Holmes the favorite to capture 5th Tour win at THE PLAYERS
With 18 holes to play at the 2017 PLAYERS Championship, Vegas oddsmakers have established J.B. Holmes as the favorite to win the coveted trophy.
Holmes is the co-leader alongside Kyle Stanley heading into Sunday's action, but with four career PGA Tour wins to his counterpart's solo victory, the long-hitting 35-year-old is a slight favorite at 7-2.
Stanley, who hasn't won since the Phoenix Open in 2012, is listed at 4-1 alongside Louis Oosthuizen, who trails by one stroke after a 1-over 73 on Saturday.
Masters champion Sergio Garcia soared up the leaderboard from 43rd place to seventh with a sizzling 67, and finds himself at 9-1 to win his second PLAYERS Championship, while Emiliano Grillo and Si Woo Kim round out the top golfers at 14-1.
| Player | Score to par | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| J.B. Holmes | -9 | 7-2 |
| Kyle Stanley | -9 | 4-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | -8 | 4-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | -5 | 9-1 |
| Emiliano Grillo | -6 | 14-1 |
| Si Woo Kim | -7 | 14-1 |
| Alex Noren | -5 | 20-1 |
| Ian Poulter | -6 | 20-1 |
| Patrick Cantlay | -5 | 22-1 |
| Francesco Molinari | -4 | 35-1 |
| Adam Scott | -3 | 40-1 |
| Pat Perez | -4 | 40-1 |
| Rafa Cabrera Bello | -4 | 40-1 |
(Odds courtesy: Bet365)
While the top five on the betting board pay 14-1 or less to win the tournament tomorrow, that wasn't the case at the beginning of play Thursday, and some bettors could be in line for a monster payday. All of the golfers in the top five on the leaderboard were long shots entering the tournament, with Oosthuizen the lowest at 80-1.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| J.B. Holmes | 125-1 |
| Kyle Stanley | 150-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 80-1 |
| Si Woo Kim | 400-1 |
| Emiliano Grillo | 125-1 |
| Ian Poulter | 200-1 |
(Odds courtesy: Vegas Insider)