Golf is increasingly becoming a more and more popular sport to bet on with the PGA Tour partnering with multiple sportsbooks after being a staple sport to wager on in European countries.
As a result, golf is one of the fastest rising betting markets in North America as well, with the PGA Tour integrating odds into its online leaderboards, betting being discussed on telecasts and more markets being offered across betting sites.
Whether you’re just starting out in golf betting or you’re looking to sharpen your skills, here’s a primer for how to bet on golf with the 2025 Masters odds at Augusta National Golf Club and three more major championships ahead this season.
How to bet on the PGA Tour
The best thing about betting on golf is it’s become a global and year-round sport with the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LPGA Tour playing nearly every week on the calendar. Adding the LIV Golf circuit and new TGL simulated golf upstart to the mix has provided golf fans and bettors with even more opportunities to have action on the sport.
Still, the biggest events in golf betting are the major PGA tournaments and team events like the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup:
With the increasing popularity of betting on golf, the options for bettors to wager have expanded considerably. And, with tournaments lasting four days, sportsbooks are quick to post updated golf odds, markets for each individual round and listing offerings far beyond which golfer will hoist the hardware when it’s all set and done Sunday afternoon.
Types of golf bets
Betting on the outright winner
The most common way to bet on golf is to pick which player will win the tournament. For example, here are the odds to win the 2025 Masters.
| Golfer | Masters Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +400 |
| Jon Rahm | +1200 |
Here, Scottie Scheffler is a +400 favorite to win the tournament, which means you could profit $400 for every $100 wagered if Scheffler wins at Augusta National. The favorite to win a golf tournament generally carries odds ranging from +400 to +1400.
Now let’s look at someone who’s further down the betting board like Jon Rahm. With odds of +1200, a $100 bet would profit $1,200 should Rahm don the green jacket for a second time in April.
Each-way odds
Each-way odds allow you to bet on a player to win the tournament while also finishing within a certain position, such as Top 3 or Top 8.
An each-way bet is technically two bets with two separate payouts. If a player wins the tournament, they would win both sides of the each-way bet. If they didn’t win but finished third, then just the Top-3 side of the each-way bet would win.
As shown in the example above, you can bet on which player will win the tournament. These bets are normally placed before the event begins and are graded on the final leaderboard after four rounds.
You can also bet on the outright winner between rounds and during play if sportsbooks offer live golf odds, and live each-way offerings are becoming more and more available during tournaments, too.
Finishing position odds
Finishing position bets are wagers on where a golfer will place in a particular tournament, rather than betting on a player to win outright. These bets typically come in the form of:
Top 5 Finish – The golfer must finish in the top 5.
Top 10 Finish – The golfer must place within the top 10.
Top 20 Finish – The golfer must finish in the top 20.
Some sportsbooks may also offer Top 30 or Top 40 markets, and there are markets where the finishing position includes ties, or there is a dead-heat rule. Since these bets don’t require the golfer to win, they serve as an alternative with lower odds, albeit correlated to the outright markets.
Finishing position bets are an avenue to back consistent golfers who regularly contend and are also helpful for betting on long shots who are unlikely to win but could still finish well.
Head-to-head and three-way odds
Instead of betting a single player to top the entire field, you can also bet on one player versus another in a head-to-head matchup, similar to a moneyline bet in team sports.
Oddsmakers will set odds on which player will post the better finishing position and you can pick which player you think will have the better tournament.
Three-way golf odds simply add a third player to the odds mix and you can bet on which of the three players involved will finish higher at the end of the tournament.
Additionally, you’ll often find both 72-hole matchups and 18-hole matchups available ahead of the tournament, and then 18-hole head-to-head and three-way matchups for each round following the opener.
Golf parlays
Parlays are a type of bet that involves combining two or more individual wagers into a single wager, with the payouts from each bet rolling over into the next. To win a parlay bet, all of the individual legs of the wager must be correct.
For example, a bettor might place a parlay bet on three different golfers to win their respective matches. If all three golfers win, the bettor wins the parlay bet and receives a higher payout than if he had placed three separate wagers. However, if even one of the golfers loses, the entire parlay bet is lost.
Parlays in golf betting can be a high-risk, high-reward option for bettors looking to win big with a smaller initial wager.
Nationality and group bets
Nationality bets are a type of wager that involves betting on which golfer from a specific country, continent, or region of the world will have the best performance in a given tournament.
For example, a bettor might place a nationality bet on which American golfer will finish with the best score in the Masters. The odds for each golfer in a particular group are correlated with the outright odds for the event.
Additionally, there are often groups of five or six golfers with odds for who will finish the best in the event. Typically, the these groupings will feature multiple golfers with similar outright odds, and are similar to the noted head-to-head or three-way matchups.
There will also frequently be unique groups in major championships. The Masters often has Top LIV Golfer, Top Lefty, Top Debutant and Top Former Champion, for example.
Four more ways to bet on golf
Round totals
Oddsmakers set an Over/Under total for the final score of a player in a round, and you can bet on whether the player will finish above or below that round total.
For example, Rory McIlroy’s Round 1 total for The Masters total could be set at 67.5. So, if you think McIlroy will finish with a score of 67 or better, you would bet on the Under. If you think he’ll shoot 68 or higher in the opening round, then you would bet the Over.
