Free picks & betting specials for 2017 PGA Championship

RORY McIlroy will start as favourite for the 2017 US PGA Championship, which kicks off Thursday, August 10 at the Quail Hollow Club.

Online bookmaker WilliamHill.com has the Northern Irishman pegged at +700 to win his first major title since 2014.

Hot on his tail is Jordan Spieth, who is paying +800 to back up from his stunning win at the Open Championship last month.

If Spieth triumphs in Charlotte, he will be the youngest man in history to complete a career grand slam.

Dustin Johnson is yet to finish inside the top 50 at a major this year, yet the world number one holds the third line of betting at +1200.

World No. 1 is locked and loaded for the final Major of the year. #M1driver #PGAchamp pic.twitter.com/j62flbK7rF

— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) August 7, 2017

Hideki Matsuyama (+1300) and Rickie Fowler (+1800) round out the top five contenders.

US Open winner Brooks Koepka shares a +2800 quote with Jason Day, who won the event in 2015 at Whistling Straits and finished second at Baltusrol last year.

Sergio Garcia is rated a +4000 chance to pair his Masters win with a second major, while defending champ Jimmy Walker is a +10000 outsider as he continues to struggle with Lyme disease.

2017 US PGA Championship odds

+700 – Rory McIlroy

+800 – Jordan Spieth

+1200 – Dustin Johnson

+1300 – Hideki Matsuyama

+1800 – Rickie Fowler

+2500 – Jon Rahm

+2800 – Jason Day, Brooks Koepka

+3300 – Justin Rose, Adam Scott

+4000 – Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson

+5000 – Paul Casey, Thomas Pieters, Justin Thomas

+6000 – Daniel Berger, Tommy Fleetwood, Branden Grace, Charley Hoffman

+6600 – Marc Leishman

+7000 – Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Alexander Noren, Bubba Watson

+8000 – Rafa Cabrera Bello, JB Holmes, Zach Johnson, Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel

+9000 – Ian Poulter

+10000 – Kevin Chappell, Jason Dufner, Tony Finau, Bill Haas, Adam Hadwin, Brian Harman, Louis Oosthuizen, Jimmy Walker, Gary Woodland

More quoted at William Hill

Group to watch: Garcia, Koepka and Spieth

The three major champions of 2017 will tee off together in one of several must-watch groups on day one.

Garcia has not missed a cut all year, Koepka has finished no lower than 11th in the majors and Spieth is aiming at a career slam.

Sergio has come closest to winning at Quail Hollow in the past – a playoff defeat to Vijay Singh at the 2005 Wachovia Championship.

All three are tipped to finish in the top 10 at the PGA, but it is the British Open champ who stands out in the three-ball markets.

Round one three-ball betting

Jordan Spieth – +138 at Ladbrokes

Brooks Koepka – +187 at Bet365

Sergio Garcia – +240 at Ladbrokes

Sliding into #PGAChamp week like…. pic.twitter.com/KGHR5orh7G

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) August 7, 2017

Best bets and online bookie specials

Paul Casey for top Englishman – +450 at Bet365

This guy has become a regular feature at the top end of the major leaderboards. He was top 10 at Baltusrol last year, tied for 11th at Royal Birkdale last month and has three consecutive top-six returns at the Masters. It remains to be seen whether Casey has the X-factor required to win a major, but he is a very good chance to finish above the likes of Justin Rose (+300) and Tommy Fleetwood (+550).

Brooks Koepka to finish top five – +500 at Ladbrokes

Up until his win at Erin Hills this year, the PGA Championship looked like Koepka’s best bet at a major title. He has finished in the top five two years running now, and recent form suggests a hat-trick is well within reach. Indeed, the American has missed the top 20 only once in his last nine major starts, finishing top 10 or better in five of those.

Rory McIlroy to win – +700 at William Hill

It is McIlroy’s outstanding record at Quail Hollow that sets him apart from his peers. The Irishman has triumphed there twice on the PGA Tour, most recently in 2015 when he won by seven shots with a record score of 21 under par. He also finished runner-up in 2012, losing to Rickie Fowler in a playoff. Top-five results at the Open and the Bridgestone Invitational see him head to North Carolina in fine form.