2022 PGA Championship pick: early values and longshots

In the wake of the 2022 Masters, we move on to the second major on the PGA Tour calendar. Below, we track the odds for the best US sportsbooks and offer our top value and longshot picks for the 2022 PGA Championship.
The Wanamaker Trophy awaits the winner of the 2022 PGA Championship on Sunday, May 22. Each year, the second major tournament of the year, the championship tournament at Southern Hills Country Club will follow Scottie Scheffler’s victory at the Masters in April. This page will track the odds for the 2022 PGA Championship as we review favorites, values and longshots for our top picks from the PGA Tour.
Phil Mickelson, 50, became the oldest major winner in men’s golf by winning the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. “Lefty” held off co-finalists Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka at the longest major site the PGA Tour has ever used for its sixth career major victory. While it remains to be seen if he will be on the court to defend that title, it will surely be another hotly contested event with many of the world’s best golfers showing their best form at the start of 2022.
Here’s a look at the top early contenders and some plans to follow with our eventual picks for the PGA Championship.
2022 PGA Championship Information
When: From Thursday 19 May to Sunday 22 May
Or: Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma
How to watch: ESPN and CBS
2022 PGA Championship odds (as of April 19)
SEE ALSO: Masters Choice 2023
2022 PGA Championship Pick: Favorites
(All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Rahm (+1100)
Despite slipping to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) amid a winless start to 2022, Jon Rahm remains the betting favorite for the PGA Championship. Should anyone else at the top of the OWGR pick up a win or two over the next month, Rahm’s chances might start to increase.
Scheffler (+1200)
Scottie Scheffler went from No. 12 to No. 1 in the OWGR while picking up four wins in the first four months of 2022. Those wins include the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and the Masters. The Texan native wasn’t even 10 when the PGA Championship was last contested at Southern Hills in 2007, though he has spoken of his affinity for Oklahoma’s top course.
McIlroy (+1200)
Having not won a major tournament since the 2014 PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy remains ranked among the favorites for the biggest events. His only top 10 in the four majors last year was a T-7 at the US Open, but he climbed the Sunday rankings to finish second in the 2022 Masters.
Thomas (+1200)
A surprising winner of just one major, Justin Thomas’ biggest win was at the 2017 PGA Championship. He racked up five top-10 finishes in his first eight events of 2022 to remain No. 8 in the OWGR.
Johnson (+1400)
Dustin Johnson is a two-time PGA Championship runner-up, with those coming back in 2019 and 2020. The two-time major winner hasn’t gone without a win in a calendar year since 2014.
DeChambeau (+1400)
The sportsbook has apparently accepted the fact that Augusta National Golf Club is simply not conducive to the powerful play of Bryson DeChambeau. He slipped to 20th in the OWGR through Week 15, but the former US Open champion remains among the favorites despite missing the cut at the Masters.
Morikawa (+1400)
Winner of the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship, Collin Morikawa’s odds are surprisingly high. He is second in the OWGR and notched a career-high fifth-place finish at the Masters.
Koepka (+1600)
The two-time winner of this event and four-time major winner will always have knocked out the odds in golf’s four biggest tournaments, even without much success in between. It turned out to be wise to wait until the week of the event to bet on the best odds for Brooks Koepka.
Smith (+1800)
Despite finishing in the top 10 at each of the past three Masters, Cameron Smith has had virtually no success at the other three majors. He’s made the cut in each of the past four editions of the PGA Championship but boasts no better finish than T-43 in 2020.
2022 PGA Championship Pick: Contenders
Canlay (+2000)
Patrick Cantlay hasn’t had a major victory among his six PGA Tour victories, but his best finish was a T-3 at the 2019 PGA Championship. The defending FedEx Cup champion hasn’t had a real win since. the 2021 BMW Championship; however, he has two playoff losses this year.
Victor Hovland (+2000)
Of golf’s young rising stars, Viktor Hovland has had the least success in the majors to date. The 24-year-old has an excellent T-12 finish at the US Open and The Open Championship, but a best showing of just a T-30 in two PGA Championship appearances. There are few fouls in his game, and his chances in major tournaments are still unlikely to be much higher than that.
Jordan Spieth (+2000)
Jordan Spieth will attempt a career Grand Slam about a month after earning his 13th career PGA Tour victory at RBC Heritage. He has two top-five finishes in this event, but he missed out on the 2022 Masters Cup.
Xander Schauele (+2200)
A staple of the leaderboards, Xander Schauffele hasn’t won a full PGA Tour event since the 2017 Greenbrier Classic. He’s never won a major tournament and the PGA Championship is where he’s had the least success with a only top 10.
Webb Simpson (+3500)
Webb Simpson is surprisingly high on the odds chart. His only major win was the 2012 US Open, and he hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since the 2020 RBC Heritage. He made the cut in seven consecutive PGA Championship races.