Sportsbooks will also often have Total Pars, Total Birdies and Total bogeys markets available to bet on for individual rounds. Sticking with the McIlroy example for Round 1 of The Masters, the odds could look something like this:
| Rory McIlroy | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|
| Total pars | 11.5 (-110) | 11.5 (-110) |
| Total birdies | 5.5 (+100) | 5.5 (-120) |
| Total bogeys | 1.5 (-200) | 1.5 (+150) |
Golf prop bets
Betting on golf props is one of the fastest-growing markets, with golf odds on everything from hole-to-hole results, odds on a hole-in-one, and if a player will make the cut or not. Those are just a few of the available golf props in addition to all the offerings that have already been discussed.
Add the nationality of the winning golfer to whether a player will be in the final pairing on Sunday or if there will be a playoff, and sportsbooks continue to offer more and more options for bettors.
Bettors will also often find even more golf betting props ahead of the major tournaments such as the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, The Open Championship and the Ryder Cup.
Golf futures
Futures odds to win the major tournaments and a handful of other events are often open well in advance, such as odds to win the Ryder Cup or the Masters. Golf betting markets for those big tournaments are taking action all year round.
The addition of LIV Golf and the TGL has also brought more futures odds to golf bettors, and many sportsbooks also offer odds for which golfer will win the PGA Tour FedEx Cup throughout the year.
Live betting on golf
Most online or mobile sportsbooks will offer live golf odds as a tournament plays out, constantly adjusting to the results on the course. This includes outright winner odds, odds to win the round, and even hole-by-hole odds for select groups and/or players.
Live golf betting is becoming increasingly popular among golf fans and bettors due to the excitement and unpredictability it adds to the game. With live golf betting, bettors can adjust their wagers based on how the event is progressing, with real-time odds movement.
This allows for a more dynamic and interactive betting experience, and can also provide opportunities for savvy bettors to capitalize on changes in momentum or other factors impacting play.
Of course, live golf betting is also available at many online sportsbooks and can be accessed through mobile devices, making it easy and convenient to place bets from anywhere at any time.
Golf betting tips
When betting on golf odds and making golf picks, there are a few key factors to consider before placing your wager:
Current form
Current form is a starting point for oddsmakers when building out the tournament odds each week, so it should also be a critical starting point for the handicapping process. Professional golfers go through hot and cold streaks the same as any other athlete or team.
A heater can include tournament wins, Top 5s, and Top 10s or just having a stretch of strong play transition into improved finishes. You’ll want to look closely at these streaks and what’s the driving force because sometimes it’s the result of unsustainable play in one aspect of their game or simply having success in weak-field events.
Cold streaks can also linger longer than you’d expect, and many times these skids can be connected to a particular part of a player’s game, like poor putting or driving accuracy. Injuries and recovery time, as well as tinkering with swing mechanics, techniques, and working in new clubs, can also impact a golfer’s results.
Course history
Some courses just fit a player’s eye, and golf bettors should always look at a player’s course history.
Be it the layout, familiarity, or just a comfort in the sightlines from tee-to-green, golfers often take to certain courses and consistently play well at particular tracks. The opposite can be true, too.
Regional familiarity should also be considered. Golfers from the region often have experience playing a track in non-competition events, in addition to having extra familiarity with the local weather and types of grasses featured on the properties – including and most importantly the green complexes.
Finally, knowledge of course layouts and designs is important. For example, golf course architect Pete Dye has designed over 200 courses worldwide, and the PGA Tour still stops at TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course) and Harbour Town Golf Links every year.
Course fit
The popular golf betting term is “horse for courses”: matching a player’s strengths and weaknesses to a particular course’s layout. A player can have a good course fit without having extensive experience playing the track professionally.
While far from an exact science, there are always going to be courses that suit a golfer’s strengths better than others. Long, demanding tracks that require length off the tee and lengthy approach shots are typically going to set up better for bombers who excel at long-iron shots.
On the flip side, narrow, tree-lined fairways or courses with water and other hazards in play will often favor accurate ball-strikers who can navigate their way from tee-to-green.
Additionally, small greens may require a better around-the-green and scrambling game, while larger putting surfaces can bring lag putting into play more frequently.
Finally, it can also be beneficial to consider results from comparative courses. As noted, Pete Dye designs often require a similar skillset, while Poa greens can favor players with more experience and familiarity on those putting surfaces.
Weather
Weather can completely change how a course plays, from strong winds forcing players to shorten their drives and lean on accuracy to rain soaking the fairways and greens, making the course play slower. Before betting the golf futures, head-to-head markets, or prop odds, always look at the extended forecast for the entire tournament as well the detailed daily forecasts.
From there, you can measure how much the weather can help or hurt a player based on their skill sets or look at which players are used to playing in less-than-ideal conditions based on where they’re from.
Again, this isn’t an exact science, but the weather cannot be ignored.
Depending on start times, golfers could face varying degrees of weather during the day. A player with an early-morning tee time could face a softer and slower course than a golfer playing later in the afternoon when the sun and heat have dried out the fairways and greens, making them play faster.
Wind conditions can also change significantly throughout the day and have a huge impact on scoring.
Where can you bet on golf?
You can bet on golf at the majority of online sportsbooks and casinos, and the variety in the golf odds available varies from shop to shop. Here are our recommended golf betting sites in your area.
Golf betting FAQs
Yes. If sports betting is regulated in your region, betting on golf and the PGA Tour is legal.
Yes. Most online sportsbooks in the world offer golf betting.
Yes, betting on golf has been popular in the U.K. and Europe for a long time and is quickly becoming more popular in North American markets.
The easiest, and most popular, way to bet on golf is by simply betting on who will win the tournament. There are many other betting markets, however. Learn more in our guide!
