He’s the tournament host, a 15-time major champion and – as it turns out – a pretty popular bet at The Genesis Invitational.

Tiger Woods is once again in the spotlight this week, making his first official PGA TOUR start since The Open in July and his first appearance in a non-major since the 2020 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. Woods opened as a triple-digit longshot at The Riviera Country Club, reaching as high as +15000 with BetMGM Sportsbook, and it should come as no surprise that casual bettors have spent the last few days lining up to back him at a lofty price.

“Bets are flying in on Tiger at +15000,” said Tristan Davis, sports trader at BetMGM. “People will be looking for a juicy price for him to make the cut as well. Both markets will likely be big liabilities for us.”

That flurry of action has already led to a price reduction, as Woods is now listed at +12500 to win just hours before his opening-round tee time alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. The make/miss cut market remains somewhat lopsided, with Woods a significant -225 favorite to miss the cut and a +160 underdog to make it to the weekend against a star-studded field.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Woods represented the biggest liability at BetMGM and accounted for the most individual bets (tickets). His high odds mean that backers don’t have to put down a big stake to secure a potentially big return, so he doesn’t factor on the top players by handle (total money wagered). In that category it’s his playing partner, Thomas, who has received the most action:

Top Genesis Invitational Liabilities

1. Tiger Woods (+12500)

2. Jordan Spieth (+3300)

3. Justin Thomas (+1400)

Highest tickets

1. Tiger Woods (9.2% of total bets)

2. Justin Thomas (9.0%)

3. Jordan Spieth (6.9%)

Highest handle

1. Justin Thomas (14.5% of total money wagered)

2. Jordan Spieth (9.1%)

3. Rory McIlroy (8.0%)

Woods isn’t the only player that has seen his odds shrink from early-week action. Thomas opened at +1600 and moved to +1400, while Spieth shifted from +4000 to +3300. Tony Finau has also come in from +2000 to +1600. Max Homa, a winner here two years ago and recent champ at Torrey Pines who has become a popular play at California events, is fourth in tickets (5.8%) but has actually seen his odds tick up slightly, from +1800 to +2000.

Jon Rahm (+750) remains the outright betting favorite, followed by McIlroy (+900) and last week’s winner, Scottie Scheffler (+1000).

Woods will tee off at 3:04 p.m. ET Thursday, where he’s a sky-high +400 underdog in a marquee Round 1 three-ball alongside McIlroy (+105) and Thomas (+150).

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