First round live odds

On paper, a lightly watched fall event from Las Vegas without fans was the perfect spot to start incorporating sports betting into a PGA Tour event. While the early round execution was as laughably awkward—but befitting of the low budget Korn Ferry-style broadcast effort by Golf Channel—the real eye-opener came during Sunday’s CJ Cup final round.

Jason Kokrak had a one-stroke lead over Xander Schauffele as they arrived at the par-5 18th. And this wagering opportunity—where legal—came from BET MGM as they waited on the tee:

The announcers ran with the bet and instead of a rather traditional conversation about what needed to happen (Xander must make birdie…no kidding!), this side bet of who would win the hole became mildly interesting and fueled good pre-tee shot conversation.

And then Kokrak unleashed a doozy of a tee shot. The bettor or speculator who was all in on Schauffele making birdie to Kokrak’s conservative par? They lost quickly after this clutch (and huge) tee shot by Kokrak:

A big drive at a big time. 💪

Leader @JayKokrak will have just 161 yards into the par-5 18th. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/ffSS5J7RNL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 18, 2020

Look, it’s a small thing but without fans and a lot to watch, these kinds of twists on traditional golf tournaments added something. Particularly with such a budget-slashed broadcast that made the CJ Cup mostly a nap-inducer for three rounds.

After, there was some discussion about the incorporation. I enjoyed this point from Justin Ray, responding to Jason Sobel’s piece at The Action Network on week one of the new future.

Let's replace throwaway sponsor-fueled graphics (you know the ones) that permeate the slow times of golf telecasts - that no viewer absorbs and no commentator sells. Odds not only spark $ interest, they help tell a story in real time. There's a productive balance to be found. https://t.co/GddLtjbxjz

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) October 19, 2020