Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler have spent the better part of the past six months jockeying for the No. 1 world ranking.
So, it stands to reason they are popular favorites to kick off PGA Championship week.
Rahm currently holds the No. 1 spot in the world and was the co-favorite with Scheffler at +750 at BetMGM early Monday. Rahm’s odds lengthened slightly to +800 by the afternoon, but they remain the clear top two popular choices with the public.
Rahm leads the field with 8.4 percent of the total outright winner bets, with Scheffler close behind at 7.5 percent. Meanwhile, Scheffler has drawn 9.6 percent of the total money, ahead of Rahm at 7.2 percent.
DraftKings is offering the same odds, with Scheffler at +750, Rahm at +800 and Rory McIlroy the next-closest at +1400.
However, neither Scheffler nor Rahm is the current biggest liability at BetMGM. That distinction goes to Cameron Young, a rising star who has yet to win a PGA Tour event. He has drawn 5.5 and 7.3 percent of the action, respectively, as Young’s odds have shortened from +4000 to +3300.
Young, who enters the week ranked 15th in the world, owns a slew of runner-up finishes — including last year’s Open Championship and this year’s Match Play event.
BetMGM’s second biggest liability is Phil Mickelson. The 52-year-old won the PGA Championship two years ago, but offers +15000 longshot odds to begin this week. “Lefty,” who opened at +20000, has drawn 3.6 percent of the money.
The third biggest liability as of Monday is Brooks Koepka. He has earned two of his four major titles at the PGA, and Koepka’s odds have shortened from +3300 to +2200 while being backed by 5.9 percent of the total bets and 6.3 percent of the money.
Another popular LIV Golf player is Dustin Johnson, who is coming off a win in Tulsa over the weekend. He has been backed by 7.3 percent of the money at +2500.
McIlroy once again enters a major championship in a mystifying position as he attempts to break a major drought that has reached nine years.
The 34-year-old is ranked third in the world and is the reigning FedEx Cup champion. He followed that up with wins at the CJ Cup and in Dubai, and appeared to be in control at the Match Play until a late collapse in the semifinals.
McIlroy then missed the cut at the Masters and took a few weeks off to rest mentally, only to return with a T47 at the Wells Fargo.
McIlroy remains the third betting favorite at +1200 at BetMGM, where he is fourth with 5.6 percent of the total bets backing him and fifth with 6.5 percent of the money.
–Field Level Media