2022 PGA Championship preview, best bets & top prop picks

The 2022 PGA Championship is slated to begin this Thursday, and so far, the tournament has been overrun with stories about last year’s champion. Phil Mickelson will not be defending his title, opting to sit out following some controversial comments about Saudi Arabia and the rival tour fronted by Greg Norman.

Nevertheless, the PGA Championship will feature one of the strongest fields of the year. It’s going to be played at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it’s expected to be a windy weekend. This is the fifth time the tournament has been held at this location, and the first since some guy named Tiger Woods triumphed in 2007.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when betting on the PGA Championship. One of the major indicators of success in this tournament will be the golfers’ recent finishes. Seven of the past 15 champions finished top five in their last tournament, and for golf, that’s as big a trend as any. Another factor to consider will be experience, as the wind and difficult conditions could give an advantage to the more seasoned players.

Here are BettingPlanet’s top picks for the 2022 US PGA Championship. All odds courtesy of Bovada.

Scottie Scheffler to win

Scottie Scheffler is the world number one and the favorite in this tournament. He has been red hot since breaking through in February for his first professional win, following up that triumph in Phoenix with victories in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC Dell Technologies Matchplay, and the Masters. Scheffler grew up in the neighbouring state of Texas, so he will be familiar with this course and the conditions. He may be the favorite, but he’s worth a bet.

Jordan Spieth to win

Word from the warmups on the course is that the short game is going to be very important. That factor plays right into Jordan Spieth’s hands. He is one of the favorites and will be going for his career grand slam this tournament. Spieth, similarly to Scheffler, is a Texan and will have the same advantage Scheffler has. There has been buzz that Spieth is as composed as he has ever been, so he look a good value bet for this weekend.

Cameron Smith to win

Cameron Smith is an Australian golfer who has vaulted up the world rankings in prior tournaments. He won the Players Championship and then finished third in the Masters. He has become one of the best golfers in the world and, like Spieth, has one of the best short-games on the PGA Tour. He is ranked number four in the world and should be in the mix come Sunday. The top-10 finish at +250 is also worth a play.

Brooks Koepka to win

Brooks Koepka has been extremely inconsistent in recent tournaments. However, for a guy who won this tournament in 2018 and 2019, this price is ridiculously good value. If Koepka is playing well, he will be a true contender and will challenge for the win. If he is playing poorly, he will likely miss the cut. That being said, that risk is worth it at this price. Koepka has dominated this tournament in the past; maybe he can find that magic and do it all again.

Harry Higgs to finish top 10

Harry Higgs is not a notable name at this point in his career, but he finished tied for fourth last year in this tournament. He played golf at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, so he is another who should be familiar with the area. At this price, Higgs is worth the bet, even if it’s just beer money.

PGA Championship to finish in a playoff

This is just a fun bet, but it does feel like we are due for a major to end in a playoff. It hasn’t happened since the 2017 Masters, so it has been quite a while. There’s no real analysis for this bet, but when a playoff happens, it’s must-see TV. These odds are pretty solid in terms of value and worth tossing a small bet on.

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