Golf odds: Rory McIlroy the opening favorite to finish 2017 ranked No. 1

Nobody knows what this year has in store except that a Northern Irishman will finish No. 1

By Kyle Porter

Jan 2, 2017 at 11:45 am ET • 2 min read

It's a new year, and the 2016-17 PGA Tour season is about to start back up. Starting this week, there is a golf tournament pretty much every weekend until December, and Bookmaker.eu has released some odds on what's going to transpire in this new calendar year.

There are some wonky wagers, some interesting ones and some that I have no idea which way to lean on. Let's take a look at some of my favorites heading into the new year.

Who will be No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings on December 31, 2017?

Rory McIlroy: +200
Jason Day: +300
Dustin Johnson: +400
Henrik Stenson: +500
Jordan Spieth: +550
Hideki Matsuyama: +800
Adam Scott: +1200
Bubba Watson: +1700
Patrick Reed: +2200
Rickie Fowler: +2500
Phil Mickelson: +5000
Justin Rose: +5000
Sergio Garcia: +5500
Field: +6000

I personally think McIlroy or Johnson will be the guy, but smart money should probably be on Matsuyama. He is currently No. 6 and not really that many points behind current No. 1 Jason Day. If Matsuyama wins the Masters, we're off to the races.

2017 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year

Ollie Schniederjans: +300
Wesley Bryan: +450
Grayson Murray: +550
J.J. Spain: +1200
Brian Campbell: +1200
JT Poston: +1500
Trey Mulling: +2500
C.T. Pan: +3500
Field: -135

Pan at +3500 is at least intriguing. I'm not sure he has the firepower to win a tournament, though, which is normally what you have to do to win the award. If I had to guess who the Rookie of the Year would be, I would guess Murray.

Who will be named 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain?

Jim Furyk: -110
Davis Love III: +250
Fred Couples: +300
Tiger Woods: +800
Jay Haas: +1500
Paul Azinger: +2000
Mark O'Meara: +2000
David Toms: +2500
Hal Sutton: +3000

It's going to be Love or Furyk. So I guess the smart money here would be on Love.

Will Phil Mickelson win a PGA Tour event in 2017?

Yes: +400
No: -500

He hasn't done so in almost four years now, but he has also come close about 55 times. With his recent injury history, I like no at -500.

Will Bryson DeChambeau win a PGA Tour event using side-saddle putting stroke in 2017?

Yes: +1500
No: -3500

Only 15-1 on yes? I'll go no on this one.

Will Jason Day withdraw from a tournament due to injury in 2017?

Yes: +120
No: -140

Yes, feels like a lock, doesn't it?

Most PGA Tour/European Tour event victories in 2017

Jordan Spieth: -180
Patrick Reed: +155

Spieth all day. Spieth had a really terrific 2016 even if nobody recognized it as such. Plus, he plays enough (compared to a Rory McIlroy) that he can offset the 30 or so tournaments Reed plays every year.