FARMINGTON, N.Y. – Staked to a seven-shot lead at the halfway point of the 101st PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka is a prohibitive betting favorite to defend his title.
Koepka led by one shot after an opening-round 63 at Bethpage, but he added to that advantage with a 5-under 65 that set a new 36-hole scoring record for major championships. Koepka started the week at 10/1 odds according to the Westgate Las Vegas SupeBook, and those odds were trimmed to 5/4 after the opening round.
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But with the defending champ seven shots clear of Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott, Koepka is now a whopping 1/4 favorite, meaning bettors must wager $400 for every $100 they hope to win. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is his closest pursuer on the odds list even though Johnson is tied for fourth at 4 under, eight shots off the pace.
Here’s a look at the updated betting odds heading into the third round on the Black Course:
1/4: Brooks Koepka
16/1: Dustin Johnson
20/1: Jordan Spieth
25/1: Adam Scott
40/1: Justin Rose
60/1: Rickie Fowler
80/1: Matt Wallace, Luke List, Tommy Fleetwood, Daniel Berger
100/1: Hideki Matsuyama
125/1: Xander Schauffele, Louis Oosthuizen
150/1: Patrick Cantlay, Kelly Kraft
250/1: Sung Kang
50/1: Field (all other players)