
2025 PGA Championship picks: Top long shots, sleepers to bet
2025 PGA Championship picks: Top long shots, sleepers to bet
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Wyndham Clark on magic of Augusta and studying Tiger Woods' approach
Wyndham Clark joins Sports Seriously to talk about the Masters and how he's studied Tiger Woods' success there over the years.
The second major championship of the 2025 golf season, the PGA Championship, is right around the corner.
The early betting favorites are the usual suspects — World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Masters champion Rory McIlroy and LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau.
But what about the long shots and sleeper picks?
Could someone rise from the back of the betting pack, shoot four stellar rounds and overcome the big guns to hoist the Wannamaker Trophy? It's been done before, perhaps most famously by John Daly in 1991.
Here's a breakdown of eight golfers who seem to be popular picks heading into Thursday's opening round at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.
PGA Championship 2025: Top long shots, sleepers to bet
BetMGM odds as of May 13
Shane Lowry (+4500)
Sports Betting Dime: "Lowry has four top-eight results in his last nine starts, including multiple second-place finishes. He ranks seventh in strokes gained (on) approach and eighth in strokes gained tee-to-green over the last 24 rounds, and has performed very well at this tournament in the past. Lowry has two top-six finishes in his last four PGA Championship appearances, along with a T-12 result. (H)e's also a strong long iron player, ranking 25th in proximity from 175-200 yards over the last 24 rounds."
Tyrrell Hatton (+4500)
CBS Sports: "Hatton missed the cut at the 2017 PGA Championship but he's since experienced success at Quail Hollow, finishing T-3 at the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship there. The 33-year-old Englishman was T-14 at the Masters last month and also scored a win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January on the DP World Tour. He's been top 25 in eight of his nine starts around the world this season and he ranks second on his tour this season by hitting 73.81% of greens in regulation."
Patrick Reed (+6000)
Sportsbook Wire: "Reed was the runner-up at the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, finishing 2 shots behind Justin Thomas. He came in eighth at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship here and sixth in 2021, so that makes three top-10 finishes in his last four starts at this course."
Russell Henley (+6600)
Adam Christensen, Golf.com: "There are not many golfers on Earth who have played more consistently than Russell Henley this year. The main concern in picking Henley is his lack of distance at a course that will favor the heavy hitters, but he has been so accurate this year that maybe he can overcome that. If he has a great week putting and chipping, he could steal a championship."
Min Woo Lee (+9000)
Sportsbook Wire: "Lee has the distance to contend at a course like Quail Hollow and he now has his first PGA Tour win under his belt after winning in Houston earlier this season. It hurts his chances that he hasn't played Quail Hollow before in an official PGA Tour event, but he's still a decent value."
BetSperts: "Min Woo Lee is still struggling to be a consistent performer on the PGA Tour, but it's difficult to argue that many golfers in this field, especially those priced at 100-1 or longer, can compete with Min Woo's upside. Over the past two years, only Bryson DeChambeau averages more carry distance off the tee than the 26-year-old Aussie, and that was on full display back in March when he held off a late-charging Scottie Scheffler to win at the Texas Children's Houston Open."
Wyndham Clark (+10000)
Sportsbook Wire: "It wasn't long ago that Clark won the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship at this course. He's a long driver of the ball and though he's been up and down all year, his length could keep him in the mix this week."
BetSperts: "Not only has he recently won a major championship at 100-1-plus odds, but Clark won here at Quail Hollow just a month before his 2023 U.S. Open victory at Los Angeles Country Club. Clark also meets the carry distance and putting prerequisites I'm looking for. Clark ranks ninth in this week's field in average carry distance over the past two years, and while he's an above-average putter across the board, Clark has performed best on Poa trivialis greens, which is what the players will see this week at Quail Hollow."
Keith Mitchell (+10000)
Covers.com: "Mitchell has finished inside the top 18 in all six outings, including a runner-up performance at the Corales Puntacana Championship. While some of those tournaments featured weaker fields compared to the star-studded PGA, Mitchell has proven he can contend with the world's best. Not only did he finish tied for 20th at last year's U.S. Open, but he also placed T-3 at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship ... at Quail Hollow Club, which hosts this week's PGA Championship."
Sportsbook Wire: "Mitchell was in contention (again) at the Truist Championship last week, holding the 18-hole lead for the third time this season. He finished in the top 10 at Quail Hollow in 2019 and 2021 when he played the Wells Fargo Championship, making the cut in each of his last four appearances here."
