2 Ball & 3 Ball Betting In Golf – Rules, Tips, & Strategies Explained

Are you familiar with 2-ball and 3-ball golf wagers? If not, you’ve come to the right place.  MrBetting.co.uk golf experts have put together this guide, which will explain to you 2-ball and 3-ball betting, show you why it’s a safer golf betting option, and provide you with some useful tips and tricks to help you win more often using the 2-ball and 3-ball methods.

We’ll also go over what to look for and where to get the data you need to make wiser choices and use your knowledge in future situations should you decide to place these types of wagers on golf. 

What are 2 Balls and 3 Balls in Golf Betting?

⛳ 2 Ball Golf Betting Rules

A head-to-head wager is made while betting on two balls. Rather than selecting a single player to defeat a field of up to 156 players over four rounds, you place a wager on a single player to shoot a lower score than the opponent with whom they are paired over 18 holes. Golfers often play in groups of two or three, and odds on some or all of those pairings will be available. If two golfers finish with the same score, some online sportsbooks will simply reject the wager, while others give odds on ties between players.

For example, if Jon Rahm were paired against Rory Mcilroy the odds of a 2-ball matchup may look like this: 

• Jon Rahm: +115
• Scottie Scheffler: -105

In this match, Rahm is the favourite to win, and wagerers who win will make £100 for every £115 staked. Scheffler is a small underdog despite his negative odds. The total return on a £105 wager is £205 (£100 in wins plus the £105 original stake). Compared to golf futures bets, 2-ball bets have a significantly smaller house advantage. Naturally, cashing them in is also much simpler. In this case, the vig is 4.5%, which is essentially in line with industry standards.

⛳ 2-Ball Round vs. Tournament Betting

There is 2 ball betting available for each round of the event as well as for the whole thing. A few days before the start of the event, the 72-hole tournament and the Round 1 pairings are usually announced. Given that PGA Tour events often begin on Thursday, gamblers should anticipate odds that are hung by Monday. Since the sharps haven’t yet pressed early lines into place, it’s simpler to spot line discrepancies at golf betting sites, the sooner the odds are presented, the better.

The odds for the 2 ball event are updated and shown as in-play wagers following each round of competition. There will also be new betting on the 18-hole round. Of all sports, golf events have the longest in-play duration—four days. Sportsbooks have plenty of time to modify the odds because there are nighttime layovers in between rounds; thus, they won’t necessarily juice in-play lines more than their pregame counterparts.

This implies that the pricing for Round 1 matches will frequently be the same for following rounds for golf bettors and that the daily volatility of tournament matchups won’t be too high.

⛳ 3 Ball Golf Betting Rules

In golf, a 3-ball and a 2-ball are quite similar. The main distinction is that three players are competing in the golf tournament or match. Though they are somewhat more difficult to win, 3-ball wagers typically pay off at larger odds at sports betting sites. Even so, they’re still far simpler to cash than a future clear winner. Similar to two-ball matches, three-ball matches put golfers of roughly comparable talent together. As a result, the pregame odds are typically concentrated within a small range. 

Another characteristic that sets 3-ball golf matches apart is that ties are typically settled using a sportsbook’s dead heat rules. Typically, your stake is split by the total number of players who tied for first place, and payments are made using the adjusted stake. 

⛳ Golf Group Betting

Beyond 2-ball markets and 3-ball markets, the majority of online sportsbook websites now provide different strategies, such as group betting on golf matches. A group bet is when more than two players are paired together or more than four golf players in the group in a specific round are paired against one another.

Fundamentally, this type of betting is the same as 3-ball, except that bettors are faced with choosing a winner from a collective of 4, 5, or even 6 players. Some golf betting applications have even taken titles for this type of betting. Groups of six golfers are referred to as “six shooters” by DraftKings, for example.

Group betting lies in the middle of futures and head-to-head competitions. Six Shooters give substantially higher odds than 2-ball matches, however, the longest of longshots are still only advertised at roughly +1000 odds, as compared to +10000 odds or greater when betting on the outright winner.

Of course, strong group favourites and underdogs will surface as the round or tournament goes on, but that normally doesn’t happen until much later in the proceedings. The juice is also halfway between that of 2-ball bets and futures. The house edge for groups of four is often between 10 and 11%, but for groups of six, it can spike to 14 to 18%.

That’s an almost insurmountable advantage, given that group tournament lines are only announced a few days beforehand. Thus, it makes sense for bettors who want to protect their bankroll to stay away from bigger group golf wagers. Group betting is subject to the same dead heat regulations. For instance, the stake is initially split by three if your golfer is tied for first place with two other players. 

Golf 3 Ball Betting Rules and Recommendations: Getting Started

✔️ Start by selecting a Trustworthy Sportsbook

Now that you know what 3-ball and 2-ball betting in golf means, you can place a bet, but first, you must choose a trustworthy sportsbook. We advise you to review the terms and conditions to make sure you understand what you are getting into and that your data is protected. Lastly, register with websites like GoldenBet, JackBit, FreshBet, and Rolletto to find who is offering the greatest odds on your selection. 

