PGA Championship 2024 - Schedule & Leaderboard

The PGA Championship is nearly upon us and we cannot wait to see who will be battling to win this major. The golfing season is now in full flow and the world's best golfers will be hungry to get their hands on one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf. But when the week is done, who will finish at the top of the leaderboard? 

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Matthew Gover
Matthew GoverVerified
Fact checked by Rebecca Mackay

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The PGA Championship is nearly upon us, and we cannot wait to see who will be battling to win this major. The golfing season is now in full flow, and the world's best golfers will be hungry to get their hands on one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf. But when the week is done, who will be at the top of the leaderboard? 

Last year produced an iconic moment in golfing history as 29-year-old Justin Thomas became a second-time PGA championship winner. In the end, he clinched a tight playoff making his victory even more impressive as the bright young player won his 2nd major. Hopefully, this year will bring us the same amount of fireworks, and if it is as close to being as memorable as last year's PGA Championship, we are due for one hell of a viewing experience. 

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Where Will The PGA Championship Be Held?

Witness the world's finest golfers compete for the 27-pound Wanamaker Trophy in the 105th PGA Championship set to be held from May 18-21 at Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York. The tournament will begin on the 15th, with three practice days followed by four rounds of competition. The purse for this year's event is a whopping $15,000,000. One lucky golfer who emerges victorious this week will walk away with a $2.7 million check, equal to the winning prizes of both the Master's and the PGA Championship last year. 

Originally designed by Donald Ross, the Oak Hill Country Club is all set to provide a stage for those who arrive in search of the major championship title. Starting with the 1935 Massachusetts Open – won by Gene Sarazen, the New York Country Club has hosted dozens of tournaments, including three major US PGA championships with Jack Nicklaus (1980), Shaun Micheel (2003), and Jason Dufner (2013) as winners. Not to mention a total of 15 Massachusetts championships, three New England Amateurs, 1966 tri-state matches, and countless Mass Golf and USGA qualifying events.

In its illustrious history, the course has also been the venue for other leagues, including the Ryder Cup and Senior PGA championships. It was recently redesigned by architect Andrew Green who restored the course to be more true to its original design. The average length of the golf course for professional play is about 7,300 yards, which is pretty standard for professional golf tournaments. It is a course that might suit a strong all-around game like Cameron Smith, for example. The PGA Championship field is often considered the best in professional golf, with the tournament often receiving the highest "strength of field rating" of the year. The tournament will consist of all of the best players in the world as well as some quality pros who don't always qualify for other majors such as The Masters and The British Open.

All You Need To Know About The Scheduling Of The PGA Championship

More than 25 TV partners will broadcast the PGA Championship coverage in more than 180 countries and territories, encompassing over 20 hours of air time. NBC Sports will be presenting the live coverage of the event across GOLF Channel, NBC, and Peacock. For Irish citizens, the coverage of this championship can be best followed on Sky TV. ESPN+ is also an affordable option if you wish to stream the game in premium. The PGA tour calendar is packed full of exciting action this year that can be followed by fans worldwide on these streams.

DATE

TOURNAMENT

LOCATION

COURSE

PURSE

NETWORK

DEFENDING

May 18-21

PGA Championship 

Rochester, NY

Oak Hill East Course

$15,000,000

ESPN/CBS

Justin Thomas

The tee times have yet to be officially confirmed, but the first pairings are likely to come out around 2 pm Eastern time. The end of this major will typically finish around 8 pm, so it could be a great way to bring your weekend to a close. Just up ahead, you can check out the tentative tv broadcast timing in the US for this year's PGA Championship, Eastern Time.

DateRoundTimeChannel
Thursday, May 18thOne2-8 PMESPN
Friday, May 19thTwo2-8PMESPN
Saturday, May 20thThree10AM - 1pmESPN
2 - 7PMCBS
Sunday, May 21stFinal10AM - 1PMESPN
2PM - 7PMCBS

The format of this event is pretty simple. There will be pairings of three in contrast to other majors that have pairings of 2. After two days, if a player is not in the top 50 or within 10 shots, then they will not make the cut. For the last two days, players will be in traditional pairings of 2 as they look to fight it out for the title.

