OddsChecker predictions, picks
The 2023 PGA Championship is just hours away from getting started outside of Rochester, NY, as Oak Hill Country Club will play host to the 105th edition. OddsChecker's Johnny Covers shares his best bets for the guys that have a real chance of winning.
It is time for another major championship and another selection of longshot picks from our panel of expert handicappers. Find out who our team of golf handicappers like for the 2023 PGA Championship at +4000 and beyond.
The PGA Championship is officially upon us on Thursday morning in upstate New York. With the field as stacked as it’s ever been, let’s take a closer look at three guys Johnny Covers thinks could get off to a hot start in Rochester.
Field Level Media provides news and storylines from the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford NY, near Rochester.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: AT&T Byron Nelson (Jason Day)
THIS WEEK: PGA Championship, Rochester, N.Y., May 18-21
Course: Oak Hill Country Club, East Course (Par 70, 7,394 yards)
Purse: $15M
Defending Champion: Justin Thomas
FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. ET (ESPN); Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN), 1-7 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming on ESPN+: Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8-10 a.m.
Twitter: @PGAChampionship
BEST BETS
Scottie Scheffler (+750 at BetMGM) finished T5 last week and has a pair of top-10s in three previous PGA Championship starts. He has a streak of 12 consecutive finishes of T12 or better on tour, including a win at The Players.
Jon Rahm (+800) is attempting to become the first player to win consecutive majors since Spieth in 2015. He's coming off a runner-up at the Mexico Open and has also won two other designated events this year.
Rory McIlroy (+1400) is seeking to end a nine-year major drought but has claimed two of his four majors at the PGA. His wife, Erica, is from Rochester and he is an honorary member at Oak Hill.
Brooks Koepka (+2200) has been in good form on LIV Golf and finished second at the Masters after entering the final round with the lead. He also has won two of his four major titles at the PGA.
Justin Thomas (+2200) is looking to become the first player to successfully defend a major since Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship. However, he has not won since last year's PGA Championship and missed the cut at the Masters.
Dustin Johnson (+2500) is coming off a win at LIV Golf Tulsa.
NOTES: Oak Hill will play host to its seventh major championship but first since the 2013 PGA Championship won by Jason Dufner. The Donald Ross-designed course underwent a complete renovation by Andrew Green in 2020. It will play about 250 yards longer than it did 10 years ago and includes three completely new holes. ... Only seven players in this week's 156-player field remain from the 2003 PGA at Oak Hill won by Shaun Micheel. ... Only once in the past decade has the Wanamaker Trophy been won by a player ranked outside of the Top 50 in the world. That was in 2020 by Collin Morikawa, who enters this week ranked No. 16. ... Jordan Spieth will make another attempt to become only the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam. However, he did withdraw from last week's Byron Nelson due to a wrist injury and missed the cut in his PGA Championship debut in '13. ... Nico Echavarria and Ben Griffin are among 16 players making their major championship debuts. ... World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay is the highest-ranked player yet to win a major. ... Brooks Koepka holds the tournament scoring record of 264 set at Bellerive in 2018. ... Four-time PGA Championship winner Tiger Woods is not in the field after undergoing ankle surgery last month. Will Zalatoris, who lost to Thomas in a playoff last year, is the only top 100 player not in this week's field as he recovers from back surgery. ... 2011 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the year J.J. Killeen is one of 20 players who qualified through the PGA Professional Championship.
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