Live betting golf is interesting, because anything after the commencement of the first round of a tournament is considered to be live betting. Even the breaks in between rounds can be considered live betting, because the tournament has technically commenced. This guide will focus on how to bet when players are on the course, but also how to bet after the first round, second round or third round of a tournament.
Betting Markets
When live betting golf there are many ways you can consume it as a bettor. You may be interested in the high payouts of live betting on a tournament winner. Take for example betting on Scottie Scheffler to win a tournament like the 2022 U.S. Open after the first round.
Scheffler was at the third lowest odds heading into the tournament at 13/1, but after struggling in the first round, Scheffler’s odds jumped to 20/1 as he was trailing by four shots. Accordingly, if you had liked Scheffler at 13/1, you would have to at the least entertain betting him at 20/1.
Just like in NHL betting or any sports betting, it is important to take advantage of the value live betting offers as momentum can change drastically in live sports. Scheffler did not end up winning this tournament, but sharp bettors still likely cashed in on Scheffler’s successful run up the leaderboard to second place.
Another type of live betting, which is offered by particular Ontario betting and safe legal betting sites is Top Finish bets and Each-Way bets.
A Top Finish bet is exactly how it sounds, you are betting on a golfer to finish in the Top 5, 10, 20, 30 or 40 of the field. This is a form of betting where you take a hit on the odds, but are still able to bet on your favourite golfer at favourable odds while having some insurance by not betting on an outright victory.
An each-way bet is a little different because you are placing two bets at once. With an each-way bet, you are not only betting on the golfer to win the tournament outright, but you are also making an insurance bet that they will at least finish in the Top 2-8.
I put Top 2-8 because live betting offers are different depending on the website and how far along the tournament is. If you bet early in the first round, you may still be able to get an each-way bet that has the Top 8, but by the end of the first round, it can get as small as the Top 5.
As a live bettor, you can also bet on hole-to-hole action for golfers. For example, say you are watching a group that includes Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler. Both are having great rounds, so you want to cash in by live betting their round and want to ensure that you are betting on a result that only the specific can impact.
You could live bet their result on a particular hole. Say the pair are coming to a Par-4 on the 12th hole at a particular course and you feel confident in Morikawa knocking in a birdie or better. Morikawa would likely have odds that look like this:
- Birdie or better +500
- Par -175
- Bogey or worse +200
Simply by believing Morikawa will knock in a birdie on a Par-4, you can get 5/1 odds. A smart strategy to do with this is follow the player’s round. If you are confident in their success on Par 4s for example, then bet on them to birdie a hole until it succeeds.
This is not always possible, but if you are getting 5/1 odds on each hole, then all you really need is one birdie every 6 Par-4 holes to get paid. And once you get paid, you can immediately walk away with a profit. It is also important to consider a player’s tendencies, past success at a course and their form. Golf is a game of rhythm, if a player has been playing poorly, it can take them a fair bit of time to snap out of their funk and return to their normal selves.
Rules and Regulations
- Bets will stand as soon as they tee off the first hole.
- A dead heat refers to ties in golf, such as the top 5 or top 10. or other markets like 3-ball matchups and first-round leaders. If multiple players tie for 10th, you won't receive the full payout for a Top 10 bet at most sportsbooks.
- Tournament Futures Winner - All futures bets are based on the outright winner of the tournament, whether it’s a team or individual event. Results of potential playoffs are also taken into account. All bets stand except for those placed on participants not competing in the first round. If there is a change to the number of rounds played in a competition, all wagers will stand on futures bets if 36 holes have been completed. Bets will be deemed void if less than 36 holes have been completed (for futures wagers).
