The “will he, won’t he” dance linked to a possible Cameron Smith defection to LIV Golf has dominated headlines surrounding the PGA Tour in recent weeks, but it hasn’t been all bad news for tour golfers.
Smith withdrew from the BMW Championship on Tuesday, effectively signaling that the end is near for the 2022 Open Champion. His absence has opened the door for others to position themselves up the FedExCup standings, including a player who came within strokes of etching his name onto the Claret Jug.
Cameron Young saw the highest increase in odds to win the BMW Championship following Smith’s withdrawal, jumping from +3300 to +2200 at BetMGM. Young is also the public favorite, garnering 9.2% of the ticket percentage and 14.8% of the handle.
Here are the odds, courtesy of BetMGM.
Rory McIlroy: +1100
Jon Rahm: +1200
Matt Fitzpatrick: +1400
Justin Thomas: +1600
Patrick Cantlay: +1600
Scottie Scheffler: +1600
Tony Finau: +1600
Will Zalatoris: +1600
Collin Morikawa: +2000
Xander Schauffele: +2000
Cameron Young: +2200
Young has had seven top-10 finishes this season, with his most recent coming at the Open Championship in a losing effort to Smith. He has not won a tournament in his career yet, however, meaning the public is leaning on a heavy hunch that Virginia Water, Surrey, England will be the place he gets the job done.
Young is currently ranked No. 13 in the FedExCup standings.
