Few PGA Tour mainstays find themselves on the proverbial ropes of making the cut at this year’s Ryder Cup like Louisville’s Justin Thomas.
That’s because Thomas currently finds himself 14th in the latest Ryder Cup rankings. Only the top six in points through the BMW Championship (which concludes Aug. 20) automatically qualify for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Then U.S. captain Zach Johnson will make six captain’s picks one week later, after the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Legal, regulated Kentucky sports betting won’t quite launch in time for those August PGA Tour events but it’s coming soon, with retail wagering set to begin Sept. 7 and mobile operators aiming to go live on Sept. 28.
As of now, BetMGM Kentucky Sportsbook has the United States as the favorite at -175, despite Europe winning 9 of the last 13 Ryder Cups.
The 2023 Ryder Cup is set for Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome as the Americans defend their 2021 title against Team Europe.
Here are our odds for who will make the American team, listed in order of where they currently sit in Ryder Cup points. Scottie Scheffler, the 2002 Masters champion, and 2023 U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark have already clinched spots on the U.S. team.
Odds Of Making 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup Team
Is Thomas On Outside Looking In?
When sports betting apps in Kentucky launch, you won’t find these odds there – only at BetKentucky.com.
As for Thomas, a two-time Ryder Cup participant, he needs to turn in strong showings at the PGA’s stops at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina this weekend and at next week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis to make up some ground.
That’s because the Kentucky native finds himself on the outside looking in, behind Ryder Cup mainstays like Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley, along with up-and-coming American Collin Morikawa.
Thomas enters this week’s event in North Carolina just under 522 points behind Fowler for that 12th spot. Johnson is still a few weeks away from making his captain’s picks, giving Thomas some time to gain ground on the competition if he does not get there on points.
Who Are Sure Bets For U.S. Ryder Cup Team?
Two players have qualified already – Scheffler and Clark – and there are seven players who we’re calling pretty much locks to make the team. Those seven include Open Championship winner Brian Harman, PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, plus Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Max Homa and Cameron Young, So the top tier of the American team should be a no-brainer for Johnson.
The rest of the squad gets a bit dicey, with major winners such as Morikawa among those that’ll likely need a captain’s pick to make the team.
With the PGA Tour heating up in the summer, we will know a lot more one way or another about where Thomas fits into that mix in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, stick with BetKentucky to learn more about Kentucky sportsbook promos that will become available when the state’s sports wagering operation gets underway.
