Who will win the PGA Championship in 2021? Odds, betting favorites, expert picks & more to know

Rory McIlroy won once already in May. Can he do it again? Betting odds for the 2021 PGA Championship say that he has a good chance to do just that.

The 32-year-old has emerged with a win in the PGA Championship twice, in 2012 and 2014, but since that ’14 victory, McIlroy hasn’t been able to take home a major title. He has four to his name in total and has been in the running for several others.

This year, he’ll look to get back in the winner’s circle and will head into the major with some momentum. He’s fresh off a one-stroke win at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., which he participated in from May 6-9.

That said, McIlroy certainly isn’t a lock to with this major. He’ll be playing against some of the PGA Tour’s best players, and some other upset-minded golfers stand a good chance of knocking him out of the No. 1 spot on the PGA Championship leaderboard.

Here’s everything you need to know to bet on the 2021 PGA Championship, including the latest tournament odds.

PGA Championship odds 2021

Rory McIlroy (+1100) is the favorite to win the 2021 PGA Championship, according to odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. That means a $100 bet on McIlroy would include a $1,100 payout.

Jon Rahm (+1500), Justin Thomas (+1600), Dustin Johnson (+1800) and Jordan Spieth (+1800) round out the top five on FanDuel’s odds list.

PGA Championship expert picks

This year’s PGA Championship is being played at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. The course will play at 7,876 yards, making it the longest of any major course. That’s certainly something considering that there have been 456 majors played.

Because of the course’s length, the game’s long hitters are the safest bets to produce this week. That will make Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau very attractive bets.

DeChambeau has averaged a PGA-leading 322 yards per drive so far this season. His driving accuracy hasn’t been great — he ranks 172nd out of 215 qualified golfers — but the fact is that he can outhit the rest of the field and shorten the course. If he can play closer to average with his accuracy, he’ll have a chance to win.

As for McIlroy, he’s in a similar boat to DeChambeau. He’s averaging 318 yards per drive this year, second on the PGA Tour, but his driver accuracy ranks 175th on the tour. Still, McIlroy is coming off a win in his last event and he did win the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island back in 2012 by a margin of eight strokes. So, trusting him here, even as the favorite, is a worthwhile consideration.

If you’re looking for a longer shot with a chance to win, Scottie Scheffler (+4800) could be a nice sleeper pick. Scheffler is tied for 33rd in yards per drive at 304.6, but unlike most of the other big hitters, he has a top-25 ranking in terms of driving accuracy. That puts him at 13th on the tour in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, within striking distance of the top-ranked DeChambeau and fifth-ranked McIlroy. That could position him to reach the green, avoid trouble and fight for a spot atop the leaderboard.

Scheffler finished 18th in the Masters, so the 24-year-old at least has a shot at competing in this major as an underdog.

PGA Championship winners by year

Collin Morikawa won the PGA Championship last year in just his second start in a major tournament. In winning, the 23-year-old became the third-youngest golfer to win the major since it became a stroke-play event back in 1958. Only McIlroy and Jack Nicklaus were younger than Morikawa when they took home the title.

Speaking of Nicklaus, his five PGA Championships are the most among golfers all-time. Tiger Woods has won four times during his illustrious career but won’t be participating in this year’s tournament after suffering injuries in a car crash on Feb. 23.

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