Will The Defending Champion Be There To Defend His Title?

This time last year, Justin Thomas was the toast of the game, and rightfully so; after all, it was the second major win in his golfing career, that too after a dramatic playoff. The 29-year-old emerged victorious with a score of 2 under after the three-hole aggregate playoff with professional golfer Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "I have definitely crossed one off the list. I have never won a tournament shanking a ball on Sunday, so that was the first, and I would really like it to be the last," the winner explained. 

Having burst onto the scene with a total of 15 PGA tour victories, which include the 2017 PGA championship, it wouldn't be exaggerating to state that Thomas is one of the biggest names in golf. Even though the young star couldn't score a win to his name since March 2021, last year, in particular, showed glimpses of him returning to his best. Interestingly enough, Justin's comeback is one of the largest in history, closing in on the seven shots set by John Mahaffey in the PGA Championship in 1978.

Who Is Our Pick To Take Home The Trophy?

Picking a winner for a major these days is tougher than it ever has been. There is so much said about how it is impossible to have one overpowering force such as Tiger Woods in this modern era and when you see the quality of players on display it is easy to understand why. Having said all of this over the past few years, we have four picks who you have to consider as favourites when they play a round of major golf. There are many more who will have their intentions set on being victorious, but these are four players we have a special feeling for.

Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm PGA championship bettingJon Rahm during his first day at the BMW PGA Championship, 19th September 2019. Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water, UK. Credit: Paul Terry/Alamy

No matter how you put it, John Ram is one of, if not the hottest golf players on the planet these past few seasons. Standing strong with excellent odds since the last couple of seasons, the two-time PGA winner has managed to make his way to the top of the charts this year too. Starting off the year strong, the young player won three out of his first five PGA Tour events. With some major wins, a handful of top finishes, and two more wins on the DP World Tour since October, the player is ready to set the record straight. He just recently won the Masters, of course, so one would expect him to be brimming with confidence.

Rahm is one of our favourite players to watch. His trademark simple technique and fiery attitude, in some ways, make him relatable until you see how good the man is at golf, and then you realise that this man is special. Although still very young, he has competed and come close to many majors to date and could perhaps be a bit disappointed that he only holds two major wins at this point. Now he has won his second, the pressure if off a little, and this could help him win several more.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Just when we thought golf was full of young and talented golfers, Matt Fitzpatrick came along and might prove to be the best of the bunch. This man's iron play is simply outstanding, which has contributed to him being an eight-time DP World Tour winner and the 2022 US Open Champion at just 28. Like all special champions, Fitzpatrick gives the impression that he was destined to win golf tournaments, and something would have to go very wrong for him not to win many more. 

After all, he has been a mainstay in the global top 50 for almost a decade and the face of Europe at two Ryder Cups. For this tournament, he would be as good a pick as any, and we wouldn't mind spending another week marvelling at his extraordinary talent. Considering his consistency, we expect him to be there or thereabouts.

Brooks Koepka

Brooks koepka

Brooks Koepka during his third round of the 101st PGA Championship hosted at Bethpage Black, New York, USA. 18th May 2019. Credit: Debby Wong/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News  

Brooks Keopka endured a terrible season last year. The four-time major championship winner hasn't been able to amass a big win or even a top-10 finish since his debut in LIV Golf. Last year, the player recalled his former swing coach, Claude Harmon III, back to his team after he found his game hanging by a thread. Hoping to rise from the ashes, the 32-year-old once again failed to reach expectations after a below-than-average performance in the last PGA Tour, where he barely ranked in the top 50 finishes. 

Koepka, when judged by his highest standards, has been a bit cold in recent years. However, it is noteworthy that, at one point, he was making winning majors look like child's play as he amassed four within two years. He once told reporters that he believes that when he steps onto a golf course, he has half of the competition beat as they are not mentally prepared to win majors. 

