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2023 PGA Championship: Justin Thomas Betting Preview, Picks & Predictions

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The PGA Championship used to bat cleanup as the fourth and final major of the season, but this will be the fifth time that the PGA has been held in May, in between the Masters and the U.S. Open.

Justin Thomas is the defending champion. He shot a final-round 67 at Southern Hills last year and beat Will Zalatoris in a playoff to win the Wanamaker Trophy, the giant piece of hardware awarded annually to the PGA champ. Thomas and Brooks Koepka have combined to win four of the last six PGA Championships, with Collin Morikawa and Phil Mickelson interrupting the Thomas/Koepka reign in 2020 and 2021.

This year's PGA Championship returns Oak Hill in Pittsford, N.Y., where Jason Dufner finished -10 to win the 2013 PGA, beating runner-up Jim Furyk by two strokes. But the East Course at Oak Hill will look much different than it did at the last PGA here 10 years ago. Course architect Andrew Green presided over a major remodeling intended to make the course more faithful to the original Donald Ross design. The course will once again play at par-70, and after playing at 7,163 yards in 2013, it has been stretched to 7,400 for this year's event.

Will favorites Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler flex their muscles at Oak Hill? Will Thomas and Koepka extend their stretch of PGA dominance? Or will an unexpected winner emerge from the field the way Jimmy Walker did at Baltusrol in 2016? Read on for betting profiles of the top contenders for the 2023 PGA Championship.

Check out our 2023 PGA Championship Betting Guide >>

Justin Thomas 2023 PGA Championship Best Bets

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Justin Thomas Stats to Know

    • Best odds to win: +2400 (FanDuel)
    • World ranking: 13
    • Best PGA Championship finish: 1 (2017 & 2022)
    • Last four PGA Championship finishes: 1, MC, T37, T6
    • Last four tournament finishes: T14, T25, MC, T10

Justin Thomas Course History

Justin Thomas looks to defend the PGA Championship after last year’s playoff victory over Will Zalatoris. Searching for his third PGA Championship victory, JT has seen the most success of his career in this tournament. Granted, those two victories came at Quail Hollow and Southern Hills, while this year’s installment takes place at Oak Hill. Through seven career appearances in the PGA Championship, he boasts two wins and two other top-20 finishes.

Justin Thomas Recent Form

It has been a difficult year for JT, at least by his standards. Outside of his fourth-place finish at the WM Phoenix Open, he has failed to finish inside the top-9 through 11 events played. While JT has made 10 of 11 cuts, the one missed cut took place at the first major of the season. Struggling with the poor weather conditions at Augusta, JT could not get anything going at the Masters last month.

Justin Thomas Betting Outlook

I am staying away from JT in the betting market this week. While I would not recommend necessarily fading him in the matchups market, he is overpriced due to his PGA Championship history. While his experience and success matter, I am more concerned with his track record this season, which has not been terrible but has not been major championship-esque either. With just one top-5 finish this year and his disastrous performance at Augusta, the wait-and-see approach is best for JT moving forward.

2023 PGA Championship Golfer Profiles

Check out our previews for each of the top golfers competing at Oak Hill this week:

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