Posted on: June 19, 2023, 08:15h.
Last updated on: June 19, 2023, 08:15h.
Wyndham Clark managed the pressure like a veteran on Sunday at the 123rd US Open. The 29-year-old Colorado native fended off a challenge from Rory McIlroy and a Sunday pairing with Rickie Fowler, the fan-favorite, to capture his first major championship.
Clark’s win at Los Angeles Country Club was a welcomed one by oddsmakers, as the star-studded field saw the bulk of the betting action on more household names. Along with McIlroy, the betting favorites included Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, respectively the two top-ranked players in the world. 2023 PGA Champion Brooks Koepka was also a major liability across US sportsbooks.
Clark, on the other hand, generated only a tiny amount of the betting handle and ticket slips prior to last Thursday’s first round.
Perhaps more bettors should have seen this coming, as Clark won his first PGA Tour event just this year at the Wells Fargo Championship last month. Clark dominated the field at Quail Hollow in Charlotte to prevail by four shots.
Limited Pre-Tournament Action
Prior to Thursday’s first round, BetMGM told Casino.org that Clark was responsible for just 0.7% of its US Open tickets and 0.5% of the overall money wagered on the third major of the 2023 golf season.
Clark opened around 100/1 at many sportsbooks, including the SuperBook. BetMGM had Clark a bit shorter from the get-go at 80/1.
Clark’s odds were slashed each day after he opened with a -6 round of 64 and followed it up with a 67 on Friday. A -1 round of 69 on moving day kept him in the final pairing for Sunday’s trophy round.
Despite the fans rooting on Fowler and McIlroy, and an early bogey on the second hole, Clark managed to steady the ship during Sunday’s round to finish with an even par round of 70.
A late blunder by McIlroy on the par-5 14th that saw him make a poor bogey, and then Clark in the next group making a birdie on the same hole, which was shortened for Sunday to make the par 5 more gettable, the championship was seemingly in Clark’s control.
Clark made things interesting with a bogey on the easy par-3 15th but managed to calm his nerves and par the final three — the longest final three-hole stretch in major championship history.
Clark Kent for a Few Bettors
While oddsmakers were the big winners on Sunday in the sports betting world, some gamblers fared well on Clark.
Two notable wagers on the upset included Circa Sports taking a $1,000 bet on Clark at 94/1. The bet netted $94,000. Circa oddsmakers also said they paid out on a $500 pre-tournament bet at 125/1 that netted $62,500.
The SuperBook said it took a handful of pre-tournament wagers on Clark, but the largest was just $20. But that bet still paid $2,000.
Clark did pretty well, too. Along with the life-changing benefits that come with a US Open victory, he won the first-place prize of $3.6 million. A slew of sponsorship money is also coming his way.
