2024 Players Championship odds, picks, field by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
"Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making.
The Players Championship might be viewed as the "fifth major" by some, but I’ve found it to be one of the more difficult golf events to handicap.
Each of the last three editions of this tournament has been won by elite players — and major champions — with Justin Thomas, Cam Smith and Scottie Scheffler taking down those events. But non-household names such as Fred Funk, Tim Clark and K.J. Choi have also emerged victorious at TPC Sawgrass.
While the 2022 winner, Cam Smith, did not defend his title last year after joining the LIV tour, Scottie Scheffler returns as the odds-on favorite to take home the trophy again in 2024.
Remember, no golfer has ever won The Players in back-to-back years.
I’m not going to go deep with a ton of picks, but here are a few wagers I’m making for one of the biggest tournaments of the year.
Collin Morikawa +2800 to win (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Morikawa has three top 20s from five starts this year but missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open and last week at Bay Hill with a second-round 80.
His putting numbers have not improved at all from last year — 135th in SGP — but his approach numbers are strong and putting is the most random part of the game, so maybe there will be a week when he gets hot and makes everything.
He posted a Top 15 here last year, and if you’re looking for an alternative to Scottie Scheffler, he’s as good as any option at a bit of a number.
Wyndham Clark +4500 (bet $10 to win $550 total), +450 Top 10 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Clark had some average results after his U.S. Open win last year, but he has started this year in good form, winning at Pebble and then putting together a winning tournament last week at Bay Hill.
The problem for him, and the rest of the field, was that Scottie Scheffler was in no mood to give anyone a chance last week.
But Clark’s price has a little disrespect toward where he’s priced and behind some of the players that are priced shorter than him.
Tom Hoge +240 Top 20 (bet $10 to win $34 total)
He leads the TOUR in SG Approach and is Top 20 in SG Total.
Hoge was third here last year and has strung together five straight Top 30s, with four in the Top 17.
He may not threaten to win, but he should make the cut and put together another solid weekend.
Doug Ghim +9000 to win (bet $10 to win $910 total); +320 Top 20 (bet $10 to win $42 total)
He’s a dart throw to win this week.
His stat profile is one of the best on TOUR - 3rd SG Total, 12th SG Approach, 34th SG off the tee, 49th SG Putting.
He’s certainly not priced as one of the stronger players on TOUR despite that profile and four straight Top 20 finishes. He’s done sneaky well here too.
In 2021, he was third entering the final round before stumbling to a 78. In 2022, he finished sixth and was second entering the final round. Last year, he missed the cut, but that seems to be a bit of an outlier.
I think he’s live for a solid weekend.
Cameron Young +5000 to win (bet $10 to win $510 total); +450 Top 10 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Young is one of those all-or-nothing types.
So far he hasn’t done much at Sawgrass in two starts, but he posted a Top 5 two weeks ago at the Cognizant and, like Morikawa, his putting numbers aren’t great, he’s still very good off the tee and on approach.
He’s still looking for that first win but has those four top-ten majors in the last two years, so in this year of long shots, maybe at this number in this big event it could happen.
Chris "The Bear" Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an "occasional" wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, "The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!" Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
