Now that we’ve covered a few of the favorites, let’s dig into a few of the longshots who could contend this week:

Note: all odds listed below are from FanDuel as of Monday afternoon

Brian Harman 170/1 

Have people forgotten that Harman won a major last year, finished runner up at the Players this year, and is 12th in the world rankings? The 170/1 price is absurdly high. Harman’s game is predicated on being able to tactically attack a golf course while relying on his elite short game. Sound familiar? That’s the exact formula that is needed to succeed this week.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 120/1 

C-Bez (yes that’s what he wants to be called) has finished top 30 in seven of his last eight events, including a fourth-place finish last week at Memorial. His overall game is eerily similar to Brian Harman, as he is not long off the tee but absolutely brilliant with his short game. He has struggled in majors in the past due to his tee shots being the troublesome combo of short and not that accurate. However, he gained strokes off the tee last week at Memorial, and he can get away with a few errant tee balls at Pinehurst. He also makes for a great top-20 bet at 3/1, or top 40 at +120. 

Victor Perez 250/1

Perez is on a bit of a heater right now, and the betting market just isn’t reflecting it. He finished third at the Canadian Open and 12th at the Memorial. Perez has now finished inside the top 20 in five of 13 PGA Tour events in 2024. His main weakness is driving accuracy, but that can be muted a bit at Pinehurst. I think it’s very possible he continues his good play and provides us with a similar result to what we saw at the 2023 PGA Championship, where he finished 12th. Perez currently sits at +450 for a top 20 and +150 for a top 40.

Martin Kaymer 400/1

People seem to think Kaymer may be washed up and irrelevant, especially since his move to LIV. But he has shown some form, finishing eighth last week at LIV Houston. The 2014 Champion here at Pinehurst may surprise people this week. Do I think he will win? No, but a bet for top 20 at 7/1 or top 40 at 2/1 seems like a solid play.

Check back in Tuesday for a Best Bets article.

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