The Loop
Happy New Year! Here are some fun golf prop bets for 2017
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For golf fans, a new year means endless possibilities for what can transpire in between the ropes this season. Will Jason Day hold onto the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking? Can Phil Mickelson end his winless drought? Is it time for Hideki Matsuyama to win a major championship?
On Jan. 1, it's way too early to know the answers to these questions. But it's not too early to bet on any of these outcomes.
BookMaker Sportsbook released a slew of prop bets for the new year, and even if you're not thinking of placing a wager, they're still fun to look at. Let's start with the three items mentioned above.
Jason Day is +300 (You wager $100 to win $300) to be ranked No. 1 at the end of 2017. No. 2 Rory McIlroy is actually the favorite (+200), and No. 3 and reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year Dustin Johnson has the third-best odds at +400.
According to BookMaker, odds are that Mickelson's winless drought (his last PGA Tour title came at the 2013 British Open) will continue. Mickelson underwent two hernia surgeries this offseason, but he's committed to play at the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of January. He's +400 to win a tour event in 2017 and -500 (You wager $500 to win $100) not to win.
Hideki Matsuyama's odds to win a major are a little longer, but they're still pretty good. The Japanese star, who won four of his last five starts in 2016, is listed at +1000 (10/1) to win one of golf's four biggest events.
Other interesting prop bets? Will Jason Day withdraw from a tournament and will Patrick Reed finally get a top 10 at a major? Both seem like locks, but you're actually getting favorable odds. The Day prop is +120 and the Reed bet is +155. That sounds pretty tempting after watching Reed dominate at the Ryder Cup. . .
And speaking of the Ryder Cup, you can bet on who will be the U.S. captain. Jim Furyk is a heavy favorite at -110, with Davis Love III (+250), Fred Couples (+300) and Tiger Woods (+800) next on the list. Interesting. . .
But again, these odds are more for show. Unless, of course, you made "gamble more" as one of your New Year's resolutions.