Morikawa Opens as Tokyo Olympic Golf Chalk

Olympic golf betting for 2021 at Tokyo had a knuckleball tossed at the very onset of action.  Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, two of the top players in the game, were disqualified due to positive COVID tests.  But there are plenty of big names that remain on the board.  First among them is Collin Morikawa, current champion of The Open.  Other popular players such as Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Hideki Matsuyama will man a star-studded marquee.  And unlike a regular PGA Tour event, there are no cuts after the second round in the Olympics.  Gamblers will find plenty to choose from, and potentially strong values, on the board this week.  

2021 Summer Olympic Games -Men’s Golf Odds
Dates:  July 28 Through July 31, 2021, 6 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Daily
Location:  Tokyo, Japan
TV Coverage:  GOLF
Venue:  Kasumigaseki Country Club East Course
Course:  7466 yards in length with a par 71.

2021 Olympic Golf Betting Odds to Win

Collin Morikawa 7/1
Xander Schauffele 9/1
Justin Thomas 9/1
Rory McIlroy 11/1
Hideki Matsuyama 12/1
Viktor Hovland 12/1
Paul Casey 16/1
Patrick Reed 18/1
Cameron Smith 20/1
Shane Lowry 20/1
Joaquin Niemann 20/1
Corey Conners 22/1
Abraham Ancer 22/1
Christian Bezuidenhout 28/1
Sungjae Im 28/1
Tommy Fleetwood 28/1
March Leishman 28/1
All Other Players 45/1 or Higher

Collin Morikawa is fresh on the minds of gamblers after his win at The Open earlier this month.  Morikawa’s win at The Open was the second major tournament victory of his career.  Last year, Morikawa scored his first-ever major tournament championship at the US Open.  The Las Vegas resident, age 24, is an emerging superstar that should dominate the board for years to come.  Morikawa enters the Olympics ranked third on the Offical World Golf Ranking.  Morikawa is on top of his game with three top-4 or better finishes in his last four starts.  This year he also has impressive runs of 4th at the US Open, 2nd at The Memorial, and a win at the World Golf Championship Workday Championship at The Concession.

Xander Schauffele, age 27, also hails from Las Vegas, Nevada.  Schauffele has never won a major tournament, but an Olympic gold medal would more than suffice.  Schauffele is 5th on the Official World Golf Ranking but has been inconsistent in his recent tournament appearances.  Last time out at The Open, he finished a disappointing 26th.  Schauffele hasn’t won a tournament since his TOUR Championship – 72 Hole Scores title.

Justin Thomas, age 28, resides in Jupiter, Florida, and attended college football powerhouse Alabama in his college days.  Thomas has 16 professional wins, including the 2017 PGA Championship, the only major title of his career.  Thomas is 4th on the Official World Golf Ranking.  In recent tournaments, he’s been off more than on.  Thomas finished 40th at The Open in his most recent event.  But, to his credit, he did prevail at THE PLAYERS Championship for his only win of the year.

The Pride of Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy, age 32, is one of the most popular golfers in the world.  McIlroy resides in Jupiter, Florida, and has 28 career wins, including four majors.  McIlroy has two PGA Championships (2012 and 2014) and a win at the 2011 US Open, and a 2014 title at The Open.  McIlroy is ranked 15th on the Official World Golf Ranking and has one win this year at the Wells Fargo Championship.  As recently as last year, McIlroy was atop the OWGR.  McIlroy has been mired in a slump in which he has finished 46th or worse in his previous three tournaments.  

And then there is Japan’s favorite son Hideki Matsuyama, who made his nation proud with a 2021 championship at The Masters Tournament.  Matsuyama, age 29, resides in Sendai, Japan, and is ranked 20th on the Official World Golf Ranking.  Matsuyama’s win at The Masters was his first major title.  The great irony of Matsuyama’s triumph was that it was the lone exception to a very rough period of play.  In his last 16 tournaments, Matsuyama has finished 13th or worse in every event except for that Masters triumph.  

Despite his struggles, Matsuyama showed what he could do under pressure at The Masters.  Look for him to rise to the occasion in his homeland.  

Men’s Olympic Golf Championship Pick:  Hideki Matsuyama

- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com