Frankly, this becomes difficult to argue with when considering that his record in tournaments outside the big four is not that special. But, given his innate talent and knack for the sport, you would be mad to look past Brooks Koepka for majors in the foreseeable future! He would feel very disappointed about what occurred on the final day of the Masters and will be eager to put that right.

Rory Mcilroy

If you are a golfing fan, you are probably wondering how a guy with Rory's talent hasn't added to his four majors. More shockingly, he hasn't really competed that hard for one until last year when he was in a good position to win the British Open. So why are we picking him on this list? Because when it's his day, he can really destroy any golf course, and you can never rule out somebody with his talent.

He only needs to be in contention for the other golfers to feel nervous about who is coming for them. The man is one of the biggest names in golf at the moment, after all. Despite knowing that it will be nine long years since his last major PGA Championship win, we are certain that the 33-year-old is in the form needed to buck that trend in 2023.

Tips for Golf Betting During The PGA Championship

The number one tip I would give for betting on this year's PGA Championship is to spread your bets so you have more than a few chances to win. If you are going to choose an outright winner, maybe you should select 5 people who you think might win this prestigious tournament and then spread what you were going to stake across these 5 bets. The list of players who have multiple majors to their name is very small, so it is good to know that the likelihood of your selection coming off isn't as likely as you might think. So, in short, select a few players you think might win supposed to just one.

The second tip I would give would be to consider the conditions of the golf course. Short courses can really suit those metronomic players who don't make many mistakes and know how to keep the ball away from hazards. Meanwhile, there will be courses that will be best suited to long-range hitters such as Dustin Johnson. There are also plenty of players on tour who might be in great form, but their record on a particular course is underwhelming. Once you have crunched all of these numbers together, you will get a better understanding of what can be expected when the players hit the course.

My third tip would be to pay less attention to form. Sometimes you can get great odds on a player who has been cold of late but has shown that they have the potential to turn the switch on when the competition gets tough and when there is something on the line. Brooks Koepka will be a great example of this as his record is sublime in majors, but his form recently hasn't been much to speak about. But who would be really surprised if he turned up and won another major? Scottie Scheffler has broken the mould of late but stats show that is extremely hard for golfers to replicate success week after week, so unless a golfer is in such bad form, we suggest that a player's history in big tournaments needs to be considered a bit more before placing a bet.

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My final tip would be to have fun. Golf is a sport that lasts four days and a bet can add an extra spice to the game when your favourite player is not in contention or there is no one from your country who looks like they might win. A lot of people prefer to have a preference about who might win a tournament when they watch on T.V, so play responsibly and make sure you only bet on what you can afford. That way you have a great time doing it also.  

How To Choose The Right Bookmaker

When deciding what bookmaker you will use to bet on the PGA Championship you need to consider a few things. First and foremost, you should address if the site you are using covers several golfing markets and how big of a deal it appears to be for the bookmaker in question. Golf is a very popular sport throughout the world but not every bookmaker will prioritise it even when we feel like they should, so these are important things to take into consideration.

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For example, the PGA Championship is one of the biggest sporting events on the golfing calendar, so if you feel that a bookmaker is not giving it the attention it deserves, then maybe you will need to think twice about placing a bet with them. By all means, if they are offering great odds on a player winning outright, it is worth the bet all day long, but we like to see some sites that offer a wide variety of bets for their golfing fans. Also, if a bookmaker doesn't prioritise golf, it is unlikely that they will offer as many golfing bets as they possibly can. When betting on golf, you should want many options at your disposal.

Types of PGA Championship Offers

Golf is an interesting sport as even the favourites for the competition that might be firing on all cylinders will have long odds when compared to almost every sport in the world. Why is this? Well, with golf you have a large field of players and, in this modern era, there are so many golfers that are capable of winning the PGA Championship. How many times have you been sat at home watching a major and you look at the leaderboard and some relatively unknown golfer is in contention? This just goes to show that predicting who might win a major is very difficult to predict.

This is why it is important to know all the different types of bets that are available on the golfing markets, so you will have more of a concept of which offer you should use to stand the best chance at making some money. The shortlist below consists of some of the most common types of offers that will be available at the PGA Championship.

