Second-Round Forecasts, Betting Odds, and Starting Times for the PGA Championship

Twitter, Facebook, Email## Quail Hollow's Unpredictable PGA Championship

Jhonny Vegas, Cam Davis, Ryan Gerard, Aaron Rai, Stephan Jaeger, Alex Smalley, Ryan Fox, Luke Donald - looks like an unfamiliar lineup of golfers after the opening round of the second major tournament of the year, does it not? Big names stumbled, while some are still within striking distance after 18 holes of the PGA Championship. The course, despite early week rains leaving fairways a tad soggy, basked in the sun on Thursday and will do so again today, which might make things a bit smoother for the golfing elite.

First-Round Leaderboard

Tee Times for Day Two

Latest Betting Odds

Our golf experts dissect the action from the first round and predict the second round. Here's a taste of their insights...

Matt Youmans

With the favorite players nowhere to be found in the Top 10, the PGA Championship leaderboard would be a bookmaker's delight if it stayed this way on Sunday. To find a star, scroll down to Scottie Scheffler, tied for 20th at 2 under. Fans were left disappointed with Rory McIlroy's performance and other big names.

Jhonny Vegas, with odds of 200-1 to lead the first-round by the Westgate SuperBook, becomes the unlikely hero of this tournament. Oddsmaker Jeff Sherman revealed that Vegas drew zero bets, so the books basically cleaned up in the first-round leader wagering pool. His pre-tournament odds were posted at 575-1 at Circa, where oddsmaker Sam Cooney mentioned that the book accepted "five small bets" on him to win.

My most promising bet at this juncture is Tyrrell Hatton, who shot a 3-under 68 and is placed ninth. This is the first time I've ever backed Hatton (55-1) in a major, but I find myself doing so this week. A few of my longer shots like Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry, and a few others aren't looking so good. Bryson DeChambeau (11-1) is still in contention, but seven shots backward from the leader.

Ludvig Aberg, priced at 22-1 at DraftKings, is a player I'd consider wagering on before the second round.

Kelley Bydlon

Several big names struggled, and the leaderboard after the first round is a surprising one, to say the least. Many golfers, including Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, expressed their displeasure with the PGA's decision not to allow "lift, clean, and place" for the first round, claiming that it resulted in muddy balls finding their way onto the fairway. Regardless of whose fault the situation is, my betting card isn't looking encouraging. I'll be on the hunt for value heading into Friday...

When it comes to matchup bets, I'll add those to our Golf Picks Page. Meanwhile, if you're considering a live outright market bet, I'd suggest jumping into the action overnight tonight. There are plenty of contenders near the top of the leaderboard that I doubt will be a problem by Sunday.

Here are a couple players I'd consider backing...

Scottie Scheffler (+330) - Given his perfect game for this event and the players he'll be leaving behind, it's not a bad idea to add him now, even at worse odds.
Bryson DeChambeau (14-1) - Still within range to challenge the leaders.
Ludvig Aberg (22-1) - Had a solid first round, and the talent he possesses, combined with where the current leaders are, makes him a worthwhile bet.

Wes Reynolds

Only 45 players managed to shoot under par during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Notable names like defending champion Xander Schauffele (+1; 45/1 in-play), Masters winner Rory McIlroy (+3; 30/1), Justin Thomas (+2; 75/1), the 2017 winner at Quail Hollow, plus Bryson DeChambeau (Even; 14/1), Hideki Matsuyama (+1; 90/1), and three-time PGA Champion Brooks Koepka (+4; 500/1) all missed the mark.

It's easy to state that Thursday's leaderboard looks more like that of a Puerto Rico Open than a major championship. Yet, it's only Day 1.

The Venezuelan Jhonny Vegas (-7; 18/1) might not be familiar to many, but he has been a four-time PGA TOUR winner. Despite his modest major performance record, he gained significantly with his short game on Thursday. Vegas ranks 130th on the TOUR for Strokes Gained: Putting and 119th for Strokes Gained: Around The Green.

Vegas is tied for second, two shots behind Australian Cam Davis (-5; 30/1), who saw a +6.4 stroke improvement on his putting - the greatest in his career - and Ryan Gerard (-5; 30/1), who showcased exceptional play from tee-to-green.

With a 2-under round of 69, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler remains the championship favorite.

LIV Golf defectors Tyrrell Hatton (-3; 16/1) and Jon Rahm (-1; 18/1) both made strong starts.

Unlike some, I'm not jumping on the Kristoffer Ventura (+2500) bandwagon just yet.

Matt Brown

If you needed a reason to question the sanity of golf, look no further than Thursday's completed first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. A leaderboard that even the most clairvoyant clairvoyant couldn't predict.

Trendy pre-tournament favorites like Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Joaquin Niemann, and Shane Lowry all struggled mightily. They're all out of contention. Scottie Scheffler, the 2023 tournament favorite, held his own, but enters Friday five strokes behind.

The course played to the advantage of the players. The five holes that historically played under par, played under par. The other thirteen...a test. I have a feeling that it will only become more demanding as it continues to dry out throughout the day tomorrow.

All of the players in the top eight gained at least 1.5 strokes putting, but only one of them was in the top 25 of strokes gained off-the-tee. You'll definitely need to putt well to win, but my guess is OTT will become more crucial starting Friday.

I've added Scottie Scheffler 'end of Round 2 Top 5' (+240) and 'End of Round 2 Top 10' (-105). While I loved the world #1 coming into this event, I'm not abandoning the wagon just yet. Expect him to go at least 4-5 under on Friday.

Betting on Tyrrell Hatton, who shot a 3-under 68 and is placed ninth, could prove promising in sports betting for the second round, given his performance. odds for Ludvig Aberg, priced at 22-1 at DraftKings, might also be worth considering as a potential bet before the second round due to his strong first-round performance and current position on the leaderboard.