Tony Finau (+3500)
Despite a slow start to the calendar year, Tony Finau’s chances of winning the PGA Championship remain largely unchanged in the market. The 32-year-old Utah native earned his best T-4 PGA Championship result of 2020.
Daniel Berger (+3500)
Daniel Berger has missed just one cut in his first eight events of 2022, but he’s also had two modest top 10 finishes. He has a first T-13 finish in seven career PGA Championship appearances.
Will Zalatoris (+3500)
Although he is best known for his success at Augusta National Golf Club, Will Zalatoris is a great budding pundit. He finished tied for sixth at the 2020 US Open before any success at the Masters, and he finished eighth at last year’s PGA Championship. It would be wise to invest now in case he is finally able to secure that first PGA Tour victory before mid-May.
Shane Lowry (+3500)
The former champion golfer of the year has gone from No. 44 to No. 27 in the OWGR since the end of 2021. He has three top-10 finishes without a missed cut in five PGA Tour strokeplay events This year.
2022 PGA Championship Pick: Values
Tiger Woods (+4000)
Winner of the 2007 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, Tiger Woods has yet to make an official commitment to the second major of the year after returning to competitive golf at the Masters. His four career PGA Championship wins are just a shy of the record shared by Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus.
Louis Oosthuizen (+4000)
Louis Oosthuizen’s T-2 finish at the 2021 PGA Championship was one of three finishes of T-3 or better in the majors last year. He has yet to find that game again in 2022 and he had to pull out of the Masters due to injury.
Sam Burns (+4000)
Sam Burns missed the cut in his first career Masters appearance this year, but will be playing for the PGA Championship for the third time, with three PGA Tour wins under his belt. He pulled out of last year’s tournament, but he certainly has the iron game to contend with in the shorter Southern Hills.
Joaquin Niemann (+4500)
A two-time PGA Tour winner, Joaquin Niemann has never finished in the top 20 of a major tournament, even with a strong start in this year’s Masters Tournament while partnered with Woods. However, he is playing the best golf of his career in 2022 and won’t be 24 until November.
Corey Conners (+5000)
Unlike Zalatoris, Corey Conners’ success at the Masters hasn’t followed him to other majors. His T-17 finish at last year’s PGA Championship was his best finish in three appearances. His best major finish outside of Augusta, Georgia was a T-15 at the 2021 Open Championship.
Rickie Fowler (+5000)
Rickie Fowler isn’t the player he used to be, but he still earned his 12th career top 10 at a major tournament with a T-8 at the PGA Championship last year. The resurgence was short-lived, as he has only achieved one top 10 finish in 18 events since.
2022 PGA Championship Pick: Longshots
Phil Mickelson (+8000)
The defending PGA Championship winner is one of the few possible 2022 contenders to have played at Southern Hills in 2007. He finished tied for 32nd while finishing 14 strokes behind Woods, but he at least gained some l ‘experience.
Matthew Wolff (+8000)
Matthew Wolff missed the cut at the Masters for the second time in three appearances, but was much more successful in his lone PGA Championship appearance. He finished tied for fourth in the second major of 2020 before finishing second at the US Open. Once ranked 12th in the world, he slipped to 49th while missing the cut in four of his first seven strokeplay events of 2022.
Talor Gooch (+10000)
After winning the RSM Classic in the fall, Talor Gooch’s best result of 2022 is a T-7 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, he had a strong showing in T-14 on his Masters debut and is returning to the PGA Championship after finishing in T-44 last year.
Max Homa (+10000)
That number is far too high for Max Homa, who has three PGA Tour victories, including two in 2021. He’s missed the cut in six of his last eight major appearances, but he’s generally shown well against solid ground. and on challenging golf courses.
Russell Henley (+15000)
Russell Henley, 33, has never finished better than T-11 at a major, but he made the cut in six straight PGA Championship appearances. He finished tied for 30th in his first Masters appearance since 2018.
Mackenzie Hughes (+20000)
Mackenzie Hughes missed the 2021 PGA Championship cut ahead of a T-15 at the US Open and a T-6 at The Open Championship. He then finished tied for 50th in his second career Masters appearance. His odds dipped slightly after opening at +25,000 by the consensus number.
Recent PGA Championship Winners
(Opening rating)
- 2021: Phil Mickelson (+15,000)
- 2020: Collin Morikawa (+6000)
- 2019: Brooks Koepka (+1400)
- 2018: Brooks Koepka (+2000)
- 2017: Justin Thomas (+3000)
- 2016: Jimmy Walker (+12500)
- 2015: Jason Day (+1500)
- 2014: Rory McIlroy (+700)
- 2013: Jason Dufner (+4000)
- 2012: Rory McIlroy (+1800)
PGA Longshot Championship winners
- Mickelson (+15000) 2021
- Morikawa (+6000) 2020
- Walker (+12500) 2016
- Keegan Bradley (+15,000) 2011
- YE Yang (+12500) 2010
Where to bet on the 2022 PGA Championship
Here are our top rated sports betting:
SEE ALSO: All selections, odds and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.