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PGA Championship 2023: 5 dark horses who could win the Wanamaker Trophy

By Cody Williams

TULSA, OKLAHOMA - MAY 22: Justin Thomas of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 22, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - MAY 22: Justin Thomas of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 22, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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PGA Championship sleepers dark horses, Adam Scott
Adam Scott, PGA Championship. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) /

Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are heavy favorites at Oak Hill, but which 2023 PGA Championship sleepers could stun us and win the Wanamaker Trophy?

The favorites to win the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club shouldn’t shock a single soul who has been watching golf over the past year. Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are both installed as favorites, each with +750 odds to win. Behind them is a familiar cast that includes Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas and more.

Thomas, of course, is the defending champion at this major championship, winning the PGA Championship a year ago at Southern Hills. Entering that tournament, he was one of the favorites with the fourth-best odds entering the week. But PGA Championship sleepers have been live in recent years.

Prior to Thomas’ win, it was Phil Mickelson who won at Kiawah in 2021 at 50 years old, entering the tournament with 300/1 odds. The year before that, Collin Morikawa broke onto the major scene to win at TPC Harding Park after entering with +3500 odds, but he felt like more of a dark horse than that.

So as we head to Oak Hill, a long Par-70 where long-hitting, positional golf will be key and where we previously saw more PGA Championship sleepers pop up and hoist the Wanamaker Trophy in Jason Dufner and Shaun Micheel, who are the dark horses that are live to contend and possibly win? We have five players who fit the bill.

Note: All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. For more betting content, check out BetSided.

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5. Adam Scott (+7500)

A week ago at TPC Craig Ranch, admittedly an entirely different golf course than the one they’ll be playing at Oak Hill, Adam Scott appeared to be trending perfectly for the second major of the year as he finished strong on Sunday to come in at T8, which followed up a T5 at the Wells Fargo.

The one thing that worries me about Scott this week is his overall approach numbers have been somewhat pedestrian over the last 12 rounds gaining just 0.13 weighted strokes. But they have been trending up in the last two starts and, more importantly, he ranks eighth on the PGA Tour in proximity on approaches from 200+ yards away, a key metric on the long Par-70 course, and has been lethal with his short game recently.

Scott has missed the cut in the PGA Championship the last two years but this course fit and his recent form make this number way too long. So if we’re talking about dark horses, this has to be one of them at these odds.

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