Paddy’s guide for beginners

Betting on golf is a great way to get closer to the action over a four-day tournament, but many newcomers to the sport don’t always know where to begin. How do you choose from a field of 156 players who will win the Open? How can you predict which players will cope with fast greens, and which will fail?

Well, here at Paddy Power we want every player to maximise their knowledge of the sports they’re betting on – and this includes golf.

Golf betting has a different feel to placing bets on team sports like football, NFL or cricket. In this sport it’s very much about backing an individual to succeed or fail on the fairways, and bettors need to hold their nerve when their selection hooks a drive into the rough.

Below is our quick golf betting guide to the basics of the sport, what types of wager are available, and how to bet on live golf via our sportsbook and app!

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Types of golf bet

There are plenty of golf bets to get your teeth into during the season – but newcomers to Paddy Power should keep it simple to start off with. After all, the best way to improve your betting choices is to get accustomed to how golf betting works, understand the basics, and then go from there.

Below are some core golf bet types you’ll encounter on most tournaments during the season:

• Tournament winner – Wager on a player to win a specific tournament. Golf betting odds are usually set weeks before a tournament begins and the prices change throughout the competition.
• Places – Bet on a player to place in the top eight, nine or perhaps 10 of a tournament. The odds are shorter than a win bet but there’s more chance of it paying out.
• Make the cut – This is a straightforward bet where you wager on a player to make or miss the cut in a tournament.
• Player specials – Paddy Power has plenty of player specials available before and during tournaments. These are designed to be player specific, and can include:
  • Player winning a major
  • Player winning a specific major
  • Player topping the rankings
  • Player beating a rival at an upcoming tournament
  • #WhatOddsPaddy featured bets
• 2/3 ball coupons – Players tee off usually in pairs or trios, and play through a round together. Bettors can therefore wager on who will fare best over 18 holes. This is a great little extra bet away from the leaderboard.

Remember, to place any bet golf punters need to sign in to their Paddy Power account first. Not got a profile with us? Set one up in minutes today!

Golf betting tips

You can get loads of golf tips from our top tipsters every week of the year. But if you want some quick tips right now then you’re in luck. Below are some top ways to create a golf betting system that works for new players who may not have huge budgets:

• Bet on places – You’re much more likely to win a golf bet on a top-10 finish than you are a tournament winner. Yes, the profit margin will be smaller, but you greatly reduce your risk.

GOLF BETTING CALCULATOR: You can track how much you’ll win with our handy Golf Betting Calculator for each-way punts

• Look at nationality – Paddy Power will often have odds on the possible nationality of the tournament winner. Naturally Americans dominate this list, and it means you can follow more than one player over four days.
• Bet on missing the cut – Betting on the cut is another way to play when golf betting. If a player looks in terrible form over the first nine holes of day one, it’s possible they won’t recover. Their odds may dip to a less favourable price on them missing the cut, but it’s still something worth investigating, with conditions on the course having the potential to improve or deteriorate the next day.

Best golf tournaments to bet on

Golf is blessed with year-round tournament coverage of the PGA, Women’s PGA, European Tour and, for a short period, LIV Golf. It means there’s a competition to wager on every week of the year, and the action never stops.

There are four majors over the course of the season, plus some other highly prestigious tournaments. Here, then, are the best golf events to bet on this season:

• Masters – The Masters at Augusta is perhaps the most prestigious event of the year. Players compete for the Green Jacket, and the notoriously difficult course means betting on the Masters can be erratic.
• US PGA Championship – Players seek to carry their Masters form into the US PGA but it’s rare for anyone to win both in the same season. Still, backing an impressive Masters player to place at the US PGA isn’t a terrible option.
• US Open – The venue for the US Open changes every year and usually it’s an American who ends up winning the trophy. This is a great event to back US players in.
• The Open – Britain’s most prestigious golf tournament is played at a different venue each year, and often champions links golf. That means gusty, coastal courses where the big hitters don’t have as much of an advantage.
• Ryder Cup – You can bet on the Ryder Cup across all three days at Paddy Power. The tournament between US and European players takes place every two years. You can read about the Ryder Cup format here.
• Solheim Cup – The Solheim Cup is effectively the women’s Ryder Cup, and takes place every two years with the same format.

Remember to check out the Paddy Power golf betting pages weeks before each tournament begins for the latest odds.

LIV Golf and PGA deal explained

If you’re unsure about what the LIV Golf controversy is, here’s a quick explainer. The Saudi Arabia-backed ‘Public Investment Fund’ wanted to invest in golf, but the PGA weren’t interested in the money. So, LIV set up its own tour and took PGA players who were attracted to the big money on offer.

This split golf in two, with the PGA loyalists angry that some of their fellow players had moved to LIV effectively for a big paycheque. Then the lawyers got involved and golf’s civil war looked set to rumble on for years.

But in the spring of 2023 a merger between LIV, the PGA and European Tour was announced. It means the PGA will organise competitions, and the PIF is in charge of commercial assets. It’s hoped this will end the civil war within golf, but some PGA loyalists aren’t happy that defectors are being welcomed back into the fold. So, clear as mud then, really.

How to bet on golf live

Live golf betting can transform your bet choices and turn meagre profits into big wins, if you play the odds right. The beauty of accessing live Paddy Power golf bets over a four-day tournament is that the odds on each player are in continual flux.

This means you can time your bets to perfection and back a player to win after they shoot a bogey, or cash in on a player you backed earlier in the day when they’re on a hot streak.

To bet on live golf, you’ll first need a Paddy Power account. Create a profile in minutes, make a deposit and cash in on any bonuses available. Then head over to our live golf betting

Keep an eye on the changing prices and follow the leaderboard with Paddy Power. When you think it’s time to back a player, click on their odds, enter your stake in the bet slip, check the risk and reward, and hit Place Bet.