The PGA Championship — the season’s fourth and final major — tees off Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. While it remains to be seen if Tiger Woods will be part of the field, Rory McIlroy — after rallying past Sergio Garcia to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this past weekend — is now an even bigger favorite to claim his second major title of the year.
Woods had to withdraw during the final round at Firestone after hurting his back attempting an awkward shot from the lip of a bunker on the second hole. He continued to play until the ninth, but it was clear he was significantly hampered.
“I don’t know. Just trying to get out of here,” Woods said when asked if he’d be ready for the PGA.
Upon McIloy’s Open Championship victory, the LVH SuperBook opened Tiger at 25-to-1 odds to win at Valhalla. His new price is 40-to-1. Bets on Woods would be refunded at the LVH should he withdraw.
Things are looking much brighter for the world’s new No. 1 player. Coming off a second consecutive win, McIlroy leads the field at odds of 5-to-1 — shortened from an opening price of 7-to-1 — and nobody is particularly close. The next shortest numbers are held by Adam Scott (12-to-1) and Garcia (15-to-1).
ODDS TO WIN 2014 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (LVH)
RORY McILROY 5-1
ADAM SCOTT 12-1
SERGIO GARCIA 15-1
PHIL MICKELSON 20-1
JUSTIN ROSE 20-1
RICKIE FOWLER 20-1
MATT KUCHAR 20-1
HENRIK STENSON 25-1
JORDAN SPIETH 30-1
BUBBA WATSON 30-1
JIM FURYK 30-1
KEEGAN BRADLEY 30-1
TIGER WOODS 40-1
GRAEME McDOWELL 40-1
MARTIN KAYMER 40-1
JASON DAY 40-1
CHARL SCHWARTZEL 40-1
JASON DUFNER 50-1
ZACH JOHNSON 50-1
BRANDT SNEDEKER 50-1
LEE WESTWOOD 50-1
JIMMY WALKER 50-1
HUNTER MAHAN 50-1
MARC LEISHMAN 50-1
WEBB SIMPSON 60-1
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA 60-1
RYAN MOORE 60-1
GARY WOODLAND 80-1
BRENDON TODD 80-1
STEVE STRICKER 80-1
IAN POULTER 80-1
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN 80-1
ANGEL CABRERA 80-1
VICTOR DUBUISSON 80-1
PATRICK REED 80-1
GRAHAM DeLAET 80-1
J.B. HOLMES 80-1
LUKE DONALD 100-1
BILL HAAS 100-1
HARRIS ENGLISH 100-1
NICK WATNEY 100-1
FRANCESCO MOLINARI 125-1
JONAS BLIXT 125-1
PAUL CASEY 125-1
JAMIE DONALDSON 125-1
RYAN PALMER 125-1
ERNIE ELS 150-1
MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ 150-1
SHANE LOWRY 150-1
MATTEO MANASSERO 150-1
BILLY HORSCHEL 150-1
JOHN SENDEN 150-1
CHRIS KIRK 150-1
THOMAS BJORN 150-1
STEPHEN GALLACHER 150-1
KEVIN NA 150-1
BRIAN HARMAN 150-1
SEUNG-YUL NOH 200-1
BROOKS KOEPKA 200-1
THORBJORN OLESEN 200-1
JOOST LUITEN 200-1
CHARLES HOWELL III 200-1
FREDDIE JACOBSON 200-1
CHARLEY HOFFMAN 200-1
BRENDON DE JONGE 200-1
PADRAIG HARRINGTON 200-1
MATT EVERY 200-1
KEVIN STADLER 200-1
K.J. CHOI 200-1
GEORGE COETZEE 200-1
KENNY PERRY 200-1
RYO ISHIKAWA 250-1
MIKKO ILONEN 250-1
MATT JONES 250-1
BEN CRANE 250-1
PABLO LARRAZABAL 250-1
RICHARD STERNE 250-1
BERND WIESBERGER 250-1
THONGCHAI JAIDEE 250-1
KEVIN STREELMAN 250-1
BRANDEN GRACE 250-1
RUSSELL HENLEY 250-1
BOO WEEKLEY 250-1
DAVID TOMS 250-1
SCOTT PIERCY 250-1
GONZALO FERNANDEZ-CASTANO 250-1
CHESSON HADLEY 300-1
DAVIS LOVE III 300-1
VIJAY SINGH 300-1
SCOTT STALLINGS 300-1
DARREN CLARKE 300-1
COLIN MONTGOMERIE 300-1
STEVEN BOWDITCH 300-1
MARC WARREN 300-1
ROBERTO CASTRO 300-1
Y.E. YANG 500-1
JOHN DALY 500-1
FIELD (all others) 20-1
OFF THE BOARD: DUSTIN JOHNSON, BO VAN PELT
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