Outright Winner

An outright winner bet, as the name suggests, is a bet where you will be betting on the overall winner of a golf tournament. Most of us love to bet on the outright winner of a tournament like the PGA Championship because it gives us an added interest besides watching brilliant golf unfold. The great thing about backing a winner at this tournament is that the favourite is likely to have long odds that can be 10/1 plus. When compared to other sports where the favourite is odds on to win an event, this might come as a surprise to non-golfing fans. 

Another reason this type of bet is so effective is that it is possible to back multiple players and be in profit if one of them wins. So, maybe you want to place a bet on all of the people you consider favourites or place a bet on a few long shots and if one of them emerges victorious you can brag to all of your friends that you have a crystal ball and your 80/1 shot was, in reality, a certainty.

Group Winner

On the first two days, golfers will be placed in groups of three for the PGA Championship. It is possible to bet on which golfer you think will fair better over the course of a single round. These bets can be fun to make as you are betting on the outcome of one day so you don't have to wait so long for the outcome of a match. Additionally, these are typically a lot easier to predict as there are not as many players involved. Betters tend to like these bets as they give them a side interest when they are watching golf.

Prop Bets

When you are using a prop bet, you are effectively betting on something that might or might not happen. Supposed to other bets where you will be betting on the outcome of some sporting outcome. Golf is played over four days and all sorts of peculiarities can happen, so with this in mind, there are some fun things you can bet on at this year's PGA Championship. For example, you can bet if Rory McIlroy will hit an eagle on the 15th or if Justin Thomas will find the lake on the tricky 7th hole. These prop bets are not so common among seasoned gamblers but they are extremely fun to use nonetheless.

In-Play Betting

As alluded to a few times now, golf is a game with a lot of variables, so many bets will effectively be over on day one. This makes in-play betting so attractive, as you have some time to see who looks like they will be in contention and you can act accordingly. An example of this would be if someone like Brooks Koepka was a few shots behind and you didn't fancy the players above him to hold on to the lead. You can use your knowledge of golf to place a cheeky bet on Koepka and then step back to see if your instincts are a good one. Even if you act just after day 1 you will get a much better understanding of how the tournament might play out. After all, there is the expression that you can't win on day 1 but you can certainly lose it. 

Let The Fun Commence!

Each year, the PGA Championships showcases some of the greatest golfers across the globe. They are all competing for the honour to win one of the biggest trophies in the sport. All of them would dearly love to be crowned a major winner as in golf that is one thing that can't be taken away from you.

Got something to say? Contact us; we'd love to hear what you have to say!

References:

PGA Championship Golf Betting FAQs

Are you new to betting on golf or just want to learn a little more about it? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions that often get thrown our way. 

Is Golf A Good Sport To Bet On?

Golf is a great sport to bet on and unlike other sports, you will always receive attractive odds. Because of the size of the field, even the favourites have high odds. Only in the days of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus has one golfer been such an overwhelming favourite.

Is PGA Championship Golf Betting Profitable?

Like all types of betting, you can easily lose money but if you apply good knowledge and a solid betting strategy towards PGA golf betting then you can be profitable.

How Does Golf Betting On The PGA Championship Work?

When betting on golf the most popular type of bet by far will be that placed on the outright winner of a golf tournament. For this example, you would be betting on who will the PGA Championship.

What Are Extra Places In Golf Betting?

As mentioned, predicting who will win a golf tournament is difficult. Predicting who will finish in the top 5 however is a lot easier. The odds will be lower but you have a lot more chance of winning. Most bookmakers will give you this option.

Is There A Good Strategy When Golf Betting On PGA Championship?

It is difficult to suggest one golden strategy in the world of golf betting that will make you successful but the good thing about golf betting is that you don't need to have a high success rate to be profitable. Also, if you bet using the extra places feature it is a lot easier to implement some sort of strategy this way.

Golf Expert

Matthew is our resident golf betting expert! He's been a content writer for the past seven years.

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Fact-checked by: Rebecca Mackay
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