The 17th green at the TPC Sawgrass is one of the iconic holes in golf.
Known as the “Island Green,” it offers the beauty of the sport in one hole.
The extreme jubilation that you could ace it and have a shot for the ages.
Or the extreme sorrow that you could do what so many golfers have done with a sunken ball in the pond.
Welcome to The Players Championship.
The event also referred to as the “fifth major” tees off this Thursday.
This is also the first opportunity for Colorado sports betting online to wager on the event.
And while futures betting is no doubt a draw for the Players Championship this weekend, it’s the live betting aspect that may attract golf bettors.
Golf is one of the best live-betting sports, especially for first-timers. It’s not nearly as fast as basketball or hockey. So you’re able to gather thoughts, not feel rushed and miss any of the live action.
And that 17th hole could add to the golf betting appeal.
What each golfer does with their shot may add even more excitement to the viewing pleasure of the “Island Green.” Also look for the various sportsbooks to throw in some markets around the hole.
Hole 17 Specials
DraftKings, for example, is offering Hole 17 specials.
The sportsbook has odds on a hole in one for each round of the tourney. The odds for Thursday and Friday currently sit at +600, and +900 for the championship rounds on Saturday and Sunday.
If you think golfers will get two or more hole in ones, there are odds for that as well. The “yes” sits at +1,200 (as of Tuesday afternoon).
The sportsbook also is offering balls in the water.
The first two rounds is over 14.5 (-150) and under 14.5 (+110), the championship rounds is over 7.5 (-112) and under 7.5 (-118).
The total balls in the water is over 43.5 (-125) and under 43.5 (-106).
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Players Championship odds
As for the event itself, Dustin Johnson is the consensus favorite.
As CBSSports points out, that’s despite the fact he had a mediocre finish at the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational.
That’s about all that Johnson has done wrong in 2021.
He’s been the best player in the world and that’s evidenced by him being the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour world standings. He’s also won two of his last five and three of his last 10 events. That includes his win at The Masters.
The fact he’s also the betting favorite is no surprise either.
This is now a common occurrence for each event he plays in. Or doesn’t. As the Golf Channel highlighted, he was also the favorite at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am before he withdrew.
As for the guys who could compete for the Players Championship win, these five are also the consensus:
- Bryson DeChambeau (+1,500)
- Jon Rahm (1,500)
- Rory McIlroy (+1,600)
- Xander Schauffele (+2,000)
- Justin Thomas (+2,000)
If you’re looking for someone outside that top five (with two extreme long shots), experts seem to like Colin Morikawa (+2,000), Tony Finau (+2,200), Tommy Fleetwood (+4,500) and Adam Scott (+8,000).
For what it’s worth, Schauffele was the only double-choice selection to win the Players Championship by the PGA Tour experts.
In the world of sports, there are events or events inside events that you just have to watch.
The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is one of them.
For the first time in Colorado, golf bettors get the chance to live bet the “Island Green.”
Hopefully your bets don’t end up like some of the shots — sunk.
