If sportsbooks only wrote golf wagers on PGA tournament winners, then most golf bets would be lost before the weekend. To address this issue, golf betting sites have introduced types of golf bets that pit players against one another in head-to-head and group matchups.

Known more commonly as 2-ball and 3-ball, match betting has been a boon for sportsbooks, to the point where it’s among the most popular forms of golf betting. Suddenly, golfers out of the tournament running can still create highly dramatic scenarios for bettors.

No, bettors won’t win 1000x their money like they might when hitting a longshot futures bet, but they stand a much better chance of sustaining and growing their bankroll.

Read on to learn how 2-ball and 3-ball golf betting works, the rules, and which PGA betting sites offer the best matchup odds.

2-Ball And 3-Ball Golf Betting Sites

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What Is A 2-Ball Bet In Golf?

Simply put, 2-ball golf bets are wagers on which of two golfers will shoot a lower score. Sportsbooks pair golfers of similar ability together, so the odds are roughly in line with an NFL point spread.

For example, if Jon Rahm were paired against Rory Mcilroy the odds of a 2-ball matchup may look like this:

• Jon Rahm: -115
• Rory Mcilroy: -105

In this example, Rahm is favored to beat his opponent, and winning bets will profit $100 per $115 wagered. Even though he shows negative American odds, Mcilroy is a slight underdog. A $105 wager will return a total of $205 ($100 winnings + $105 initial stake).

Notice that the line is only a 20-cent spread. 2-ball bets are subject to a much lower house edge than golf futures bets, and are also significantly easier to cash.

The vigorish for the example listed above is just 4.5%, in line with industry standards.

If you’re thinking that 2-ball wagers look a lot like traditional moneylines, that’s because they’re practically the same thing. The only differentiating factor is that instead of one moneyline per event, there are dozens of 2-ball lines posted in the run-up to PGA Tour stops.

2-Ball Round vs. Tournament Betting

2-Ball betting is offered for both the entire tournament and individual rounds. Typically, tournament (72-hole) and Round 1 matchups are posted a few days before the event begins. Since PGA Tour events almost always start on Thursday, bettors can expect odds to be hung by Monday.

The earlier the odds are posted, the better, as early lines have yet to be hammered into place by the sharps, making it easier to find line discrepancies at golf betting sites.

After each round of play, the 2-ball tournament odds are adjusted and posted as in-play bets. Additionally, new 18-hole round bets will be offered.

Golf tournaments have the longest in-play period of any sport, spanning four days. Thanks to the nightly layovers between rounds, sportsbooks have ample time to adjust the lines, and won’t necessarily juice in-play lines any more than their pregame counterparts.

That means that golf bettors will often find the same pricing for Round 1 matchups that they will for subsequent rounds, and that the vigorish on tournament matchups won’t spike too drastically from day to day.

Multiple 2-Ball Pairings

It’s worth noting that some online sportsbooks are getting more aggressive with their 2-ball golf betting options. Instead of simply pairing one golfer against another, they may use the same golfer for multiple head-to-head matchups.

When this happens it looks like the example below:

Notice that Emiliano Grillo has matchups against both Chris Stroud and J.T. Posten. Likewise, Stroud and Posten also have two pairings. Notably, the house edge on these wagers is a bit higher (~5.2%) than normal, although that could just be coincidental.

Two-Way vs. Three-Way 2-Ball Bets

One question PGA bettors might have when learning about 2-ball bets is what happens when there’s a draw. Well, it depends if the wager is a two-way or three-way 2-ball bet.

The examples listed above are all two-way matchups. Golf bettors can place wagers on either player, but not on a draw. If there is a tie, then the bets are voided and all stakes are refunded in full.

However, there is another form of 2-ball betting where players can bet on two golfers to shoot the same score. They’re called three-way 2-ball bets, and while they’re not quite as common, many sportsbooks support them in some capacity.

These matchups are easily distinguishable from two-way matchups in that there are three betting options, one on each player and one on a draw. Using the Rahm vs. Mcilroy example from earlier, the three-way matchup odds might look like this:

• Jon Rahm: +105
• Rory Mcilroy: +125
• Draw: +700

Notice that the odds on Rahm and Mcilroy have lengthened. This may make it seem like the wager offers greater value. However, in the fairly strong likelihood of a tie, bets on individuals are no longer refunded. They’re counted as losers.

Bettors that feel strongly about a golfer may want to take the risk, but adding the draw option usually increases the juice. In this case, it goes from 4.5% to 7%. When betting without a known edge it’s almost always better to wager on the “no tie” line.

Note: Golf betting sites often denote 2-ball bets as either “2-ball including tie” or “2-ball, no tie”. Some sportsbooks ditch the 2-ball term altogether, and just call them Matchbets.

What Is A 3-Ball Bet In Golf?

A 3-ball in golf is very similar to a 2-ball, the big difference being that the matchup features three golfers. 3-ball bets usually go off at longer odds but are moderately harder to win. They’re still much easier to cash than an outright winner future.

As is the case with 2-ball matchups, 3-ball matchups pair golfers of relatively equal skill, Therefore, the pregame odds will generally be clustered in a tight range. For instance, a recent 3-ball matchup from the 3M Open displayed the following odds:

• Sepp Straka: +175
• Tony Finau: +160
• Hideki Matsuyama: +175

Notice that all three golfers are listed at similar positive odds. Again, this may lead bettors into thinking they’re getting a bargain because each bet pays significantly better than even money. However, three golfers of similar skill would each need to be listed at +200 odds for the bet to be considered neutral +EV, or fair.

