Best Bets and Sleeper Picks for the Tokyo Olympics Golf Tournaments

The fields are set for the Golf Olympics in Tokyo. 60 men and 60 women will compete in 72-hole stroke-play events held on back-to-back weeks at Kasumigaseki Country Club. Each competitor arrives in Japan with the same goal in mind; however, only six will head home with a medal draped around their neck. 

Chances are you’re interested in getting some money down on the action, so let’s cut right to the chase.

Here are my best bets for the Golf Olympics.

Before I address my top pick on the men’s side, know that it’s crucial to shop your lines across multiple sites before pulling the trigger on any Olympic bets. My colleague has showcased the best apps for betting on the Olympics, and a quick scan comparing the prices should help you spot any discrepancies that could lead to capturing value.

Speaking of value, Viktor Hovland is my top value play at +1400. I could go on and on raving about the Norwegian’s recent results, but this segment was designed to highlight the best pick. And that’s undoubtedly Jon Rahm.

Since finishing 8^th at the PGA Championship in May, I’ll quickly sum up what the new father has been up to.

On top of being elite, Rahm plays with as much passion and fire as anyone. It’s as if the Spaniard was built to compete in the Olympics. More on why Jon is the man to beat in Tokyo can be found in my Olympic golf power rankings for Tokyo.

I’ve been touting Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson all year long when delivering LPGA picks. Recency bias points toward backing Nelly Korda, and I’m fully aware that Inbee Park returns to the Summer Games as the defending champ.

Having said that, I find myself continually circling back to Danielle Kang when the time comes to lock in my top Olympic golf picks. Danielle’s +1000 price tag at the first few sites I encountered wasn’t what pulled me in; it was her +1800 number that you can find at BetUS. Not to mention the fact that the Olympics mean so much to Kang that she was willing to skip the Evian Championship in order to be fully prepared.

Ranked 6^th in the Rolex Rankings, the LPGA Tour’s leader in putting average has spent ample time of late honing in on her craft with Butch Harmon at home. Butch recently stated that she’s “more than ready” and that her swing is in a terrific spot.

Looking for an outsider who might be primed for a podium finish? After addressing my top picks for the Golf Olympics, now’s a good time to toss out a few names who might not be on your radar.

With so many heavy hitters in the field in Tokyo, it’s easy to lose Cameron Smith’s name in the shuffle. Know that the 27-year-old Aussie is tops on the PGA Tour in putting average and birdie or better conversion rate, plus he knows how to get off to fast starts. As in, he leads the PGA Tour in round 1 scoring average.

Further down the list at +8000 to don the gold, Thomas Pieters won’t succumb to pressure. Nor will he be caught up in the Olympic hype. Pieters has “been there and done that” – he finished solo-4^th at the 2016 Olympic Golf Tournament in Rio. T29-T12-T35 in his last three starts upon arrival.

Leona Maguire’s +4000 Olympic golf odds (at BetUS) are enticing, especially considering she’s lurking at +2500 at multiple sites. While the former top-ranked amateur is yet to score a victory on the LPGA circuit, there’s no denying the fact that she’s been knocking on the door.

Jon Rahm is my pick to win the gold medal. Perhaps fading Collin Morikawa is a mistake, and I’m more content with sprinkling a few shares on Viktor Hovland.

Those looking to roll the dice on a couple of sleeper picks for the Golf Olympics, backing Cameron Smith and Thomas Pieters could lead to a Sunday (or Saturday night depending on where you are) sweat.

Over on the women’s side, Danielle is as feisty of a competitor as I’ve seen in the women’s game. She’s uber-talented and has a really sick short game; +1800 odds are too juicy to pass on.

It seems unlikely that one of the dark horse females would leave Kasumigaseki CC with a gold medal in hand, but don’t put it past Leona Maguire to make a little noise. She’s got plenty of firepower to get into contention, as evidenced by when she shot 23-under-par last month at Blythefield Country Club.

If you’d like some advice for making your own picks, check out our Olympic golf betting guide.