WHO can stop Scottie Scheffler making it back-to-back wins, as well as back-to-back victories at the Players Championship?
That is the big question after the world No 1 fully justified his short odds by romping to a five-shot win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
He won last year’s Players by the same emphatic margin, and his best-priced 11-2 is exactly the same as it was at Bay Hill last week.
So if you love a coincidence - and a player in supreme form - Scheffler is the man to be on, especially with clear second favourite Rory Mcilroy still out of sorts.
McIlroy is another past champion at Sawgrass, but he is struggling to reproduce the form that brought him victory in Dubai into his efforts on this side of the Atlantic. His 16-1 quote COULD be a steal - but will the real Rory turn up?
How to bet on golf
Here are five easy steps for beginners.
1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.
2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.
3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.
4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.
5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.
Where to find the best odds for the golf?
Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the golf this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.
We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-event.
The Players Championship betting Tips
With Scheffler so tough to beat, the each way market is the one to explore - and with the leading bookmakers offering up to 12 places, there are a few interesting propositions.
Viktor Hovland looked like a certain future winner of this event when he finished third last year. He went on to triumph at the Tour Championship, confirming he can win in the best company.
His 25-1 odds look pretty enticing, and another player who shone at Sawgrass last year, Min Woo Lee, is also worth considering.
Lee failed to build on an opening 69 at Bay Hill - and a runner-up finish at the Cognizant Classic a week earlier - and faded into the pack.
But that has pushed him out to 50-1, which definitely brings him into the each way reckoning.
Will Zalatoris was tipped for a big year in 2024 in this column, and his share of fourth place last week offered further encouragement. He is another 25-1 shot who has to come into the calculations.
The rust from his long lay-off after back surgery is almost certainly a thing of the past, and as a ball-striker’s paradise Sawgrass is definitely right up his street.
And what about US Open Wyndham Clark, who continues to be disregarded by the bookmakers despite some sparkling recent efforts?
The 50-1 on offer for the Arnold Palmer runner-up and world No 5 should not be passed up.
The word at Sawgrass is that the course should also suit the skill set of JT Poston, who is a 110-1 outsider.
He has been stuck in second gear since opening the year with a couple of top six finishes. But he could easily rev it up a couple of notches here.
But the best value bet could be 66-1 shot Ben An, who has brought a strong element of consistency to what used to be a fairly erratic talent.
He has now made 13 cuts on the bounce, and his tie for eighth last week followed second, third, and fourth place finishes earlier in this hot streak.
The only thing missing has been a win, and after FIVE runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour he will surely go one better soon. If he finishes in front of Scheffler, that will almost certainly mean he has broken his duck.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling website
