If you're a golf bettor like I am, wagering on the final round of this weekend's Memorial Tournament may seem like a fruitless effort. Do you really want to lay -450 odds on Scottie Scheffler to maintain his four-shot lead? Probably not.
I have good news for you. There are other ways to bet on the final round of a PGA Tour event. Consider placing a few matchup bets. Also known as "2-ball bets", these wagers are on a golfer to finish with a lower score than the golfer he's paired with.
Not only does it give us something to cheer for on Sunday, but it gives us a reason to watch some of the early tee times. I've locked in two for Sunday's round that I'll share for you in this article.
We took Nick Dunlap at +150 against Matt Fitzpatrick on Saturday and it was a sweat-free winner. I see no reason why we shouldn't go back to Dunlap again on Sunday. He has been quietly been playing some fantastic golf this tournament and I expect that to continue in the final round.
The 20-year-old is second to only Scottie Scheffler in strokes gained: approach this week, averaging +2.41 per round. He's also been hot with his putter, gaining +1.56 strokes on the green. If he can just straighten out his putter, he could go low in Round 4.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout has gained strokes in all four major areas, but he hasn't been extremely impressive in any. He lost strokes with his irons on Saturday which doesn't bode well for him heading into Sunday.
I absolutely love this bet at the +140 price tag.
We're going to fade Rory McIlroy in the final round as he tees it up with his fellow Irishman, Shane Lowry. Lowry gained +4.44 strokes with his approach play on Saturday, which was the second most of the round next to only Scheffler. Meanwhile, Rory had a tough day with his irons, losing -0.56 strokes.
This bet is simply trying to take advantage of two golfers who are trending in opposite directions. If Lowry can carry the momentum from Saturday into Sunday, he's going to be in a great spot to beat McIlroy.
With both of these bets being at plus money, we just need one to hit to walk away with a profit. If both win, we're laughing.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
DUBLIN, Ohio – Rory McIlroy struck an upbeat tone in describing the first in-person meeting between a PGA Tour transaction committee and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which backs LIV Golf.
The committee, including Tiger Woods, met with the PIF and governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan on Friday evening in New York. McIlroy joined via video conference from the Memorial Tournament, where he is competing this weekend.
“Very productive, very constructive, very collaborative,’’ McIlroy said after the third round at Muirfield Village Golf Club. “I think those are probably three words I would use to describe it. Yeah, it was really good. Definitely things are heading in the right direction. A lot of progress was made. I can't really say much more than that, but it was really positive.’’
McIlroy, who shot 73 and is tied for 11th in the tournament led by Scottie Scheffler through three rounds, was pessimistic about the state of negotiations just a few weeks ago at the PGA Championship in the aftermath of PGA Tour Policy Board member Jimmy Dunne’s resignation.
Dunne, who resigned on May 13, had been part of the negotiations more than a year ago that led to the initial “framework agreement’’ that was announced June 6, 2023. Dunne was the first one to reach out to Al-Rumayyan in an attempt to bring peace to the men’s professional game.
Woods, McIlroy and Adam Scott were named last month to a “transaction committee’’ that is to deal directly with the PIF as part of a plan to get investment in the new PGA Enterprises.
The others on the committee are PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan; former Tour player and board liaison Joe Ogilvie; Joe Gorder, who is an executive with Valero and the chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises; and John Henry, a principal with Fenway Sports Group and part of the Strategic Sports Group, which earlier this year invested $1.5 billion in PGA Tour Enterprises.
McIlroy said he prepped with the transaction committee for 90 minutes prior to the three-hour meeting.
“Maybe not surprised but maybe more encouraged,’’ McIlroy said. “I think a lot of progress had sort of been made. But definitely encouraged.’’
McIlroy said in an interview on Thursday that the committee and the PIF have been meeting remotely three times a week for the past several weeks.
“In terms of the deal, like the financials and the legals and all that, I think those three calls a week were more to do with their investment committee and SSG ... that's what those calls were.
“But I think last night was more talking about the future of the game and the vision and that was where I thought there was a lot of progress that was made.’’
Asked if he has a better understanding of what the PIF’s goals are in investing in PGA Tour Enterprises, McIlroy said:
“You've got to understand, they're a sovereign wealth fund. They invest in companies and in different things and they want a return on their investment. That's what they want. It doesn't seem like they're getting that at the minute within golf [with LIV Golf], and this—hopefully if things progress and we get to a certain point, then hopefully they see a future where that can happen, they can start to get some returns on their money.’’
