In 2021, a new professional golf organization, LIV Golf, was founded with the use of Saudi wealth fund money. This connection to the Saudis was enough for the PGA Tour to prohibit LIV Golf players from participating in their events.
This has led to an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA filed by LIV Golf and some of its players, with a scheduled start date at some point in 2024.
Eight days ago, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf announced that they were partnering up going forth, much to the surprise of many PGA Golfers who had agreed with the opposition to the Saudi-backed organization.
Bovada Sportsbook, a respected 18-friendly sports betting site, posted a couple of LIV-PGA-related prop bets regarding the merger. This initial prop is taking action on who will be the first LIV-contracted golfer to win an event after the merger.
First LIV Player To Win On New Combined Tour
- Brooks Koepka +600
- Cameron Smith +800
- Bryson DeChambeau +1200
- Dustin Johnson +1000
- Patrick Reed +1800
- Mito Pereira +1800
- Joaquin Niemann +1800
- Talor Gooch +1800
- Charles Howell III +2000
- Harold Varner III +2500
- Peter Uihlein +2500
- Sergio Gracia +2500
- Any Other EVEN
Brooks Koepka leads the odds for listed players, but there is even money being offered on any other LIV golfer winning first. While the above prop does not indicate Brooks will win the first combined event, his odds will cash out at 6-to-1 if he does.
Incidentally, Koepka is currently ranked second in the overall US Open futures odds with 11-to-1 payouts on the boards.
2023 US Open Odds To Win
- Scottie Scheffler +650
- Brooks Koepka +1100
- Jon Rahm +1100
- Rory McIlroy +1600
- Viktor Hovland +1600
- Patrick Cantlay +1800
- Xander Schauffele +1800
- Jordan Spieth +2500
- Max Homa +2500
- Cameron Smith +2800
- Collin Morikawa +3500
- Tyrrell Hatton +3500
The next golf prop is actually a collection of mutually exclusive PGA-LIV merger specials where wagers can be placed on any outcome. Bets are not impacted by other specials included.
LIV/PGA Merger Specials
- LIV Player To Win 1st Combined Tour Event +400
- PGA Player To Win 1st Combined Tour Event -650
- Any PGA Player To Boycott Any Upcoming PGA Events +175
- Rory McIlroy Or Tiger Woods To Leave The PGA Tour +2000
- A Fight To Break Out Between Players At 1st Combined Tour Event +5000
- Jay Monahan To Step Down As Combined Tour CEO By End Of 2023 +250
- Team Event To Be Introduced In The PGA Before 2024 +750
- Any PGA Player To Boycott The US Open +2500
50-to-1 payouts are being offered if a fight occurs between any two players, regardless of which pro golf tour they’re affiliated with. 25x payouts can be won by betting on a PGA Player boycotting the US Open because of the LIV merger.
Regardless of what happens, the opening swing of the 2023 US Open’s first round will occur tomorrow at 1 PM. Television coverage is provided by USA from 1 to 8 PM, with NBC taking over from 8 until 11.
Sources – New York Times | Bovada Sportsbook