2021 PGA Championship betting tips, best odds & prop picks

The second major of the golf season is upon us with the 2021 PGA Championship, which commences this Thursday, taking up its new spot on the calendar in the middle of May.

This year’s event is set to be held at Kiawah Island for the second time, with 99 of the men’s top 100 filling the field. The par-72 Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is officially the longest major championship venue in history, with golfers needing to handle the 7,876 yards the course has to offer. Six holes during the week will play over 500 yards, and being based alongside the Atlantic Ocean, the wind factor will certainly play a key role.

Online bookmakers have installed Rory McIlroy as an +1000 favorite after his impressive win at the Wells Fargo Championship last time out. When the the PGA Championship was last held at Kiawah Island in 2012, McIlroy tore it apart to win by eight strokes in a truly dominant display. Several leading bookies have Jordan Speith on the second line of betting as he chases the career grand slam, while the likes of Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Bryson Dechambeau are also towards the top of the market. Hideki Matsuyama, who took out the 2021 US Masters, is a +2800 chance.

Best bets for 2021 PGA Championship

Outright winner: Jordan Spieth

To win at Kiawah Island demands strong iron play and a sound short game, and Jordan Spieth is the definition of that as he chases his fourth major title. After a slump that saw Spieth drop to 92nd in the world, he has finished in the top 15 in eight of his nine subsequent starts, including a win in Texas earlier in the year. Providing Spieth can find the fairway off the tee on a regular basis, he will show that this course is ideal for his game. Last week in the AT&T Byron Nelson, he finished ninth in his first appearance since The Masters, and all of his major victories have come off the back of a top-10 finish. All of a sudden, Spieth is looking like one of the best golfers in the world again.

Top 10: Tommy Fleetwood

Tommy Fleetwood is still chasing his maiden major success, but he comes to the PGA Championship on the back of a top-20 finish at Quail Hollow a fortnight ago. While the Englishman has only managed two top-10 finishes from 12 events played this season, he heads to the second major of the year in decent enough form to give this a shake. Fleetwood might not have the prodigious power of Dustin Johnson and Bryson Dechambeau, but his recovery game is up there with the best in the business, which will prove beneficial in tricky conditions at Kiawah Island.

Top Australian: Marc Leishman

Entering a major off a recent win is always an added bonus. Pair that with a top-five finish at the previous major, and you can see the appeal in backing Marc Leishman this week. Having tied for fifth place at August National, the big Aussie then paired up with Cameron Smith to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He averages a shade over 290 yards off the tee, which will be handy on such a long course, and with seven top-25 finishes this season, we expect Leishman to outscore the likes of Smith, Adam Scott and the remaining Australians in the field.