The 2024 PGA Championship begins on Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, K.Y., where the greatest golfers in the world will compete for the Wanamaker Trophy.
Reigning champion Brooks Koepka, who topped the field last May at Oak Hill CC, is among the favorites after winning the most recent LIV Golf event in Singapore. He is joined near the top of the odds board by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who have been in blistering form on the PGA Tour.
Let’s look at some of my favorite 2024 PGA Championship picks and predictions and see if we can identify the outright winner of the year’s second major championship.
PGA Championship Winner Prediction
Rory McIlroy (+750)
It would be fitting for McIlroy’s 10-year major championship drought to end at the place where he last won one. And given the way he’s playing right now, it feels like a distinct possibility.
McIlroy showcased an all-round game to win by five last week at Quail Hollow, gaining six-plus strokes off the tee and on approach over the course of the tournament. He also gained 3.3 strokes around the green and 4.3 with the putter, the latter of which has hit-and-miss at times.
The Northern Irishman’s victory at the Wells Fargo Championship was his second straight on the PGA Tour. In his previous start, he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event, with Ireland’s Shane Lowry.
McIlroy has a strong history at the PGA Championship, twice winning the Wanamaker Trophy. He has eight top-10 finishes at this major championship, including strong runs at Oak Hill and Southern Hills in the last two years.
And while much has been made this week about his off-course news — McIlroy recently filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll after seven years of marriage — I’m not in a position to say whether that will affect his play.
Based on what I’ve seen on the course lately, I’m backing McIlroy as my best golf bet today.
PGA Championship Contenders
PGA Championship betting odds are current as of Wednesday, May 15, at 10 a.m. ET, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Scottie Scheffler (+400)
- Rory McIlroy (+750)
- Xander Schauffele (+1400)
- Jon Rahm (+1600)
- Brooks Koepka (+2000)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2200)
- Bryson DeChambeau (+2800)
- Collin Morikawa (+3000)
PGA Championship Best Bets
Wyndham Clark (+4000) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Clark wasn’t great at Quail Hollow last week, which may be why we’re getting a discounted price on one of the top players on the PGA Tour this year.
The 30-year-old has a win and two runner-up finishes since the calendar flipped to 2024, and there’s no shame in finishing behind Scottie Scheffler at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and THE PLAYERS Championship.
While his overall major championship history isn’t particularly encouraging, people seem to forget that Clark won the 2023 U.S. Open. His distance off the tee and terrific putter give him a great chance to compete on these long, difficult setups.
I would be surprised if he isn’t in the mix this weekend at Valhalla.
Cameron Young (+5000) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 0.5 Units
Young hasn’t won PGA Tour event yet, so I can understand the hesitancy to back him in an outright market. However, that hasn’t stopped him from coming close at major championships.
The 27-year-old has five top-1o finishes in majors, including a T-3 on his PGA Championship debut at Southern Hills and a T-9 at The Masters in April.
- Check out our favorite PGA Championship betting sites.
Theoretically, Young should be a great fit for Valhalla. He can mash the ball off the tee, is more than capable with his long irons, and has shown a silky smooth short game in the best of times.
The putter has betrayed him this season, but if Young can put every aspect of his game together this week, he’ll be in contention.
PGA Championship Longshot Bets
Will Zalatoris (+7500) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 0.25 Units
Which Will Zalatoris are we going to get this week?
Will we get the guy who shot a final-round 80 on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship? Or the guy who finished in the top 10 at The Masters despite questionable lead-in form?
At these odds, I’ll hope for the latter.
Inconsistencies have plagued Zalatoris since his return from back surgery. Still, his record at major championships (seven top-10s and three runner-up finishes in 11 starts) is too tempting to pass on at longer odds.
Akshay Bhatia (+11000) • DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 0.15 Units
If I’m going to romanticize about a full-circle moment for McIlroy, I might as well back Bhatia.
The sweet-swinging lefty won the 2018 Junior PGA Championship at Valhalla, which should give him confidence heading into his tournament debut.
The 22-year-old earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open in April, which qualified him for the following week’s Masters.
Bhatia showed off his impressive short game at Augusta National, hitting several highlight-worthy flop shots en route to a T-35 finish.
While he’s got the game to take down a strong field, we’re probably better off backing Bhatia in other markets, so check out our best PGA Championship prop bets for more.