In reality, the vigorish on this wager is about 10%. Some golf betting sites don’t juice 3-ball matchups quite so heavily, but bettors are always going to pay more taxes on 3-ball bets than 2-balls.

As the round or tournament progresses, the in-play 3-ball lines may shift dramatically. If one golfer gets out to an early two- or three-stroke lead, their odds will undoubtedly shift to negative. By the later holes, it’s not uncommon for one golfer to be at -10000 odds or shorter.

3-Ball Matchup Ties

One of the other defining factors of 3-ball golf matchups is that in the case of ties, a sportsbook’s dead heat rules will usually apply. What usually happens is that your stake will be divided by the number of golfers that tied for first, and payouts will be based on the new stake.

Using the example listed above, let’s say you placed a $100 wager on Straka at +175 odds. Straka shoots 3-under for the round, Finau also shoots 3-under, and Matsuyama shoots par. Among the three competitors, Straka and Finau are tied for first.

The $100 wager is divided into two. $50 is lost and the other $50 is paid at +175, for a total payout of $137.50. Even though two golfers tied, the odds were long enough for the wager to return a small profit. If all three golfers tied, the bet would be based on a $33.33 stake and would return $91.66, a small loss. In this instance, the $8.34 loss clearly illustrates the impact of vigorish.

Moving Beyond 3-Ball: Golf Group Betting

Most sports betting sites have expanded their golf match betting lobbies beyond 2-ball and 3-ball. When 4+ golfers are pitted against one another, it’s called a group bet.

Fundamentally, golf group betting is the same as 3-ball, except that bettors are tasked with picking a winner from a group of 4, 5, or even 6 players. Some golf betting apps have even adopted names for group betting. For instance, DraftKings Sportsbook calls groups of six golfers “six shooters”.

Group betting straddles the line between head-to-head matchups and futures. Six Shooters offer significantly longer odds than 2-ball matches, but the longest of longshots are still only listed at around +1000 odds, as opposed to +10000 odds or greater when betting outrights.

Of course, as the round or tournament progresses, heavy group favorites and underdogs will emerge, but that usually doesn’t happen until later in the event.

The juice is also somewhere between that of 2-ball bets and futures. For groups of four, the house edge is usually around 10-11%, spiking to 14-18% for groups of six.

Considering that group tournament lines are only posted a few days in advance, that’s a nearly insurmountable edge. Therefore, bettors interested in preserving their bankroll are wise to avoid larger group golf bets.

The dead heat rules also apply to group betting. As an example, if your golfer is tied for first with two others, then the stake is first divided by three. This new stake is used to calculate your return.

Best Sports Betting Apps For 2-Ball Betting

Nearly all golf betting sites offer some form of match betting, but some are only testing the waters, while others have fully dived in.

Here’s a look at some of the best legal sports betting apps for 2-ball betting:

• DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings is the best sportsbook for 2-ball matchups. No one has better pricing or more betting options. The 2-ball vigorish is usually less than 4%, which is what bettors might expect from an NBA or NFL moneyline, not a pairing of two potentially little-known golfers. Ironically, the house edge on Six Shooters is through the roof, often surpassing 20%. Stick to the head-to-head matchups.
• FanDuel Sportsbook: Fanduel offers 2-ball and 3-ball betting for all PGA Tour events. The 2-ball market covers pregame and in-play tournament matchups, as well as individual round contests. The in-play vigorish is highly competitive, ranging between 4.5 – 5.5%. FanDuel also posts three-way 2-ball lines for the Majors, but the vigorish on these runs higher. If there’s one drawback to betting 2-balls on FanDuel, it’s that the app will often lock the live lines for extended periods.
• BetMGM Sportsbook: BetMGM is a great option for 2-ball bettors. The app is very liberal with its event coverage, offering dozens of two- and three-way 2-ball lines for every major PGA event. The house edge on these wagers clocks in at about 5%, but does occasionally dip as low as 4%. Group betting isn’t quite as prominent on BetMGM, but group props will sometimes be offered during the Masters or other Majors.

House Rules Regarding Golf Matchups

2/3 ball and group betting may seem straightforward, but there are a lot of nuances that go into determining a winner.

Thankfully, the house rules for golf matchups are fairly uniform across major sports betting brands. It’s still worth reading the golf betting rules at every sportsbook, but don’t stress if you only have time to read one set.

There are three important rules that golf bettors should be cognizant of before placing their first matchup wager:

• Dead Heat Rules: Dead heat rules only apply to 3-ball and group matchups. As mentioned previously, they come into effect when two or more golfers tie for first. When there’s a tie, the stake is divided by the number of players that tied, and the divided stake is paid at the listed odds. Occasionally, golf betting sites may instead shift the odds. This rare rule variation is extremely beneficial for players because they’ll always get their entire stake back plus something extra. With traditional dead heat rules, it’s possible to lose money on winning tickets.
• Missing the cut: If a golfer misses the cut after two rounds, all 2-ball wagers on the golfer that advanced are graded as winners, immediately. Likewise, 3-ball wagers are graded immediately if two golfers in the group fail to advance to Round 3. It doesn’t matter if the golfer that proceeds finishes with a higher score than his opponents. They could shoot double-bogies all day Saturday and Sunday and still be declared the group winner.
• Withdrawals: When a golfer withdraws before the tournament or round starts, all match bets are voided and refunded. However, if a golfer withdraws or is disqualified during the round, then their 2-ball opponent automatically wins. For 3-ball or group matchups, withdrawals merely result in the group size being reduced by one. The bet still stands. In the extremely rare scenario where everyone in a specific group withdraws or is DQ’d, the bet is voided and stakes returned.

2-Ball Golf Betting FAQ