What is a 3-Ball Golf Matchup Bet? How do 3-Ball Golf Bets Work?

What are 3-Ball Matchup Bets in Golf?

There are different ways you can be paired up in golf. The most common is every golfer for themselves, but there are two other variations that have become popular to bet on; two-ball golf and three-ball golf.

Three-ball golf is fairly straight forward – it is a match where three golfers are pit against each other, and the one with the lowest score at the end of the round will win between the three competitors.

Because there are three competitors, each competitor is almost always plus money, meaning you have great odds to have one of the three golfers having a lower score than the other two.

In the chance that there is a tie at the end of the round, dead heat rules apply – which will be explained below. Three-ball matchups can be applied for a single hole, a set of holes, one round, or an entire tournament.

What are 2-Ball Matchup Bets in Golf?

Similar to three-ball, two-ball matchups are the exact same concept as three-ball, but only with two golfers rather than three. Unlike the three-ball odds, normally the favorite out of the two golfers is a minus-money play, meaning you have to bet more in order to win a specific amount.

Because it is simply a head-to-head matchup, it is much easier to pick the winner, and the odds of the golfers reflect that as well. The golfer with the lowest score at the end of the round wins the bet.

Two-ball matchups can be applied for a single hole, a set of holes, one round, or an entire tournament. There is almost never an option for a tie in two-ball golf; the golfer you select either wins, or you will lose your bet

Tie Option vs. No Tie Option

There are some sportsbooks that offer ties for two-ball matchups, but that is very rare. As mentioned earlier, if in a three-ball matchup there is a tie, dead heat rules will apply.

A dead heat is defined as ties in finishing position bets like both golfers finishing in the top 5, top 20 or being tied as first round leaders. In this case, the winning amount is split between the number of golfers who tied at that score.

For example, if you were to bet $100 on a +100 odds play to win $100 on a golfer to be the leader, and that golfer is tied as the leader with one more golfer, the winnings will be $50, since the tie will split the winnings into two. If three golfers are tied for the lead, you would receive $33 as your winnings.

How do 3-Ball Golf Bets Work?

With three-ball golf matchups, ties are applicable, and you will not lose outright if the golfer you bet on ties. In those scenarios, dead heat rules apply (explained above). 

Also mentioned above, most three-ball matchups have three golfers who are all plus money, so betting three-ball golf can be a great strategy to always be betting on plus money plays, and have the dead heat rules play as a fallback for your bet.

What Happens if a Golfer Retires or Misses the Cut in a 3-Ball Bet

If a golfer misses the cut in three-ball matchup while the other two golfers in the group make the cut, the one who missed the cut will be essentially eliminated from contention, and any bets placed on that golfer will be graded as a loss.

If all players miss the cut, the lowest scoring golfer will be graded as the winner, and the other two golfers will be graded as a loss.

If a golfer retires at any point during the round or matchup, they will also be eliminated from contention, and any bets placed on that individual golfer will be graded as a loss.