Look, predicting a pre-tournament Sportsbook in golf isn’t easy. While it’s true sports bettors can find fantastic value, it’s incredibly frustrating when one of your picks doesn’t even make the cut. That’s why I’m here to help.
Every week I’ll highlight three golfers who have a good chance to win the hardware for the upcoming weekend. This week it’s The Players Championship.
For a full breakdown of the tournament, check out my betting preview. For a list of all of the best props available, visit our Ultimate Players Championship Betting Props Page.
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook
My favorite pick: Henrik Stenson +2200
Stenson, who won the 2009 Players, is technically in the twilight of his career at 42 but he hasn’t played like it. The Swede is third in all-time earnings at the event and leads the PGA Tour in both fairways hit and greens in regulation, two important stats at TPC Sawgrass.
In his last three individual competitions, Stenson has finished fourth, T-6 and T-5. The competition will be stiff, to say the least (each of the top 50 golfers in the world rankings will be teeing it up in Florida), but Stenson’s current form alone is well worth the +2200 price.
Solid value: Zach Johnson +5000
Another elder statesman on the tour, it’s easy to overlook Johnson with the influx of talent set to descend on TPC Sawgrass, but the Iowa native is red-hot right now and has a track record of showing up seemingly out of nowhere in big tournaments.
Johnson is T-3 on the tour in proximity and T-1 in par-3 scoring, which will be crucial in order to tame the vaunted water green 17th hole. He also has a great track record at The Players, making the cut in 12 of his 13 trips to the tournament with six top-20s in that span.
My favorite sleeper pick: Chesson Hadley +10000
Very quietly, Hadley has been one of the most consistent players in professional golf entering this year’s Players. Hadley has finished in the top 20 in five of his last six tournaments, two of which were in the top 10 (T-7 at RBC Heritage, T-4 at Zurich Classic of New Orleans).
The 30-year-old sits 35th on the tour in greens in regulation and T-11 in proximity. When you’re hot, you’re hot, and sharp golf bettors should keep a keen eye on Hadley for the foreseeable future if he can sustain his red-hot pace.