The PGA Tour earlier in the day released a statement about the meeting in which it said progress was made.
“Representatives from the PGA Tour Enterprises Transaction Subcommittee and the PIF have been meeting multiple times weekly to work through potential deal terms and come to a shared vision on the future of professional golf,’’ the Tour said. “On Friday evening, an in-person session in New York City included the entire Transaction Subcommittee and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and his team, where more progress was made.
“We remain committed to these negotiations, which require working through complex considerations to best position golf for global growth. We want to get this right, and we are approaching discussions with careful consideration for our players, our fans, our partners and the game’s future.’’
The first two rounds of the Memorial Tournament are in the books. It's time to look ahead to the weekend.
If you want to find out the live odds to win ahead of Round 3, as well as a couple of golfers I'm aiming at, you can find those here.
In this article, we're talking about a few Round 3 matchup bets, otherwise known as 2-ball bets. These are one-round wagers on a golfer to finish Saturday's round with a lower score than their playing partner. Let's dive into it.
If you're looking for an underdog to bet on Saturday, there's none I love more than Nick Dunlap against Matt Fitzpatrick. Dunlap has been sharp with his irons through the first two rounds, gaining an average of +2.59 strokes per round with his approach play through the first two rounds, the fourth-best in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick's irons continue to be a low point of his game. He's losing -0.24 strokes per round with them in this event. His short game has dragged him into the weekend but Dunlap's irons are a lot more sustainable.
At +150, Dunlap is absolutely worth a bet to get the job done.
Rory McIlroy -185 vs. Tony Finau Prediction
If you want to bet on Rory McIlroy but if you think Scottie Scheffler has this event in the bag, you can take McIlroy to finish with a lower score than his playing partner on Saturday, Tony Finau.
Both golfers enter the weekend at T7, but Finau hasn't been playing as well as his current standing may suggest. His success has come from strong play around the greens, gaining an average of +1.52 strokes per round around the greens, which is almost unheard of. Meanwhile, he's gaining just +0.78 per round with his approach and +0.21 per round with his putting.
McIlroy is playing a much more sustainable style of golf and his irons seem to be dialed in. -185 is a hefty price to pay, but he still holds plenty of great value against Finau on Saturday.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
DUBLIN, Ohio — Rory McIlroy considered heading to New York following the second round of the Memorial Tournament on Friday but will instead take part via video conference in the first in-person meeting of the PGA Tour’s transaction committee and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
Saying that players Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and himself will be more in the background because “this is big boy stuff,” McIlroy said it is about the PIF—which backs LIV Golf—and a possible investment in PGA Tour Enterprises and what that could mean for the future of the men’s professional game.
And as part of that, McIlroy believes that LIV Golf will continue to operate, regardless of how a deal might look.
“I certainly don’t see in the next couple of years LIV slowing down,” McIlroy told a small group of reporters following an opening-round 70 at Muirfield Village Golf Club. “They’re buying office space in New York. They have over 200 employees. I don’t see a world where—and I haven’t heard any of those guys say that they don’t want to play over there either, right? You’ve got guys who are on contracts until 2028, 2029.
“Looking a few years down the line, LIV is going to continue to sort of keep going down its path. But hopefully with maybe more of a collaboration or an understanding between the tours. Maybe there is some cross-pollenation there where players can start to play on both. I guess that will all be talked about in the coming weeks.”
McIlroy along with Woods and Scott were named last month to a “transaction committee” that is to deal directly with the PIF as part of a plan to get investment in the new PGA Enterprises and bring peace to the game.
The others on the committee are PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan; former Tour player and board liaison Joe Ogilvie; Joe Gorder, who is an executive with Valero Energy and the chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises; and John Henry, a principal with Fenway Sports Group and part of the Strategic Sports Group, which earlier this year invested $1.5 billion in PGA Tour Enterprises.
The group is meeting in New York on Friday afternoon with the PIF, including its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
McIlroy said the transaction committee has met a few times amongst themselves and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with representatives of the PIF for the last few weeks.
It’s been a year since the “framework agreement” was announced, with no deal made and plenty of conjecture back and forth. The SSG commitment stalled talks with the PIF, but seemingly have resumed with plenty of ground to cover.
“There’s going to be people in that room on the PGA Tour side who are going to take the lead,” McIlroy said. “And it’s not going to be Adam, Tiger or I. That’s going to be Jay, Joe Gorder, Joe Ogilvie, John Henry. It’s going to be the business guys. We’re there to maybe give a perspective from a player’s point of view.
