One of the most highly-anticipated golf events of the year is no question the PGA Championship. Each spring, the best golfers in the world hit the links to try and come away with a huge win. It’s a major tourney that comes with plenty of honor and prestige. Who will come out on top this year? In this piece, we have our PGA Championship futures picks in what should be a memorable 72 holes.
Entering the first round of play on May 23, Rory McIlroy is the favorite to win the 2021 PGA Championship. McIlroy is no doubt one of the best golfers in the world, with his long game and short game always impressing when he swings his clubs. Now, he’ll have the pressure of trying to live up to the hype of being the favorite to bring home yet another major win.
McIlroy indeed holds the No. 1 golf odds to win things, as the Las Vegas sportsbooks have given him +1100 odds. That number should instill plenty of confidence in McIlroy’s potential, but at the same time it also tells you that he’s not an overwhelming favorite either. There will be several other guys in the hunt come the final round who will want to lift the trophy high into the sky.
| PGA odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Justin Thomas | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +1500 | +1500 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Dustin Johnson | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Jon Rahm | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Jordan Spieth | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
In addition to McIlroy, Justin Thomas (+1400), Bryson DeChambeau (+1500), Dustin Johnson (+1600), Jon Rahm (+1600), and Jordan Spieth (+1800) all have outstanding odds as well. They will do their best to try and take down McIlroy, as their odds are pretty darn strong as well. It will be a difficult task, but McIlroy will also have folks lining up to win this one.
While McIlroy is the favorite, as mentioned above, he’s not our pick in this case. Why? Because we’re actually going with Thomas to win the PGA Championship. He holds the second-best odds, but he’s also playing like one of the best golfers in the world currently. It will be tough to take down the entire field, but we think Thomas certainly has what it takes. He’s our pick in this instance.
With us taking him to win, look for Thomas to get off to a strong start at the PGA Championship later this week from the moment he takes his first swing. It goes without saying, but starting hot will of course set the tone for the four rounds of play. Thomas and everyone else knows how important a strong first round will be. It could be what helps someone win in the end.
For Thomas, he holds +2200 odds to be the first-round leader at the end of 18 holes. Similar to the overall odds, that’s No. 2, with McIlroy at No. 1 with his +1800 odds. While being the first-round leader would never guarantee someone of winning the major, it’d be absolutely crucial for either Thomas, McIlroy, or someone else to jump ahead of the competition.
We think Thomas will be able to do so and be the first-round leader. Remember, Thomas has double-digit PGA tour wins and he’s no stranger to capturing the PGA Championship glory. Back in 2017, Thomas had a breakout campaign on the tour, which was of course highlighted by him winning the PGA Championship. It’s his lone major win, but it was a big one.
Now, Thomas is hoping to repeat history from just four years ago. It’d be an impressive feat, as winning the same major more than once is way easier said than done. In order for that to happen, Thomas will need to get out of the gates on fire and showcase just how great of a golfer he is. We think that will be the case, as he’s our pick to be the first-round leader.
While we do have Thomas winning things, Rory McIlroy will certainly finish in the Top 5. He’s simply too good of a golfer to not be among the guys at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday. We even wouldn’t be surprised if McIlroy was within a stroke or two of Thomas in the final round. That’s how close we think things are going to be with the trophy on the line.
As things stand, McIlroy holds +230 odds to finish in the Top 5. If you have confidence in Thomas finishing among the best five in the PGA Championship, we’d say for you to place a wager using one of our partners with plenty of confidence. It’d be a massive surprise if McIlroy somehow didn’t finish in the Top 5. He’s got what it takes to have a memorable weekend in South Carolina.
Thomas of course has great odds of finishing in the Top 5, with him being set at +290. If you’re interested in potentially parlaying the two to both finish in the Top 5, that’d be a great idea as well. The 2021 PGA Championship should absolutely be one to remember, with McIlroy, Thomas, and others ready to do their best to put on a show. We can’t wait to see how things play out.
