Which Olympic Men’s Golf longshots offer the best value?
Are the favorites in the Olympic Men’s Golf odds just too good for a sleeper pick to compete?
The game’s best from all tours across the world meet in Paris, France to compete in the Olympic Men’s Golf. Scottie Scheffler lost his position as the favorite in the Olympic Men’s Golf odds, as Xander Schauffele has promptly taken over, but you’ll still want to keep an eye on the Olympic Men’s Golf sleeper picks. This is the third year in a row that professionals have competed in the event, as they play for gold, silver, and bronze medals. To make things easier for players, and better for fans, there is no Olympic Men’s Golf projected cut line to worry about.
Over the past two Olympic games, longshots have not fared well outside of C.T. Pan, who won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo. Justin Rose won in 2016 during the Olympic games in Rio, with Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar winning silver and bronze. Four years later it was 2-time major champion Xander Schauffele who won the gold medal in Tokyo, with Rory Sabbatini, who played for Slovakia, winning the silver medal, and the previously mentioned Pan, winning the bronze.
Australian super star Jason Day headlines the list of sleeper picks heading to Paris to play in Olympic Men’s Golf. In 2016, Day sat out of the Rio Olympics, citing the Zika virus that was going around at the time, as his reason for not playing. While he has represented his country in several events, no bigger win would be on this stage. Sitting 31st in the official world golf rankings, Day has four top-10 finishes in 18 events played this year. With one major championship title to his credit, Day certainly has the game to thrive in the toughest of mental and physical conditions. Keep an eye out for Day this week as he looks to propel Australia to a gold medal.
Teeing it up in his homeland must be a special feeling for Matthieu Pavon, as this season has already been one to remember. A winner on every tour he has teed it up in, from the French Tour to the Alps Tour, the EPGA and now this year on the PGA Tour, Pavon has shown a knack for being able to come through in the clutch. The 31-year-old from Toulouse, France will have lofty expectations from the hometown crowd as he tries to capture Olympic gold. Sitting 23rd in the official world golf rankings, Pavon is certainly a name worth keeping a close watch on as he looks to write an incredible story this week in Paris.
Another sleeper to keep an eye on this week is Christiaan Bezuidenhout from South Africa. With three wins in his career on the European Tour, Bezuidenhout is still in search of his first PGA Tour victory. A member of the 2022 international team in the Presidents Cup, Bezuidenhout played in two matches, winning one and tying the other. Twice he has finished second in a PGA Tour event, once in 2022 at the John Deere Classic, and this past January when he came in second at The American Express. Sitting 46th in the official world golf rankings, it’s only a matter of time before the 30-year-old comes through with his first win on the big stage.
Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Fox (+500000 at Caesars Sportsbook)
*Odds were +35000
Representing New Zealand, Ryan Fox arrives in Paris as the 63rd ranked golfer in the official world golf rankings. Playing in his first Olympic games, Fox is no stranger to victories throughout his career with 17 of them as a professional. Highlighted by his four wins on the European Tour, Fox is looking to get back to the winner’s circle for the first time since his win last year at the BMW PGA Championship. With three top-10 finishes in 19 events this year, Fox is riding a streak of eight straight made cuts as he prepares to tee it up. If Olympic Men’s Golf sleeper picks is your thing, have a look at Fox to maybe surprise a few people this week.
Sami Valimaki (+250000 at Caesars Sportsbook)
*Odds were +40000
Rounding out our picks for sleepers at the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition is Sami Valimaki of Finland. With two wins to his record on the European Tour, Valimaki has shown this season that he can compete with the world’s best on the PGA Tour. A second-place finish at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, Valimaki also finished tied for 12th at the John Deere Classic earlier in July. Now representing his country, the 105th ranked golfer in the official world golf rankings will be looking to make his country proud by waving the Finnish flag for his homeland.
Current Favorites to win in Olympic Men’s Golf
Player
Odds
Xander Schauffele
+150
Tommy Fleetwood
+360
Hideki Matsuyama
+500
Jon Rahm
+550
Scottie Scheffler
+1200
Rory McIlroy
+1800
Tom Kim
+2000
Thomas Detry
+3500
Joaquin Niemann
+4500
Corey Conners
+5500
Odds provided by FanDuel – accurate as of August 3
A former producer at Sportsnet, Michael has years of experience covering and writing about sports. With three Olympic Games under his belt as well as several World Series, Stanley Cup Playoffs, NBA, Golf, Tennis and NFL events and championships, Michael has a wealth of years of sports knowledge to lean on.
