Golf continues on its enforced hiatus but at this stage of a truncated season, all four Major tournaments are scheduled to be played. Dates have been shifted for the Masters and the PGA Championship but the Tour organizers will make certain that they all take place if at all possible.
With that in mind, we continue on our trail of golf specials this week by looking at some doubles that have been listed by Bovada American Sportsbook. It’s quite a simple concept: the sportsbook has picked sets of players and matched them to two of the four Majors and while they could be tough calls, there are some seriously interesting betting lines up for grabs.
According to the schedules, the PGA Championship is next on the list so we’ll start with this tournament and the man who is aiming for a historic three-peat.
Brooks and DJ
Bovada’s first offering in the Major Doubles Markets is for Brooks Koepka to win the PGA Championship and Dustin Johnson to claim the Open Championship. For clarification, the Open Championship refers to the tournament scheduled to be played at Royal St Georges in the UK. Odds for this double have been set by Bovada at +10500 (105/1) so it’s certainly worth checking the chances of this landing.
Koepka would seem to be the more likely source of a win. He has lifted the PGA Championship for the last two seasons and we expect him to be back to his best with an enforced rest easing his injury concerns.
Dustin Johnson would possibly be the issue with this bet and despite his many years at the top, DJ has only won one Major – the US Open back in 2016. Johnson is also striving to get back to the top following injury but a best of a tie for 2nd at the Open at the same Royal St Georges course in 2011 makes this a tempting pick.
Rory and Rickie
Bovada have obviously given these doubles a lot of thought by taking a favorite and placing them alongside a longer priced pick. That’s the case with our next bet which quotes +30000 (300/1) for Rory McIlroy to win the Open Championship and Rickie Fowler to claim the US Open.
As the world’s number one golfer, Rory is the favorite in all four Majors with the likes of BetOnline and Intertops quoting odds in the region of +800 (8/1). He won the Open Championship in 2014 and while his PGA Championship success in the same year was his last Major win, the Northern Irishman is showing his best form this season.
Fowler is clinging on to the notional accolade of the best golfer to have never won a Major. His best finish in the US Open was a tie for second in 2014 and he needs an uplift in form for this one to convert.
Xander Specials
Xander Schauffele would argue with that make-believe title that we’ve just bestowed on Rickie Fowler. As one of a number of players to have finished one shot behind Tiger at the Masters, he is also ready to step up.
Bovada have published three golfing doubles that include his name and the first of these is for Schauffele to win the PGA Championship and Patrick Cantlay to win the US Open. Impressive odds of +67500 (675/1) are on the table for this one but a punt on two non-Major winners is too risky for our liking.
The next time that Schauffele features is in what looks to be a more realistic double with Brooks Koepka. Once again, Koepka is down to win the PGA Championship while Xander is up for the US Open and the odds in this respect are quoted at +22000 (220/1). It would be an incredible feat for Brooks to claim three PGA titles in a row but he is a joint-favorite with McIlroy with many of the top rated American oddsmakers and this is another tempter. Alternatively, Bovada have Koepka to win the PGA Championship and Schauffele to win the US Masters and this shortens to +17500 (175/1).
Other Options
We feel that Spain’s Jon Rahm is due to become a multiple Major winner before too long and he features in our next double. Rahm to win the Open Championship and Jordan Spieth to claim the PGA Championship is listed at +27500 (275/1) but with Spieth lacking form and without a win of any kind since 2017, we’re going to pass.
Finally, we come on to a relatively short price of +13500 (135/1) on Justin Thomas to win the US Masters and Dustin Johnson to land the PGA Championship. That looks more likely but now it’s time to consider our verdict.
Doubles in Majors in 2020 Betting Predictions & Picks Verdict
There are some very interesting odds here and any one would return a substantial profit. The shorter prices are obviously more likely to land but we are drawn to two picks in particular.
Brooks Koepka is a strong contender for his third straight PGA title while Dustin Johnson’s second place at Royal St George’s in 2011 has us tipping their combination for a starting selection.
This preview also expects Rory McIlroy to claim at least one of the big four and his pairing with Rickie Fowler is stronger that the odds of +30000 (300/1) might suggest. Obviously, both of these bets can’t land so it is a ‘hedge’ but either one would give an outstanding overall return. We wouldn’t recommend going too high with your stakes but these are sound suggestions from Bovada and more than one market has a great chance of dropping in. So our predictions are:
- Brooks Koepka to win the PGA Championship and Dustin Johnson to win the Open Championship at +10500 (105/1) with Bovada.
- Rory McIlroy to win the Open Championship and Rickie Fowler to win the US Open at +30000 (300/1) with Bovada.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.