“This is a negotiation about an investment in the PGA Tour Enterprises, this is big boy stuff. And I’ll certainly be doing more listening than I will be doing talking.”
McIlroy said it is unknown at this point what PIF’s role might be going forward.
“I think depending on what the DOJ (the U.S. Department of Justice) allows, it might have to be a very passive investment,” McIlroy said. “I don’t know what’s in their head. I don’t know if that is something that they are willing to do. We’ll find out.”
McIlroy added: “There’s a lot of stuff that goes beyond my knowledge and expertise in terms of the investment side of things. And certainly the regulatory side of things as well. We’re on this transaction committee to sort of give a perspective from a player. But that’s going to be a conversation between SSG and the executives of the Tour.”
Asked if he believes the PIF—which was attempting to get into golf long before LIV Golf was launched—is looking at PGA Tour Enterprises as something aside from its LIV investment, McIlroy said:
“First and foremost, Yasir is the governor of the PIF and the chairman of Aramco (Saudi Arabia’s lucrative oil company). Those are the two titles that he holds. His biggest thing is making returns on his investments and to do good by the Kingdom. That’s his whole purpose in what he is doing. If he thinks that investing in PGA Tour Enterprises is a good investment and he can make return on his money and also get a seat at the table, as it were, he may see that as a win.”
McIlroy noted that collaboration going forward is tricky. The DOJ rejected original language in the framework agreement which said LIV Golf could not poach players from the PGA Tour. “It was anti-competitive; antitrust,” McIlroy said.
That, and so many other things, make for a complicated situation, he said.
“My stance on some of the LIV stuff has softened,” McIlroy said. “They’re contracted to play 14 events, but the other 38 weeks of the year you’re free to do what you want.
“The only thing is there are so many tours and so many golf tournaments. There are only a certain amount of weeks in the year. That’s the complicated part. Trying to figure out which tournaments go where, when do we play them, how many players, what players.”
The PGA Tour heads to Muirfield Village for this week's signature event, the Memorial Tournament. All the best golfers on Tour will tee it up at Muirfield as they prepare for next week's U.S. Open.
Attempting to predict the winner is one thing, but how about predicting the exact final score of the winner along with the exact final score of the top 10 golfers in the field? That's what I'm going to attempt to do in this article.
We've seen a wide range of winning scores at Muirfield Village over the years. Even over the past decade, we've had a winning score as high as -7 like Viktor Hovland last year and as low as -19 like Patrick Cantlay in 2019. That makes it difficult to predict the winning score this time around, but I'm going to guess it'll creep into the double-digits at finish at 11 under par.
Scottie Scheffler (+350) Score Prediction: -11
Do you really want to bet against Scottie Scheffler this week? I certainly don't. The fiasco in Louisville is behind him and now he's coming into this event off a week of rest. Not only that, but he has finished third at this event the last two years he's competed in it. It's time for him to reestablish himself in the winner's circle once again.
Rory McIlroy (+900) Score Prediction: -7
Rory McIlroy only has one top 5 finish at the Memorial Tournament. He's had good results, but nothing crazy. Muirfield Village takes come creativity at times and McIlroy doesn't always have that ability. I expect another good but not great result from him this week.
Xander Schauffele (+900) Score Prediction: -9
Schauffele is another golfer, like McIlroy, who hasn't had great results at Muirfield but it's tough not to expect something special from him this week now that he's fresh off his first major victory. There's a chance that big win got the weight off his shoulders and he may just go on a run and rattle off a few more wins. He has statistically been the second-best golfer on the Tour this season.
Collin Morikawa (+1400) Score Prediction: -10
Morikawa has found his game once again. He found his short game in April and has now found his iron play in May. All signs point to him trending in the right direction and now he returns to a course that he's already won at once in his career. This could be his week but I think he may fall just short.
Viktor Hovland (+1800) Score Prediction: -8
The defending Memorial Tournament champion is returning to Muirfield Village in good form after finishing solo third at the PGA Championship a few weeks ago. Did he find his swing again or was that an anomaly performance? We'll find out more about Hovland's 2024 performance this week.
Ludvig Aberg (+2000) Score Prediction: -1
It might be time to sell a bit of stock in Ludvig Aberg. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship, is battling a nagging knee injury, and now goes to a course that doesn't exactly fit his style of play. I don't think he'll be in contention on the weekend.
