Navigate

PGA Tour Championship 2022: Round 2 Head-to-Head Best Bets

by |

Scottie Scheffler wasted no time extending his initial two-stroke lead over reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay. While the 25-year-old Texan headlined the first day of East Lake, there were a lot of other impressive performances. Matt Fitzpatrick and Joaquin Niemann were on fire, going six-under-par to climb into third place and T4 finishes, respectively. Aaron Wise and J.T. Poston also carded rounds of five-under-par to significantly elevate their leaderboard position heading into Round 2.

My Round 1 head-to-head best bets wound up 1-2. While it wasn’t an ideal outing, the biggest underdog bet hit. Sungjae Im managed to drain a birdie on the 18th hole to stay one stroke lower than Jon Rahm, cashing the +115 odds. Corey Conners was a -140 favorite against Brian Harman but he collected three bogeys and a double bogey on the front nine, resulting in the 30-year-old Canadian plummeting to 29th at three-over-par. Rookie Cameron Young was playing well early, hitting four consecutive birdies on the front nine but fading away on the back nine. This allowed Matt Fitzpatrick to surge up the leaderboard with bogey avoidance and an eagle on the 18th hole.

Here are three of my favorite Round 2 head-to-head best bets to lay during Friday’s second round at East Lake for the 2022 PGA Tour Championship. All plays below are one unit each, or 1% of your betting bankroll.

Follow me on Twitter to tail all of my picks.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Bet $5 to win $200 in FREE bets at DraftKings Sportsbook >>

Sahith Theegala over Max Homa (+110)
Theegala started at even par but managed to briefly go one-under-par until a bogey on the 7th hole. Overall, the rookie played fairly well in his debut at East Lake. Don’t expect the same pedestrian performance from Theegala on Friday. While he’s two strokes back from Max Homa (-1), Theegala is ranked 12th (69.3) on the PGA Tour in terms of his Round 2 scoring average. Conversely, Max Homa ranks 102nd in Round 2 scoring (70.48) and he’s not effective at converting his greens in regulation. Theegala has slightly more urgency to get back under par and he’s been playing superior golf in the playoffs compared to Homa. Take the value and watch Theegala finish with a lower score and higher leaderboard position once Friday evening arrives.

Sam Burns over Aaron Wise (-120)
Aaron Wise had the second lowest scorecard during the opening round at East Lake, finishing five-under-par to sit T14 entering Friday’s second round. Sam Burns had a much more mild outing, going one-under-par after starting with a five-under-par cushion due to the starting strokes format. Burns will perform a lot better on Friday, as he’s ranked ninth on the PGA Tour in Round 2 scoring average (69.23) versus Wise (69.91) who ranks 46th.

Burns also has a much better putter, ranking 11th in strokes gained putting this season, while also ranking inside the top 25 for strokes gained tee-to-green and approaching the green. In 2021, Burns went even par in the second round but he has been playing much better in 2022, earning a solo win and four finishes inside the top three. Expect Wise to regress and Burns to improve in Round 2.

Patrick Cantlay over Sungjae Im (-135)
Cantlay was disappointing with his performance in the opening round but he managed to get back to even with an eagle on the 18th hole. He was missing the 10 and 12-foot putts that have been a staple of his skillset across the last two years, so expect Cantlay to bounce back in a big way on Friday. He has the superior putter when he’s dialed in and he knows there is a lot of work to be done to catch Scheffler at 15-under-par. Sungjae Im was solid on Thursday, going three-under-par, but the 24-year-old Korean is not nearly as good in the second round when it comes to his scoring average.

Cantlay averaged 69.41 in the second round this season, while Im averaged 69.65. It’s important to note that Cantlay still holds a one-stroke lead over Im. Cantlay went four-under-par at East Lake on Friday last year en route to winning the FedExCup. Meanwhile, Im finished his second round in 2021 at even par. Invest in the defending champion and watch him surge up the leaderboard by Friday evening.

Connect with sportsbooks to automatically sync your balances and bets >>


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners â€” or head to more advanced strategies — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread â€” to learn more.

Matt is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Johnny, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.