is that some of the higher payout players simply don’t have a legitimate chance at winning. Don’t waste your money on these players just because the odds look tempting. Instead choose players that have a real chance of competing.
• Manage Your Bankroll – Golf tournaments run Thursday through Sunday, so it’s easy to get carried away betting on multiple tournaments per week throughout the season. Set a season-long budget and decide how much you’re willing to allocate per tournament rather than making impulsive bets week to week.

Bet On Golf Tournaments

• Bet On The Masters

Golf Betting FAQ

Is it legal to bet on golf online in the United States?

Yes. The sportsbooks recommended on this page are licensed offshore and accept American players from every state. Many states also have domestic licensed sportsbooks. Check out our USA sports betting guide for details on the options available where you live.

What is the best sportsbook for betting on golf?

BetOnline.ag is our top rated sportsbook for golf betting. They offer the widest variety of golf betting lines including tournament winners, head to heads, group betting, props, and futures for every PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and major championship event. Check out our BetOnline review for a complete breakdown of their bonuses, deposit options, and features.

What is the most popular type of golf bet?

Tournament winner bets are the most popular type of golf wager because of the big potential payouts. With over 100 players in a typical PGA Tour field, even the favorites can have long odds compared to other sports. Head to head bets and top finish props (top 5, top 10, top 20) are also very popular because they offer a more realistic chance of winning while still providing solid returns.

Can I bet on golf while a tournament is in progress?

Yes, live betting allows you to place wagers on a golf tournament while rounds are in progress. The odds update in real time based on leaderboard movement, and you can bet on adjusted tournament winner odds, round leaders, and head to heads. Golf is one of the best sports for live betting because the four-day format gives you plenty of time to assess player form and course conditions between rounds.

What is a same game parlay in golf?

Same game parlays in golf work a bit differently than in team sports because there isn’t a single “game” to parlay within. Instead, you combine multiple bets from the same tournament – for example, a player to finish top 10, another player to make the cut, and a head-to-head matchup winner all on one ticket. Every leg has to win for the parlay to cash, but the combined odds create a much bigger potential payout than any individual bet.

What are the four major golf tournaments?

The four major championships in men’s professional golf are the Masters (April), the PGA Championship (May), the US Open (June), and The Open Championship (July, also known as the British Open). The majors attract the most betting action of any golf events and sportsbooks offer the widest variety of betting markets for these tournaments. You can bet on The Masters and other majors at any of our recommended sportsbooks.

Should I bet on a heavy favorite to win a golf tournament?

Even the best golfer in the world wins only a small fraction of the tournaments they enter, so heavy favorites in golf are not nearly as “safe” as favorites in other sports. Rather than betting heavily on a favorite to win outright, consider spreading your action across a few players with similar odds, or take the favorite in a head to head or top finish prop where the path to winning is broader.