Justin Thomas (+2500) Score Prediction: -5
Just like Morikawa and Hovland, Thomas is another golfer who had a tough first half of the season but may have found something after finishing T5, T21 and T8 in his last three starts. He finished runner-up at Muirfield Village in 2020.
Patrick Cantlay (+2800) Score Prediction: +1
Cantlay has won this event twice in his year and it's historically been a great course fit for him, but his game is trending in the wrong direction. He has gone T23, T29 and T53 in his last three starts. I think he's going to finish above par this weekend, but if there is a course where he can turn his game around, it's Muirfield Village.
Hideki Matsuyama (+4000) Score Prediction: E
Matsuyama's peak came in February and March and now he seems to be on a downward spiral, finishing T38 and T35 in his last two starts. Much like Cantlay, he's a past winner of this event but his recent metrics make me think this won't be the week for him.
Jordan Spieth (+4000) Score Prediction: +3
Jordan Spieth has been in horrific form. He hasn't finished 28th or better since the Valero Texas Open in early April. His ball striking is bad, his short game is out of sorts, and he can't hit a putt. I'm all out on Spieth this week.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Robert MacIntyre was victorious North of the Border and now the PGA Tour heads to Muirfield Village for the penultimate signature event of the season, the Memorial Tournament.
The top golfers on the PGA Tour will be competing this week in preparation for next week's U.S. Open, meaning the No. 1 golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, is back in the field and understandably set as the significant favorite.
Let's dive into everything you need to know to bet on this event, including my best bets.
Scottie Scheffler: The No. 1-ranked golfer in the world returns to action this week after finishing T2 at the Charles Schwab Challenge two weeks ago. He has yet to win the Memorial Tournament but finished third at this event the last two times he's played here. If he even brings his "B" game, he's going to win.
Viktor Hovland: The defending champion is going to be in an interesting spot this week. Not only is he heading to a course where he'll feel comfortable, but he's coming off a solo third at the PGA Championship, his best finish of the season. If he can bring that momentum into this week, he has a chance to go back-to-back in Muirfield Village.
Memorial Tournament best bets
Corey Conners +5500
Corey Conners made a run at last week's RBC Canadian Open, finishing solo sixth. He's quietly been playing some good golf, finishing T13 or better in three of his last four starts along with a T26 finish at the PGA Championship. In his last three starts, he has been striking the ball better than almost anyone else on Tour, gaining at least +1.13 true strokes per round with his irons.
The most notable change has been his putting. Conners gained +1.73 strokes putting per round last week, one of the best putting performances of his career. If he finally figured something out on the greens, he's going to get his third PGA Tour win sooner rather than later.
As a cherry on top, he finished 13th here in 2022, so he's proven he can play well at Muirfield. He's my favorite bet on the board this week at 55-1 odds.
Tom Kim +7000
Tom Kim has had a down season, but now might be the time to invest. He has improved in each of his last five starts going T52, T47, T26, T24, and then T4 at last week's RBC Canadian Open. Last week was by far his best performance of the season so if you want big odds on a guy whose game has consistently trended in the right direction, Kim could be your guy.
Some times you just have to take a shot on a golfer with long odds who's a horse for a course. Billy Horschel won this event in 2022 and has two other two other top-10 finishes here over the past decade in 2020 and 2019.
He has also been statistically much better this season than he's been getting credit for, ranking 11th in total strokes gained heading into this week. Also, at a difficult course like Muirfield, it doesn't hurt to bet on a guy who's 16th in scrambling percentage and 11th in bogey avoidance.
He's worth a bet this week at 80-1.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where we’d love to play some alternate shot with friends but hope they’d still be our friends afterward.
Once again, we’re here to debate a series of statements for writers and editors to declare as “Fact” or “Fiction” along with a brief explanation. Responses may also occasionally be “Neutral” since there's a lot of gray area in golf.
Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X account.
In the wake of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry’s popular win at the Zurich Classic, the PGA Tour should get more serious about the event (and team golf) by making it a signature event, therefore luring more of the Tour’s top players.
Bob Harig: FACT. By making this a signature event, not only do you assure more of the top players competing, but you can limit the field. The idea of 80 teams starting and so many players involved really defeats the purpose. Lean into this event and make it bigger.
John Pluym: FACT. The PGA Tour needs more events like Zurich, but with the fields limited to the best players in the world. And if the Tour can mandate that the winners get up in front of a raucous crowd and sing, “Don’t Stop Believin,’” all the better.
