Our golf expert David John takes an early look at the odds for the 2017/18 PGA Tour Money List and feels Jon Rahm could be value at 14/1.
Justin Thomas leapfrogged Jordan Spieth on the final day of the PGA Tour season to hit the summit of the PGA Tour Money List in what was a closely-fought battle down the home stretch.
The focus remains fully on the separate FedEx Cup standings these day in terms of the sport’s perspective but a bet on the Money List gives punters a really nice long-term interest if you can pinpoint the right players.
Matt Kuchar’s mathematical anomaly in 2010 when he got over the line thanks to a hugely consistent campaign but just a solitary PGA Tour success won’t be replicated as the youth movement in the USA looks set to dominate.
2016-17 Money List Top Five
Sky Bet odds to win the 2017-18 Money List in brackets
Proven major winners and world class players like Thomas, Spieth and Rory McIlroy are likely to be joined at the very top table over the next few years by a fearless bunch not scared of winning multiple times – it is hard to see a scenario of Tiger Woods-style domination with such strength in depth.
Spieth ended up around $500,000 shy of Thomas come the final reckoning and is Sky Bet’s 11/4 favourite to regain his crown with the PGA Champion 13/2 and Dustin Johnson sandwiched in between on 7/2.
Question marks over McIlroy’s physical state means he is on offer at 13/2 and the Ulsterman has promised to get himself completely sorted out for 2018 but these little niggles take time to repair and can manifest themselves into more long-term issues – just ask Tiger.
My early eye is drawn then to the early 14/1 available for Spain’s Jon Rahm in the belief he will live up to the massive hype that surrounds him next year.
He recorded his breakthrough victory this year at Torrey Pines and was only a whisker away from adding more trophies to his cabinet with near misses at the World Match Play and Colonial before jetting over to Europe and triumphing in some style in the Irish Open.
What appeals most about Rahm at the price is the huge scope he has for improvement in the major championships.
His record in 2017 reads a very dreary T27-MC-T44-T58 and it was clear that those events were very much a learning curve for the 22-year-old as he develops the right mentality for the four toughest examinations on the calendar.
I can't see him being held back too much longer due to his desire to get that corrected and Rahm is a generous price for everything to start dropping into place in 2018, so just watch him go!
