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Rory McIlroy features in a number of betting markets

The 5 Most Profitable Golf Betting Markets Explored

Golf betting is a growing market, with recent research showing that:

  • 7% of young American adults have bet on golf (Statista, 2022)
  • 9% of British people have bet on golf competitions like The Masters and The Ryder Cup (YouGov, 2020)

People are betting on golf for a number of reasons. Primarily, because it’s fun. On top of this, there’s also the profitability factor, which is something that appeals to a lot of today’s bettors. If you tap into the right markets and place bets with high profit potential, it’s more than possible to walk away while in the green zone, but you need to start by knowing which specific golf betting markets are most profitable.

⛳️ The Most Profitable Golf Betting Markets: Ranked

To provide you with the help you need, the team of betting experts at BettingTools have analyzed the most profitable golf betting markets to provide you with all the relevant information, whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who’s been betting on golf for over a decade.

1.   Accumulator

If you can get it right, the most profitable type of golf bet is the accumulator. This type of bet is when you combine multiple different wagers (“legs”) into one single bet. The more legs you add, the higher the odds go. And because the odds are higher, it means the overall payout is much bigger than a regular bet.

Here’s are two examples of accumulator bets you could place for The Masters in 2025:

Accumulator 1

✅ Scottie Scheffler (5/1) US Masters Winner

✅ Rory McIlroy (14/5) Top 5 Finish

✅ Jon Rahm (3/1) Top 5 Finish

Here, we have 3 legs. When combined together, the final payout from a £10 bet would be £912. Obviously, this is an example of a golf accumulator with huge profit potential, but it’s also worth remembering that the odds of this particular accumulator being successful aren’t that high.

Accumulator 2

✅ Rory McIlroy (7/5) Top 10 Finish

✅ Collin Morikawa (17/10) Top 10 Finish

✅ Bryson DeChambeau (5/2) Top 10 Finish

This second accumulator is much more realistic, offering a payout of £226.80 from a standard £10 bet. This is because the events you’re betting on — such as Rory Mcllroy finishing inside the top 10 — have a higher likelihood of happening. Remember, though, that every leg of your accumulator has to be successful for it to payout. Even if one leg fails and all of the others are winners, it means that the entire accumulator is classed as a loss, which is why it’s so important to choose your individual legs wisely.

2.   Tournament Winner

The next type of golf betting market you might want to try is the tournament winner. As the name of the bet suggests, this is a simple wager on which player you think will win a specific tournament (e.g. The US Open). If we flashback to a little earlier this year, you’ll remember there was the 2024 Open Championship, which was won by Xander Schauffele at the Royal Troon Golf Club. Heading into the tournament, Xander Schauffele had 3/1 odds with most sportsbooks, meaning a £10 bet would have net you profit of £30. Generally, if you’re planning to bet on who you think will be a tournament winner, you should look for odds that are no higher than 5/1, as this will ensure that you always have a realistic chance of the bet being a winner.

3.   Top 10 Finish

Top 10 finish bets often have a nice selection of what you would call ‘safe bets’. The odds are good and there’s usually a strong chance of the bet being a winner if you choose an in-form player, which is why this type of bet is a great starting point for beginners. For instance, Rory Mcllroy is currently listed with 5/4 odds for a top 10 finish at the 2025 US Open, so lots of people have already started placing futures on this to happen. Or, if you’re feeling brave, you can even bet on lower-ranked players to make a top 10 finish, such as Corey Conners at 25/4.

4.   Winner Nationality

Another fun (yet highly profitable) type of golf bet is the winner’s nationality. Yes, it’s true: you can bet on which nationality you think the winner of a golf tournament will be, whether it’s The Masters or The PGA Championship. Of course, one of the most popular types of nationalities to bet on is American, as golfers from the US tend to win the most tournaments. Other popular nationalities to bet on also include England and Scotland, which you might also want to consider.

5.   Head-to-Head

Lastly, there’s the head-to-head bet. This type of bet involves betting on which of two golfers will perform better in a specific round. For example, if Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy are paired together in the opening round of the PGA Championship, you can place a simple bet on who you think the winner will be — easy. Generally, it’s recommended you bet on the favorite of the two to be on the safer side, although it is golf, so surprises can always happen.ns

How (and Where) to Bet on Golf

If any of these profitable golf betting markets appeal to you, the good news is that you can get started pretty much straight away. To do this, all you have to do is join an officially licensed sportsbook, with some of the most popular options in the UK including Bet365, Sky Bet, and William Hill. From there, navigate to your chosen site’s golf section and choose the golf events you want to bet on. You can place futures on upcoming tournaments (e.g. the US Open) or wait until the tournaments actually start so that you can place live bets while individual rounds are taking place. When it comes to live betting, odds are constantly changing, which usually opens up some good profit opportunities if you strike at the right time.

Which Golf Tournaments Can You Bet On?

You can bet on almost every major golf tournament, including all the events from the PGA Tour. Plus, you also have LIV Golf that you can bet on, too, which is a trend that’s been slowly growing in popularity since 2021. Naturally, odds for tournaments vary from site to site, so it’s always worth doing an odds comparison before you place any particularly large wagers.

Summary

Golf betting is the place to be, whether you’re a die-hard follower of the PGA Tour or someone who simply wants a sport that offers good profit opportunities. When you get started, it’s recommended you pick from the five betting markets specifically discussed in this guide, as those are the markets that have the best overall value, especially when sportsbooks implement odds boosts, too. Whether you build a US Open accumulator or bet on who you think will win next year’s PGA Championship, have fun and play responsibly.