PGA Championship expert picks, best bets for Southern Hills

TULSA, OKLAHOMA - MAY 16: Tiger Woods of the United States looks on from the 14th green during a practice round prior to the start of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 16, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /

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Cameron Young. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /

PGA Championship best bets for this week

Cameron Young to finish Top 20 (+300)

On the whole when you look at the numbers for Cameron Young, the approach play has been good but far from great this year. Yet, he’s finished T3 and T2 in his last two starts and has reeled off multiple Top 5 finishes otherwise. He’s a popper who has been hot in his maiden PGA Tour season this year. Getting him at 3/1 to finish in the Top 20 at a course that should allow his length off the tee and strong short game to show up is a great bet from where I’m sitting.

Viktor Hovland to finish Top 10 (+280)

As the President of the Viktor Hovland fan club, this shouldn’t surprise anyone to see this make my best bets. He’s second in the field in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach over the past 40 rounds and is, without question, one of the best ball-strikers in the field. With his short game struggles around the green, I do worry about his chances to win. But his ball-striking and form indicate that he should be a good fit to finish Top 10 at a good number this week.

Harold Varner III to finish Top 20 (+375)

This season, HV3 has been playing probably the best golf of his life. That’s backed up by the fact that his last two outings were a T3 at the RBC Heritage and a T4 at the Zurich Classic team event. He’s been playing exceptional well with his approach shots and his off-the-tee game has gotten better as he’s gotten a little more in control with the driver. I like for him to ride that this week with putting himself in good spots and using a good short game to get him into the Top 20 at a great number on the betting market.

Wild Card Bet of the Week: Anirban Lahiri to finish Top 20 (+700)

This is basically a look at some long odds that I think have a chance to hit and Lahiri is a great spot for that. This is a guy who has finished in the Top 15 in three of his last four starts and has been playing quite well, gaining 1.18 strokes tee-to-green per round over the last 20 rounds and gaining 0.5 strokes per round on the green. Looking at 7/1 odds for him to keep that form feels like a nice little sprinkle for this week.

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