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PGA Championship Round 1 3-ball bets

By Iain MacMillan

May 17, 2023; Rochester, New York, USA; Patrons watch from the 13th green during a practice round of
May 17, 2023; Rochester, New York, USA; Patrons watch from the 13th green during a practice round of / Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
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The PGA Championship is set to tee-off tomorrow morning, so it's time to place any last second bets.

I'm sure by now you've placed your full tournament outright bets, and if you haven't you can find my favorites here.

In this article, we're going to focus on 3-ball bets for just the first round. If you aren't familiar, 3-ball bets are wagers on a golfer to finish with the lowest score in the group he's playing in for that specific day. For example, if Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas are all playing together in a threesome on Thursday, you can bet on McIlroy to finish with the best score of the three. If he does, you win your bet.

I have three 3-ball bets that I'm on for the opening round. Let's jump into them.

PGA Championship Round 1 3-ball bets

  • Collin Morikawa +210 vs. McIlroy/Thomas
  • Stephan Jaeger +175 vs. Kim/Lahiri
  • Adam Scott +250 vs. Finau/Homa

Collin Morikawa +210 vs. McIlroy/Thomas

I have no faith in either Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas this week.

McIlroy has missed the cut twice in his last four starts, including at both The Players and The Masters. His last start at the Wells Fargo Championship was also unimpressive, finish T47. Meanwhile, JT hasn't finished better than 9th since the WM Phoenix Open back in February.

Collin Morikawa's ball striking is as good as it's ever been, ranking fourth in strokes gained: approach. With that being said, his putting has been as bad as ever, but he seems to always step up with his flat stick at Majors.

Stephan Jaeger +175 vs. Kim/Lahiri

Stephan Jaeger was a last minute addition to the PGA Championship field, but don't underestimate him. He's been hot lately, finishing T18 at the Mexico Open and T11 at last week's AT&T Byron Nelson.

He's also one of the best drivers of the golf ball on Tour. Just last week, he averaged 15 yards further off the tee than the field average, while also hitting 12% more fairways.

Si Woo Kim has also been great lately, but I don't trust him at a course that required distance off the tee. He's just 130th on Tour in driving distance, which could cost him at Oak Hill.

Anirban Lahiri should be a non-factor in this group. He's 153rd in approach and 150th in putting, a recipe for disaster at a Major.

Adam Scott +250 vs. Finau/Homa

Want to talk about hot golfers? How about Adam Scott? He finished T5 and T8 the past two weeks and he's 23rd in driving distance this season. His approach play has abandoned him at times, but he gained +1.32 strokes on the field with his irons at the Wells Fargo Championship just two weeks ago.

Getting him at +250 to beat two golfers in Round 1 who have historically struggled at Major tournaments? Yes please.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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