Max Homa (+12500)
BetSperts: "Quail Hollow is where he got his first PGA Tour win back in 2019, and he's finished T-8 here in each of the past two seasons despite entering with less-than-stellar form. He's flashed more consistency with his irons as well, gaining nearly a full stroke per round in back-to-back starts in April at Augusta National and Harbour Town."
Jessica Marksbury, Golf.com: "The man's had an admittedly tough season thus far, but his bright spot to date was the Masters, where he finished T-12. That gives me some hope for his performance this week, at a course where he's played well in the past, winning the Wells Fargo Championship in 2019 and finishing T-8 the past two years. If any track can help extricate Homa from the funk he's currently in, it's this one."
PGA Championship 2025 latest odds
BetMGM odds as of May 13
Scottie Scheffler (+500)
Rory McIlroy (+500)
Bryson DeChambeau (+800)
Justin Thomas (+1800)
Jon Rahm (+2000)
Xander Schauffele (+2000)
Collin Morikawa (+2200)
Ludvig Aberg (+2500)
Joaquin Niemann (+3300)
Patrick Cantlay (+3300)
Tommy Fleetwood (+3300)
Where to watch PGA Championship 2025: TV and live streaming schedule
The 2025 PGA Championship will be broadcast by ESPN during the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, with ESPN and CBS slated to televise the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday. ESPN+ and Fubo will have streaming coverage of all four rounds at the PGA Championship, while viewers can stream the action on Paramount+ during the weekend coverage.
First Round: Thursday, May 15
(All times Eastern)
6 a.m.-11 a.m. on ESPN+
11 a.m.-6 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN+ and Fubo
Second Round: Friday, May 16
6 a.m.-11 a.m. on ESPN+
11 a.m.-6 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN+ and Fubo
Third Round: Saturday, May 17
7-9 a.m. on ESPN+
9 a.m.-noon on ESPN, ESPN+ and Fubo
Noon-7 p.m. on CBS, Paramount+, ESPN+ and Fubo
Final Round: Sunday, May 18
7-9 a.m. on ESPN+
9 a.m.-noon on ESPN, ESPN+ and Fubo
Noon-7 p.m. on CBS, Paramount+, ESPN+ and Fubo
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
US Open Makes Major Last-Minute Change to Help Golfers
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The third major of the season is already here, and it's time for the toughest test in golf at the U.S. Open. Oakmont Country Club is the host for the 2025 edition of the pride and joy of the USGA, and much has been made of the difficulty of the course leading in. Even dating back months, the rough at Oakmont has been going viral for being extremely deep and difficult. As U.S. Open week kicked off on Monday, videos surfaced of the rough completely engulfing golf balls at the Pennsylvania course. However, the USGA decided to give the players some relief in the afternoon. We'll see if this army of lawn mowers makes a difference 😅 — Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) June 9, 2025 Jhonattan Vegas, the 36-hole leader at last month's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, sarcastically chimed in after mowers trimmed the rough just a hair. "Good news guys, they are cutting the rough but, it's still unplayable. Have fun," Vegas warned on X. Unfortunately for the players, it doesn't appear as if the lawnmowers made that much of a difference. Players were struggling to chip the ball to the green from the greenside rough all afternoon. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 09: Tyrrell Hatton of the United States plays a shot on the first hole during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 09,... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 09: Tyrrell Hatton of the United States plays a shot on the first hole during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 09, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. More Photo byIt's still early in the week, and plenty can change between now and Thursday when the tournament gets going. However, if the Monday conditions are any indication, it's going to be carnage for even the best of the best all weekend long. It feels like a distinct possibility that the winning score on Sunday evening could be over par, especially if the rough remains this thick for the entirety of the tournament. Practice from the rough this week is essential 😳#USOpen — DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 9, 2025 It does not help that the greens are expected to be lightning quick. Oakmont last hosted the U.S. Open back in 2016, when Dustin Johnson won the title with a score of 4-under par. If someone can hit a similar number this week, they very well would find themselves in the winner's circle. More Golf: LIV Golf: 5 Players with Best Chance at US Open from Oakmont
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Open preview - Golf's toughest test awaits at Oakmont