✔️ Creating an Account and Depositing Funds

You need to open an account and add money after determining which sportsbook has the best odds for your stake. After that, certain personal data must be registered, including your address and social security number. Next, money may be added to your wallet using a credit card, bank transfer, or PayPal at some sportsbooks.

Important Things to Think About When It Comes To 2-Ball Betting and 3 Ball Betting In Golf

There are a few betting strategies to consider before placing your 2-ball golf betting wagers, or even your 3-ball before picking a winner. Think about your options’ advantages and disadvantages about the weather and the golf course while making a 3-ball wager. We would also advise taking into account the golfer’s health and current form. If Rory McIlroy wins a tournament but gets a niggle in the process, he could not be fully recovered for this one. We also take a player’s mental health into account. Do they have complete focus, or are outside distractions preventing them from giving their best performance?

✅ Researching Players and Their Form

On their website, the PGA Tour and its affiliates provide a plethora of player data that lets you examine their game from tee to green. Identifying the player’s skills and limitations as well as the common factors that lead to success in the course that is hosting the tournament may be done with this. Even the PGA Tour’s Tour Cast tool allows you to view the exact locations of every shot made by the previous event champion for the current week. 

You should concentrate on players who have a strong green in regulation (GIR) record, for instance, if the course features tight greens. Additionally, you may think about skilled scramblers who, despite obstacles in their way, can still finish on par even after missing a green.

✅ Assess the Course and Conditions and Layout

Determine how compatible the size of the field is with your preferred choice before placing a bet. Is there a golfer who’s likely to win, who can consistently score low if the course is long and narrow? Does the player have the necessary distance and fairway? Don’t forget to consider the surrounding greenery. Do you need good lag putters since the greens are so large and swift? As an alternative, is the green limited, and does posting a respectable round require accuracy in approach?

✅ Assessing the Latest Information and Updates

Aside from form and statistics, we constantly consider the news and mental health of golfers. For that reason, we don’t always support Rory McIlroy or other big-name players. However, these types of golfers frequently become very passionate about matters that are important to them, which causes them to become distracted and perform worse. Look into the athlete’s health and general well-being in the lead-up to the event. Perhaps the golfer is going through a divorce or a family member is unwell. These elements have a psychological effect on golfers and hinder their ability to play at their best.

Popular 2-Ball and 3-Ball Golf Betting Rules and Strategies

🏌️ Supporting the Preferred Players in Question

Selecting the group’s favourite when you’re betting is the safest way to wager on three-ball golf. The favourite has very little chance of recording the lowest round because of this, hence a large investment is required to get a respectable return. In major tournaments, we believe it becomes more difficult to support the favourite when you have many good players. Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, and Tyrrell Hatton were teamed for the 2024 PGA Championship. There is a chance that one of these three excellent players would post the lowest round, which would lessen the favoured bet’s safety.

🏌️ Finding Valuable Bets

In the 3-ball, apply your understanding of a player’s advantages over their opponents. Search for remaining players who aren’t the clear favourite but have what it takes to perform well in the layout and circumstances and produce a low round. If you don’t know that rank outsiders have performed well on courses with comparable conditions, they aren’t worth your money.

🏌️ Examining Opportunities for In-Play Betting

Given the circumstances of the round, in-play betting possibilities provide live odds. You can uncover some amazing odds on reliable players if you stay up to speed with the scoring. For instance, before the round, Rory McIlroy is priced at +100, which is even money, which deters fortune seekers from placing such a wager. His companions stay at even par while he goes on to bogey the first two holes, and McIlroy surges to +350 all of a sudden. You can potentially win £350 if you bet £100 on the Northern Irishman.

A Dead Heat: What Takes Place?

Usually, if two players in the 3-ball card have the same total for the round, the sportsbook will half your investment and return the original odds. With +350 odds, your £20 wager on Rory Mcilroy to shoot the lowest score in the round is worth only £10. Your initial payout was therefore £90, as you were expected to get £70 in addition to your initial £20 bet back. The payoff is £35 plus the £10 investment, for a total of £45, if McIlroy and Spieth tie for the round. Otherwise, your stake is reduced to £10.

Concusion

The first two days of a tournament provide an enjoyable and less dangerous option for golf 3 ball betting. Compared to selecting a winner versus the full field, it is simpler to select one player to shoot a lower round than his two teammates. The odds of these bets are usually not good, though, as your possibilities of winning go up. In comparison to selecting an obvious winner, this implies that your reward potential is much smaller.

We recommend checking out our featured bookies and betting offers for the current odds and possibilities for weekly PGA Tour tournaments if the lesser risk of 3-ball betting seems intriguing.