Tiger Woods has won four PGA Championships, but has not won a major since 2007.
After leading on the final day of The Open at Carnoustie before finishing in 6th place, Tiger Woods has the fourth-best odds to win the PGA Championship — the season’s final major. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook installed Tiger Woods with 16-1 odds to win the PGA, which takes place at Bellerive Golf Couse in Town and Country, Missouri on August 9 through August 12.
The three co-favorites to win the PGA Championship at 12-1 odds are Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, and Rory McIlroy. Next are Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, who are tied with Tiger Woods at 16-1 odds.
It is one of the shocks of the 2018 sports world that Tiger Woods seriously competed for a major title. The remaining players on the Westgate SuperBook’s top odds are players in the prime of their careers, who sit at the top of the PGA’s world rankings.
PGA World Rankings
Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings, while Spieth, Fowler, and McIlroy sit at 6-7-8 on the leaderboard. Tiger Woods sits at No. 50 on the same list as of July 22.
Even 11 years after his last major, Tiger Woods creates buzz when he challenges at a major tournament — or any PGA event. Throughout the weekend, sports news stories suggested Tiger Woods might win his 15th major pro golf tournament. His 14 majors put him second behind only Jack Nicklaus (18) for most all-time.
At a time, it was considered all-but-certain that Tiger Woods would break Nicklaus’s record, as he collected the first 14 majors by the age of 31. Now that he is 42, the pursuit of Jack’s record is a distant possibility.
Tiger Woods PGA Career
Tiger Woods had two multi-year stretches were he was No. 1 on the PGA world rankings: 264 weeks from August 1999 to September 2004 and 281 weeks from June 2005 to October 2010. Even though he had not won a major in a couple of years in 2009, Woods still sat atop the yearly leaderboard at the time he separated from his wife in 2009. He would take a break from professional golf until the 2010 season.
For the next several years, golf fans and pundits wondered when Tiger Woods would return to form. Though people see 2009-2010 as the years that changed the trajectory of Tiger Woods’ career, the years 2014 to 2017 were pivotal, as well. Woods underwent 4 back surgeries during that time, ending any hope that he might become a dominant force on the PGA Tour.
Woods Return to Prominence?
Much of the time, the question was whether Tiger Woods would be competitive with the top ranks of the PGA Tour again. At an age where the greats might win one more major, it is remarkable when Tiger Woods is seen on the leaderboard on the weekend at a major. The Open, played this year at the historic Carnoustie Golf Links, might have been Woods’ best chance to win another major.
Carnoustie is infamously named “Car-Nasty” by American players, because of the difficulties it presents — especially in bad weather. Many consider the course to be the hardest of all courses on the (British) Open rotation. At times, such as course can be an equalizer, as it rewards the players with the toughest mindset.
Tiger Woods’ Chances at 2018 PGA
Bettors might not get ahead of themselves in betting Tiger Woods at the 2018 PGA Champsionhip. While an all-time great, Tiger Woods is now a mere mortal pro golfer, with an inconsistent pattern in major championship events.
The PGA Championship is only two weeks away. While that might be a blessing if Woods’ game is on, Tiger Woods never played that many tournaments even in his prime and such a quick turnaround could hurt his preparations for the event.
Betting odds do not reflect a bookmaker‘s opinion on a sports competitors’ real chances of winning a game or event. The odds reflect what the bookmaker thinks what the betting public’s chances of winning are. Though Tiger Woods is ranked among the top golfers of the moment in terms of odds by the Westgate SuperBook, that is more a reflection of what the sportsbook thinks sports bettors’ wagering patterns will be.
Given hope he can do it, many sports bettors will wager on the possibility that Tiger Woods has one more great victory in his game. Given the excitement seen at the Open this weekend, one cannot blame them — but the better odds favor the players in the top ten of the world rankings.