Yahoo Sports senior writer Jay Busbee previews this week's major outside Pittsburgh - which will host the event for a tenth time on a track known as one of America's most difficult golf courses. View more Video Transcript Hide your scorecards, my friends, because the US Open is back and the toughest tournament in golf this year is being played at one of the toughest courses in the country. Advertisement That would be Oakmont, the old classic. It's been around since 1904. It's hosted now 10 US Opens, more than any other course in the United States, and it's going to be an incredible challenge for today's golfers for a number of reasons, starting with the rough, as much as 5 inches deep in some places, the famous. Church Pew and piano keys, bunkers, cinematic and also devastating to your score if you happen to end up in them. And then the greens, which are so slick, that Sam Snead once said he put a dime down to mark his ball and it slid off the edge of the green. Now who can handle this kind of course? Advertisement Well, Scotty Scheffer, of course, he's already got 3 majors. He might well win 2 more before the year is out. He's not quite at Scotty versus the field level, but he's very, very close, right behind. Hi. You've got Rory McIlroy, understandably a bit out of form since his emotional win at Augusta back in April. He missed the cut last week at the RBC Canadian. That's a bit of a concern for him and for anybody else who's looking to watch him win his second major. A little further down, you've got John Rohm playing very well on Liv. That's kind of damning with faint praise because while he's been able to hold leads, he hasn't been able to keep leads over the course of the last Few months, most notably last last month at Quail Hollow in the PGA Championship when he let it get away from him late. Advertisement Then of course there's Bryson DeShambo, Rohm's mate over at Liv Golf, playing very well in most phases of the game, always in competition in majors lately, but his iron play is a bit suspect, and you're going to need to be accurate off the tee if you're going to win at Oakmont. He should be in the mix, but will he be holding up the trophy at the end of it? To be determined. Now, in terms of a sleeper, a guy you might want to look at is someone who's had some strong iron play, that would be Terrell Hatton. He's never won a major, but he has made the cut in 13 of the last 14 majors that he's played, and he's extremely accurate with his irons. Advertisement Plus, the side benefit of that is that he would be the first golfer whose celebration speech at the end would be an FCC violation. We will be live all week from Oakmont. Join us at Yahoo Sports. I am Jay Busby. We will see you from the US Open.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Patience and discipline needed for US Open at difficult Oakmont
World number one Scottie Scheffler of the United States walks to the 18th green at Oakmont during a practice round ahead of the 125th US Open (ANDY LYONS) Oakmont's fiendish layout provided a rain-softened preview Monday of what the world's top golfers will face when the 125th US Open starts Thursday. Thick rough was damp and dense for the first official practice round while greens and fairways were far more receptive than they are expected to be when the major billed as the toughest test in golf gets under way. Advertisement "It requires patience and discipline," fifth-ranked Justin Thomas said. "If you just get lazy, like on any drive, any wedge shot, any chip, any putt, you can kind of look stupid pretty fast, especially at a place like this. "It's a great week to be in a great place mentally and very patient and picking our spots out there." Third-ranked Xander Schauffele, last year's British Open and PGA Championship winner, says golf fans enjoy seeing mighty players humbled. "I don't think people turn the TV on to watch some of the guys just hit like a 200-yard shot on the green," Schauffele said. "I think they turn on the US Open to see a guy shooting eight-over and suffer. That's part of the enjoyment." Advertisement Oakmont offers risk-reward challenges seeking to tempt players into mistakes. "It's challenging myself to try and hit every fairway, every green, to try and be disciplined like through and through," Schauffele said. "There's going to be a point where you lay up into a bad spot, and it goes to laying up again from that layup spot. If you have a decent lie, you might try to take some risk, and that's part of the fun." Schauffele sees it as a perfect set-up for world number one Scottie Scheffler, who has won three times since the start of May, including his third major crown at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Advertisement "Take Scottie Scheffler," Schauffele said. "He's in the middle of every fairway. It takes a serious amount of discipline to play away from pins and hit really good shots to safe targets and that's what it takes to play well at US Opens." World number two Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters in April to complete a career Grand Slam, might be one who can risk using driver often. "You drive it like he does, I would pull that driver out as often as I can," Thomas said. "He hits it further and straighter than maybe anybody that has played the game." Thomas, a former world number one, says he would like to challenge for the top again, if Scheffler would only stumble. Advertisement "Guys are playing unbelievable, like Xander did last year, like Rory is this year, but it's just that Scottie is also doing that. You can't really catch that if he keeps doing what he's doing," Thomas said. "He doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down." - 'Licking your chops' - Oakmont isn't done with forcing difficult choices upon players once they punch out of the rough. "The way Oakmont plays is you can sort of hack something, if you're courageous enough, and if you get the correct line and a couple of bounces, you could turn what would be a nightmare into a decent situation," Schauffele said. Advertisement "It just puts an emphasis on hitting the fairway and hitting greens. If you're a premier ball striker, you'll be licking your chops. If you're in the rough, it's very lie dependent." Thomas said practice can only tell a player so much. "It's very helpful, but if I'm not hitting it where I want and controlling the ball like I want, it doesn't really matter if I've hit shots around the green or not," said Thomas. "I'm going to struggle if I'm not hitting it well." js/rcw