Tiger Woods gets no respect these days. Golf’s modern GOAT and 23 of his PGA Tour comrades are less than 65 days away from the start of the TGL’s inaugural season. As the hype train heads toward the first match on Jan. 7, the preseason betting odds are finally here. Since simulator golf is brand new, this betting board is the only current breakdown for ranking the teams.
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Boston Common Golf (+350) is the favorite to win season one. Rory McIlroy’s Beantown bombers collective OWGR ranking is 41. Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott all sit inside the top 20 in the world. Since the books (and fans) have no idea how these simulator matches will play out, OWGR seems like a rational basis for the beginning odds board. Tiger’s Jupiter Links GC (+600) resides at the bottom. The combination of Woods’ lack of recent play and Kisner’s commentary role give them the weakest team on paper.
TGL 2025 season odds:
Boston Common Golf +300New York Golf Club +400Los Angeles Golf Club +400The Bay Golf Club +450Atlanta Drive Golf Club +475Jupiter Links Golf Club +600
* odds provided by Caesars Sportsbook
Boston Common Golf: Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam ScottNew York Golf Club: Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Cameron YoungLos Angeles Golf Club: Sahith Theegala, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Justin RoseThe Bay Golf Club: Min Woo Lee, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg, Shane LowryAtlanta Drive Golf Club: Lucas Glover, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Billy HorschelJupiter Links Golf Club: Tom Kim, Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Kevin Kisner
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These matches aren’t played on paper, and even though it is simulator golf, players will have to perform. Take for example Atlanta Drive GC (+475). Their highest ranked player is Lucas Glover, and he’s having a fantastic fall. Top to bottom their team has the best collection of scramblers.
Based upon the arena design, competitors must play actual short-game shots on the state-of-the-art stage. All of the world’s best ball-strikers can hit into a simulator screen. Step off that stage and into a bunker in front of an indoor audience, and you better not catch it thin!
How much will showmanship matter? That’s the essential key in all of this. The TGL is a brand-new product. Strokes gained data isn’t going to save you. As we approach season one, there will be more information and various strategies to handicap each match. I promise Read The Line and Golf Digest will cover all of them. These rankings are just the beginning. It’s a positive sign the TGL is going to focus on entertainment AND betting.
I understand Tiger’s team lacks depth, but they do have three of the best trash talkers in golf. Woods, Homa and Kisner can handle the camera. Each player is putting their personal reputation on the line. The pressure to perform under the spotlight will be real. And even though Woods has not played many weekends in the past few years, he has plenty of past winning experience as the man in the arena.
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Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA Tour. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith’s winning content can also be found on SportsGrid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline.
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