“Between Bets” is an article series revealing our staff’s best wagers across the NFL, NASCAR and PGA Tour. This week’s bets features our favorite wagers for The Memorial Tournament 2023 PGA odds.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Memorial Tournament Odds & Best Bets (Outrights)
- Jon Rahm (+750)
- Tyrell Hatton (+2500)
- Wyndham Clark (+5500)
- Austin Eckroat (+35000)
Jon Rahm (+750)
It’s tough to say who the favorite should be in this field. Scottie Scheffler and John Rahm are both playing incredible golf. Honestly, Scheffler even rates out better in my projections. I don’t hate either of them and may end up betting both. I give the edge to Rahm because of his strength and ability to muscle the ball.
Hitting fairways and greens isn’t usually an issue for Rahm. However, if he does find himself in the rough he has the ability to recover from the deepest and gnarliest rough that can be thrown at him, and this rough here is gnarly. He is also significantly better than Scheffler out of the bunker. There are 68 of them in play and the greenside ones are particularly nasty. Rahm also edges out Scheffler in regard to par-5 scoring. Par 5’s will be the best scoring opportunities this week. Scheffler is no slouch in these categories either, but Rahm is outpacing him in these areas, and I think it will make the difference in the end.
Tyrell Hatton (+2500)
Tyrell Hatton makes birdies in bunches and avoids big numbers when he is rolling, which is exactly what we need this week – golfers who score when they need to and avoid trouble as much as possible. Hattan came out fourth in my modeling, ahead of some golfers at much shorter numbers. He has an excellent short game. His sand save percentage is in the top 10 of this field, and his shots gained around the green rate out No. 2. His accuracy off the tee and on approach have been strong points to his game which will be important here. Hatton’s biggest obstacle is the course played on the four inches that resides between his ears. He needs to keep his cool and recover mentally if he gets off track. Assuming he conquers his demons, he really has a strong chance to win here.
Wyndham Clark (+5000)
I’m all aboard the Wyndham Clark train again this week. Clark is someone I have been banging the drum for most of the season. He has mastered the mental game, and the physical game has followed. His accuracy not only off the tee but on approach has been excellent. Clark’s approach game is rating out as No. 3 in this field. His Birdie-or-better rate is in the top 10, and his around-the-green game is in the top 15. He is second in this field regarding opportunities gained, meaning he’s getting more looks at scoring under par than almost anyone else. I think we may see Wyndham snag his second win of the year this week.
Austin Eckroat (+35000)
Austin Eckroat is somehow rating out in my top-five projected performances for the week. I won’t lie; I was a little surprised to see his name show up when I generated my stat model. He is quietly smashing over his last 12 rounds and is in great form. Eckroat is rating No. 3 off the tee and No. 17 on approach while also being nails out of the sand and around the green, rating out No. 1 in sand saves and top 10 in scrambling. This is definitely a high-risk play as he is absolutely live to miss the cut as well. He is an all-or-nothing type of player – top 10 or seat 10 on the cheapest airline out of Ohio Saturday morning.
Thanks for reading my best bets for The Memorial Tournament 2023. Be sure to give “The 19th Hole” a watch for more in-depth analysis – every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EST on our YouTube channel.