Jon Rahm is coming to Ohio as the 10-to-1 favorite to win the Memorial Tournament at Jack Nicklaus’ place. Golf — and Ohio sports betting — fans, however, won’t be able to bet on it without driving to a neighboring state.
The good news is that this should be the last time that would-be wagerers will have to leave their couches and will soon be able to use Ohio sports betting apps right from their homes.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission on Wednesday set Jan. 1, 2023, as the universal start date for sports betting in the state. At that point, betParx, through its affiliation with the Memorial Tournament and Muirfield Village Golf Club, should be holders of a Type A license in Ohio, allowing it to offer its mobile sports wagering platform throughout the state, and other sportsbooks to take bets on golf.
Back in March, betPARX partnered with the Memorial Tournament and Muirfield Village Golf Club for sports betting access in Ohio, with betPARX becoming an Official Betting Operator of the PGA Tour.
That means betPARX will have rights to use PGA Tour marks, video highlights and other intellectual property on its sports wagering platform, among other benefits, the initial announcement said. BetParx also plans to offer an enhanced fan experience at the Memorial.
2022 Memorial Odds
Who are the Memorial Favorites?
Although you can’t bet on the event if you’re in Ohio, it’s always fun to look at the odds. In addition to Rahm at the top, oddsmakers at Caesars Ohio Sportsbook see Rory McIlroy at +1100 (11-to-1), defending champ Patrick Cantlay at +1400 and Jordan Spieth at +1800. World No. 1 and Masters winner Scottie Scheffler, and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas are taking the weekend off.
Cameron Smith, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa are at +2000, Victor Hovland and Shane Lowry at +2200 and Matt Fitzparick and Hideki Matsuyama at +2500. The longest shot on the board is James Piot, a 23-year-old from Michigan who won the 2020 U.S. Amateur title. If Piot should win, a dollar wager will win you $1,000.
Other bets this year include whether the tournament will go to a playoff — Caesars has +310 yes and -450 no. If you think the winner could carry the day by four shots or more, that will pay +330. PointsBet and others have wagers on each of the threesomes going off and which player will score best.
Betting on a Player’s Finish
With so many quality players in the field, fans can also wager on where their golfer finishes. At DraftKings Sportsbook, Rahm is only +800 to win, +170 for a Top 5, -115 for a Top 10, -285 for a Top 20 and -700 for a Top 40. You can get +odds on more than 40 players in the field to finish Top 40. Bryson DeChambeau, a former winner here returning from injury, is an interesting Top 40 pick at +110.
Think someone can win wire-to-wire? DraftKings has that at +1100. As to whether there will be an albatross (double-eagle) this week, that’s a +1600 wager. This is what’s known as a sucker bet. Since the Memorial began, the 4 Par 5s have been played about 16,000 times each or 64,000 times. There have been four double-eagles, one on each of the course’s four Par 5s. Does that seem like 16-to-1 odds to you?
The first Memorial Tournament was held in 1976, and was won by Roger Maltbie, who pocketed $40,000. Last year’s winner, Patrick Cantlay, won $1.674 million.
This year’s tournament will be broadcast on CBS, Golf Channel and PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, and runs Thursday through Sunday.
Be sure to check back for the latest Ohio sportsbook promo codes once sports betting launches on January 1, 2023.
