How To Bet On Golf * A Beginner’s Guide

Golf Introduction

Golf is one of the oldest sports, and it still remains incredibly popular to this day. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, and France, the popularity of golf is immense. These countries have some of the biggest and grandest golf courses and host some of the most-watched tournaments. With such popularity, it is no surprise that the sports betting market grows almost daily.

Standard Golf tournaments are played with 4 rounds of 18 holes each with around half the field being eliminated after the 2nd round. The winner is the player who completes all 72 holes with the lowest number of shots.

Most Popular Golf Bets

Tournament Winners

The player who wins the Golf tournament at the end of 72 holes including a playoff if required. You can also bet on the winner each way meaning you will win some money at a % of the player’s odds. If they finish near the top of the leaderboard at the end of 72 holes – the number of players paid out depends on the number of players in the field.

Winning Score

Another popular form of Golf betting is the winning score bet. In essence, the winning score lets players bet on what will be the score under or over-par when the winner is announced. It is a bit more complicated than a simple and straightforward tournament winner bet, but for more experienced bettors, it can be quite rewarding.

Leader After Each Round

Who will be heading the leaderboard after the first round of 18 holes, the 2nd round and a total of 36 holes, and/or the 3rd round and a total of 54 holes?

Best Golf Score Of Each Round

For bettors who like to place multiple bets during a Golf tournament, the best score per round bet is the way to go. As you can imagine, the goal of this particular bet is to place a wager on which of the players will have the best score in a certain round. Sometimes, experienced bettors will even go so far as to bet on what that particular score will be.

Player Matchups

As each hole is played by 2 or 3 Golf players at the same time, which of those players will have the best score in the round? Or who will win the next hole, and will there be a birdie or better (1 under par score) in the next hole?

Top Ten

The Golf player/s that finishes in the top ten at the end of the tournament.

Miss The Cut

Which player/s will be eliminated at the end of the 2nd round?

Will There Be a Playoff?

Will 2 or more Golf players be tied for first place at the end of the 4th round? If that’s the case then a play-off is needed to determine the winner.

Golf Betting Rules

Golf is another sport that can be affected by bad weather. Depending on the bookmakers you choose to bet with, the following is likely to be applicable.

If a player takes a shot from the first tee, they are determined to have entered the tournament. So even if the player retires injured, bets on that player to win will be declared as a loser.

If the weather means a Golf tournament is made shorter due to a reduced number of holes, the winner shall be determined as the player who finishes on top of the leaderboard. This will be determined at the last point where all players have completed the same number of holes.

Should a player be disqualified during or after a round for any reason, any bets on that player will be declared as a loser.

What if Golf Players Don’t Compete?

If a certain player you have placed a bet on does not compete in the game, there are several different outcomes depending on the reason. For example, if they’ve been disqualified, then the bets are counted as losers. The same is true if they get injured or retire after the tournament has started, and they have played their first shot.

However, if a player that you have placed a bet on does not enter the tournament at all, then the bet is void. Then you can either get your money back or bet on a different player.

Futures

If you bet on a player to win a tournament but they don’t enter for whatever reason, bets on that player will be declared void.

Tips & Strategy for Betting on Golf

Golf is a fun sport and you can get your money’s worth when it comes to betting. As most tournaments are played over 4 rounds and 4 days, some bets can take this amount of time to pay out, specifically the winner of a tournament or winning score.

Check the Form of Players

If you are hoping to back a player to win a tournament or shoot a certain score, it is worth checking out how they have done in their recent few tournaments. Although it is possible, it is unlikely that a player who has missed the cut in their last 4 tournaments is suddenly going to finish ahead of his competitors.

Weather Conditions are Key

Wind factors can make a big difference to how a player fares in golf as some players have much better control in windy conditions than others. A golf course isn’t a specific length either, so a course that is longer than average will favor a player that has a long drive and who can get to the green in fewer shots.

Matchups

When players partner with each other on the same holes, some might be very close and encourage each other whilst others may not get on and therefore could play with hostility. Whilst a good golf player will probably never admit to this, it can affect how they play and therefore their overall score and position in the field. It is always worth having a quick check when you know who will be partnering with who for a round and whether there is any history between the players, either positive or negative.

Know the Rules

Whilst golf is a very simple game to play, there are a lot of different markets which can get confusing if you don’t know the terminology of the game. Make sure you at least know your birdies from your bogeys before you start betting on lesser-known markets.

Always Bet Within Your Means

The one thing that unites bettors across all sports is that they should always pay close attention to their bankroll. Setting up a bankroll and having the discipline to stick to it is the most important thing you can do before you start betting. The bankroll will differ based on your income and your funds. What is important is that you never exceed the bankroll, unless you have the means to do so. After all, the goal here is to have fun and make some cash on the side. So, always bet with funds that you can afford to lose.

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