Dustin Johnson Chasing Hat Trick at WGC-Mexico Championship, Odds Favor Rory McIlroy

Posted on: February 19, 2020, 02:41h. 

Last updated on: February 19, 2020, 03:04h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Dustin Johnson is one of 42 players inside the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking who will be teeing it up this week at the WGC-Mexico Championship. But DJ is the only player chasing a third victory in four years at Club de Golf Chapultepec located just outside Mexico City.

Dustin Johnson golf odds McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is the WGC-Mexico favorite, but Dustin Johnson is lurking. (Image: Getty)

Johnson won the first WGC-Mexico Championship in 2017 after it relocated from Trump National Doral in Florida to Mexico. He won his second Mexico Championship – and third WGC event – last year.

Oddsmakers have Johnson at 8/1 to win again at Chapultepec. He has the shortest odds of anyone in the 72-player field not named Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy, the game’s No. 1 ranked player, is as short as 5/1 at some sportsbooks, including FanDuel. The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas has a slightly better line for McIlroy backers at 6/1.

The over/under for the winning score is 268.5 strokes. The last three winning scores at Chapultepec were 263, 268, and 270.

Odds on McIlroy and Johnson head-to-head have Rory the favorite (-150), and Dustin the underdog (+130).

Chasing Quasi-Slam

The World Golf Championships consist of four annual events. The prestigious tournaments feature large purses and smaller fields, though the best players in the world. Winners receive a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

In the pantheon of golf, WGC events are generally considered just below the four majors, as well as The Players Championship, often referred to as the “fifth major.” Every PGA great dreams of winning the career Grand Slam (Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, and Open Championship).

Only five players in history have achieved the career Grand Slam: Jack Nicklaus (3x), Tiger Woods (3x), Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen. Phil Mickelson needs a US Open to join that list, and McIlroy a Masters green jacket.

But this week, Rory could achieve perhaps the next-best thing: a WGC grand slam. McIlroy already has the Bridgestone, Cadillac, and HSBC in his WGC trophy case. The Mexico title remains missing.

It will be no easy feat. McIlroy and Johnson are followed by Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas (10/1), and a handful of players at 20/1 (Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood).

Freedom Matters

Supposedly backed by Saudi Arabia investors, the Premier Golf League has caused quite a buzz around the PGA Tour of late. The concept suggests holding 18 tournaments with $10 million purses, guaranteed money for all who play, and a team season-long element.

McIlroy sounded off to ESPN on Wednesday regarding the potential league.

For me, I’m out. My position is I’m against it until there may come a day that I can’t be against it. If everyone else goes, I might not have a choice. But at this point, I don’t like what they’re proposing,” McIlroy stated.

He primarily took issue with the league’s mandate that golfers participate in each of the 18 events. “The one thing as a professional golfer in my position that I value is the fact that I have autonomy and freedom over everything I do,” he concluded.