It’s PGA Championship week and I’ve already shared the Bazza’s Best Bets column, with five top picks for the second men’s Major of the season, but there is still plenty of time to take a look at another interesting market – the first round leader!
I successfully tipped the first round leader at The Masters and backed that up with another outright winner (Cam Young at the Cadillac Championship) a few weeks ago, so confidence is high about keeping that run going with another stab in the first round leader market.
PGA Championship First Round Leader Betting Tips 2026
It goes without saying I am high on Cameron Young in just about every market you can get for the 2026 PGA Championship – so I’d start there, but for the purposes of not sounding like a broken record let’s look elsewhere on the odds board for some special bets.
My first selection in this market is Russell Henley. The five-time PGA Tour winner is not someone who you might instantly think of for a long, gruelling Major test – but Henley is a fairways and greens man and that could be invaluable here.
Henley has played Donald Ross designs well in the past, particularly in the opening round, and ranks 23rd for round one scoring in 2026 so far.
The American has banked opening rounds of 61, 65 and 67 at East Lake, a respectable 70 at Pinehurst No.2 (a Ross designed Major Test) and a pair of 62s in his last three starts at Sedgefield Country Club – which uses similar pedestal style Ross greens.
Henley was 3rd at the Masters last month, which also shares some small correlation to the Aronimink test, and started the season with opening rounds of 65, 65, 66 in his first three events. He is a very interesting option at a great price in this market.
Henley has first round pedigree on Donald Ross designs
(Image credit: Getty Images)
My second selection in the first round leader market is Nick Taylor. The Canadian might not seem the perfect candidate to contend here, in a similar way to Henley, as he isn’t the longest off the tee – but there is more than one way to win here.
Nick Taylor…
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