The 2025 PGA Tour and Major Championships are generating substantial buzz among golf enthusiasts and bettors alike, particularly due to a series of longshot parlay picks that promise extraordinary returns on modest wagers. Golf expert Eric Cohen and other analysts have unlocked a niche of PGA props and parlay bets that could transform a small investment into life-changing payouts. This report delves into the landscape of these betting opportunities, highlighting key tournaments, top picks, strategies, and the surrounding context of the 2025 season.
The Rise of Longshot Parlays in PGA Tour Betting
Recent years have seen an increasing popularity of longshot parlays among PGA Tour bettors, largely due to their massive payout potential. Unlike single bets or shorter parlays, these longshot combinations involve multiple legs — often seven to ten separate picks — that must all hit for the wager to pay off. The allure: a $10 bet can yield anywhere between $1 million and upwards of $1.6 million if successful.
Eric Cohen, a prominent figure in this space, has repeatedly locked in such high-stakes parlays on major events including the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, Memorial Tournament, Canadian Open, and Masters Tournament. These picks combine outright winners with prop bets — predicting specific player finishes, head-to-head comparisons, and performance benchmarks — maximizing the odds and payoff.
Highlights of Key 2025 PGA Tour Longshot Parlays
– 2025 U.S. Open (Oakmont Country Club)
The U.S. Open at Oakmont is a historic and notoriously challenging venue. It has attracted considerable attention for longshot bets, particularly given the field locked in for June 12–15. Dustin Johnson, a former Oakmont winner, remains a popular dark horse at +1500 odds. Experts also weigh in on lesser-known players like Ben Griffin (+7500 to win) and Harris English (+10,000), whose Top 20 finishes offer intriguing value. Cohen’s 10-leg parlay here combines these players with prop bets to aim for a payout around $1 million from a $10 wager.
– 2025 PGA Championship
The PGA Championship’s parlay picks exhibit a similar structure, with Cohen’s $10 eight-leg parlay reportedly paying over $1.1 million. Picks include potential breakout stars like Viktor Hovland, as well as a carefully selected roster of prop bets emphasizing strokes gained, top 10 placements, and head-to-head outcomes against favored players.
– 2025 Memorial Tournament & Canadian Open
Parallel parlays targeting the Memorial and RBC Canadian Open illustrate the depth of Cohen’s expertise in spotting value everywhere on the schedule. Both tournaments feature seven to eight-leg parlays with returns exceeding the million-dollar mark for a $10 bet, showcasing the viability of high-payoff strategies not only in majors but in regular tour events.
– 2025 Masters and Other Tournaments
The $1 million-plus parlays extend beyond majors to events like the Masters, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and RBC Heritage. Each features a blend of outright winner picks and props tailored to course conditions, player form, and historic performance, spearheading a season-long momentum for PGA betting aficionados.
Analytical Approach: Data-Driven Simulations and Expert Insights
Behind these high-return bets is a meticulous process combining statistical modeling and expert intuition. For instance, SportsLine’s model simulated the U.S. Open field 10,000 times, yielding insights into player probabilities like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy’s chances and suggesting under-the-radar contenders. These simulations help quantify the risk-to-reward ratio of longshots while guiding the construction of parlays.
Cohen’s picks are grounded in a blend of world golf rankings, recent performance metrics, course suitability, and betting market dynamics. For example, players ranked outside the usual top favorites but with excellent course histories or strong recent strokes-gained data become prime candidates for these props and parlays.
Betting Market Dynamics and Strategic Considerations
The presence of both PGA Tour and LIV Golf players in major events complicates betting markets, potentially shifting odds due to split loyalties or uncertain field strengths. Bryson DeChambeau’s appearance, for instance, adds an unpredictable element. Bettors must navigate these nuances, weighing favorites’ consistency against the upside of longshot players who may benefit from the unique course setups or less intense scrutiny.
These parlays’ extreme payout profiles also demand an acceptance of high variance. A $10 bet is affordable and manageable for most, but the probability of hitting every leg of a 7-10 event parlay is narrow; however, the payoffs serve as irresistible jackpots for risk-tolerant punters.
Notable Longshot and Sleeper Picks
– Scottie Scheffler: Despite being a favorite, he remains a pillar in many simulated outcomes, underpinning parsimonious bet components.
– Rory McIlroy: Similarly consistent, included often to stabilize parlays.
– Dustin Johnson: Known for clutch U.S. Open performances, especially at Oakmont.
– Ben Griffin & Harris English: Offers high odds value in top placement bets.
– Mackenzie Hughes: Popular for Canadian Open props.
– Justin Thomas & Patrick Cantlay: Value bets particularly in the U.S. Open, with Cantlay’s 45-1 odds proposed as an opportunity for bettors seeking first majors.
Conclusion: Transforming Small Stakes into Monumental Rewards
The advent of these sophisticated longshot parlays represents an evolution in golf betting strategy—where analytical rigor and expert insight intersect to engineer bets with extraordinary upside. By embedding outright winners, value-focused dark horses, and leveraged player props within multi-leg parlays, bettors can potentially turn as little as $10 into over a million dollars during the 2025 PGA Tour season.
These bets are not just whims but calculated endeavors rooted in deep data analysis, historical performance, and tactical understanding of course and player dynamics. Whether targeting the grueling Oakmont layout for the U.S. Open or the variable challenges of the PGA Championship and other Tour stops, the smart bettor’s playbook is increasingly about blending probability with pay-off potential.
For those willing to embrace risk and foster patience, the 2025 golf season offers a compelling landscape where the right parlay could change the game—both in sport and in betting.