The entire panel thinks the PGA Tour should lift the Zurich Classic, which enjoyed its greatest week as a team event when Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won.
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Ritter: FACT. These signature events are supposed to be rotating a bit, are they not? Time for Zurich to get in the mix so we can see more Ryder Cup-caliber pairings.
John Schwarb: FACT. The Zurich’s format is such a treat in the sea of sameness on the Tour schedule, yet its field hardly gets fans excited. Signature events are largely a function of sponsors and schedules, but no excuses—it’s time to get many more top players to New Orleans.
Speaking of McIlroy, the Zurich was his 25th PGA Tour win, moving him into a tie for 23rd all time. To get to 15th requires 31 wins (tying Jimmy Demaret), and at 34 years old that’s as far as the Ulsterman will get.
Bob Harig: FICTION. Assuming good health, Rory should have 10 good years left. He’ll need some good fortune but even one win a year gets him to 35 victories. Rory is due for a couple of multiple-victory seasons. Getting to 40, while a stretch, is not out of the question..
John Pluym: FICTION. McIlroy will need a lot of good fortune to get to 31 wins, especially with Scottie Scheffler winning week to week or every other week (can he keep it up?). There are so many incredible players out there. But with 10-plus years left in his career, McIlroy should land somewhere between 30 to 35 wins.
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. So many variables with this kind of prediction, but assuming good health and continued drive, McIlroy should play well into his 40s. I’d guess he lands somewhere between Demaret’s 31 and Tom Watson’s 39.
John Schwarb: FACT. The tendency with these questions is to overestimate right after a win, but his iron game and putting aren’t among the Tour’s best every week and he mostly plays elite events where he has to beat the best. He can absolutely grab six more wins in what will be a long career but I’m not willing to go overboard.
LIV Golf’s Adelaide event was a smash for the second consecutive year. Half of LIV Golf’s regular-season events are in North America but the Saudi-backed circuit needs to play the majority of its schedule overseas to better connect with nations starved for pro golf.
Bob Harig: FICTION. LIV Golf should definitely consider adding a second Australian event in a different state. It should go to South Africa, Spain, the U.K., South America, Japan or South Korea. But establishing a presence in the U.S. is imperative. It’s where most of the corporate support resides, and where the TV rights deals can potentially be the greatest. It’s a tough road without America.
John Pluym: FACT. LIV Golf Adelaide saw the biggest crowds of the dozen LIV events played over two seasons, so why not go there more often along with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour? It’s no different than the NFL playing more and more games overseas. Do it!
Cameron Smith played in front of huge crowds in his native Australia.
Courtesy LIV Golf
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. LIV is getting some traction overseas, but to become a bigger player in pro golf it needs to connect here in the U.S. I assume that’ll happen through the negotiated partnership that’s been in the works for nearly a year, but …
John Schwarb: FACT. A second Australian event seems like a no-brainer, and Asia is likely underserved with just two events on the LIV schedule. The league could also create wild-card spots for local players, boosting interest. If a LIV–PGA Tour merger of sorts remains far away, then LIV should stop trying to compete as hard for U.S. eyeballs and go where the Tour can’t. Or won’t.
A Golf Digest story about NBC Sports said the network is still unsure who will be in the lead analyst’s chair in the U.S. Open, which is less than two months away. The chaos shows NBC should never have let Paul Azinger go.
Bob Harig: FACT. I’m partial to Azinger. I don’t necessarily have a problem with rotating analysts, but we’d never know about it if Azinger were retained. And the way that went down sure seems curious. Having already dispensed with Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch, moving on from another comfortable voice seems too much..
John Pluym: FICTION. I don’t care who sits in the chair as long as they’re interesting. Who do golf fans want analyzing the action? Who do the players want? Let’s stir the pot instead of always trying to make things comfortable. Let’s also get the players mic’d up at events. In fact, that would be more interesting than who’s sitting in the lead analyst’s chair.
Jeff Ritter: FICTION. I like Azinger, but rotating the chair has added some juice to the broadcasts so far this year. Also: do we need a “lead analyst” at the USO, or could NBC continue some sort of hybrid-rotation that week? I’m open to seeing what they come up with.
John Schwarb: NEUTRAL. I was receptive to NBC’s plan to rotate the chair early in the year but no one has stuck yet and it’s fair to ask if these were actual tryouts or just a cheap way to run a booth. The U.S. Open deserves an analyst with gravitas and right now I feel like I’ll wish Azinger was there. But NBC still has time to get this right.
