Ten most-bet players in 2024: Scottie Scheffler dominates, but bettors can’t quit Tiger Woods

Scottie Scheffler’s incredible season saw an explosion of betting activity placed on the Texan superstar, with the 28-year-old receiving more than double the handle of any other golfer and besting the 2023 high by more than three times.

In fact, the top six most-bet players on the PGA TOUR, according to monitoring agency Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), which tracks sports wagering across multiple major sports leagues including the PGA TOUR, were estimated to have received more than $50.5 million in handle – the number that Rory McIlroy received in 2023 and lead all players.

While McIlroy’s estimated handle of $74 million was well above his 2023 total, it was dwarfed by Scheffler’s monumental $166.1 million.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 players from 2024 in terms of the almighty dollar:

1. Scottie Scheffler ($166.1 million wagered)

Up from his $48 million a year prior, Scheffler earned the love of the bettors thanks to his incredible form that saw him win seven times on the PGA TOUR, plus an Olympic gold medal and the Hero World Challenge title. He won his second Masters, became the first-ever defender at THE PLAYERS and won five other Signature Events.

IC360 estimated that Scheffler was the only TOUR player to eclipse $75-million worth of wagers across legal betting outlets through outright, prop and matchup bets in a calendar year, where he won prolifically on TOUR.

Evidently, bettors were not turned off by increasingly shorter odds, and they were rewarded as Scheffler never missed a cut in 19 starts and only twice finished outside the top 20 with 16 of his 19 starts resulting in a return for top 10 bettors.

2. Rory McIlroy ($74 million)

McIlroy was the top dog a year ago at an estimated $50.5 million, so while his handle has increased, he was still a distant second to Scheffler.

The Ulsterman won twice, first with teammate Shane Lowry at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and then at the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow.

Always in the top handful on the betting boards, McIlroy returned just seven top 10s from his 19 TOUR starts with his only major top 10 being a runner-up at the U.S. Open when he missed some crucial short putts down the stretch.

3. Xander Schauffele ($63.1 million)

In third place for total handle was breakout major winner Xander Schauffele, who finally closed when it counted at both the PGA Championship and The Open Championship.

Those weeks could have been big windfalls for bettors, but Schauffele’s consistency was also enough to bring returns. In his 22 TOUR starts, he finished inside the top 10 an impressive 15 times with 10 of those being top-five finishes.

4. Max Homa ($61.2 million)

The will of the betting public was strong for Max Homa, but those on board did not receive much return for their confidence in the Californian.

Despite Homa’s troubles, the handle kept rolling in, but ultimately his 22 TOUR events resulted in just three top 10s.

His T3 finish at the Masters brought hope in an otherwise tough season for Homa and his backers alike.

5. Ludvig Åberg ($58.2 million)

Rounding out the top five most-bet players on TOUR in 2024 was arguably the game’s most exciting young talent in Ludvig Åberg.

Despite a nagging knee injury that would eventually require surgery, Åberg notched up eight top 10s in a winless season. He was runner-up three times – at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, BMW Championship and, extremely impressively, at the Masters in his debut.

His performances among the elite ensure he’s likely to be on this list for the foreseeable future.

6. Collin Morikawa ($57.2 million)

Another player who garnered plenty of handle despite failing to win in 2024 was Collin Morikawa. A promising season-opening top five at The Sentry produced early hope, as did a third at the Masters and T4 at the PGA Championship. The latter had him in the final group for Sunday, only to fade.

Runner-up efforts at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and the TOUR Championship could have been healthy for prop bettors and will likely keep Morikawa on their radar for 2025.

7. Tiger Woods ($46 million)

It’s clear: The betting public is nostalgic when it comes to Tiger Woods.

Despite playing in just five tournaments in 2024, one of which resulted in a mid-tournament W/D and three others where he missed the cut, Woods had an estimated $46 million plonked down on his efforts.

Hopefully, the majority of the money was on Woods to extend his record-cut streak at the Masters, which was the only event where he played the weekend.

8. Patrick Cantlay ($44.8 million)

Another big-name TOUR player without a win in 2024, Patrick Cantlay still garnered plenty of betting interest over the season.

His top-10 returns were modest, just four from 19 starts on TOUR, but nine were top 20s. A T3 at the U.S. Open was his best week but no doubt plenty of bettors fell flat in his lone missed cut. That came at the Memorial, where the former champion was well-backed.

9. Will Zalatoris ($44.7 million)

When a player of Will Zalatoris’ caliber returns from a problematic back injury, there represents a risk/reward type scenario for the betting public.

And it seems, thanks to generous odds throughout the season, the bettors took a risk on Zalatoris.

With three top 10s by April, including a runner-up at The Genesis Invitational, a top five at Bay Hill and a T9 at the Masters, the signs were there. But alas, they were his last significant returns.

10. Sahith Theegala ($41.7 million)

Last of the top 10 in 2024 was the exuberant Theegala, who clearly has the attention of keen bettors.

This California kid failed to add to his win column in 2024 but had nine top 10s from 26 events – including a season-opening runner-up at The Sentry to set the tone.

A third-place finish at the TOUR Championship helped him onto his first U.S. Team for the Presidents Cup, and now the key will be maintaining his efforts while also taking it up a notch.

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