If you've ever glanced at a golf betting sheet, you might have been stopped in your tracks by a slightly confusing market: Winner W/O. Seeing a famous name listed with those two letters can seem like a typo, but it’s actually one of the most interesting and strategic ways to engage with a golf tournament. This article will break down exactly what Winner W/O means, why it exists, and how you can think about it strategically, whether you're placing a bet or just want to understand the pro game on a deeper level.
Let's get straight to it. W/O stands for "Without." That's it. So, when you see a bet listed as "Winner W/O Scottie Scheffler," it simply means you're betting on who will win the tournament if you take Scottie Scheffler completely out of the equation.
Think of it as a parallel tournament featuring everyone *except* the player named. In this "W/O" market, you’re picking the golfer you believe will have the best score among the rest of the field. You're trying to identify the "best of the rest." This type of bet effectively creates a new, more wide-open competition, even when one player seems poised to run away with the real trophy.
The settlement process is what makes this bet so appealing. It's not as complicated as it sounds. Here’s a simple step-by-step breakdown:
Let's use a clear example. Suppose you bet on Xander Schauffele in a "Winner W/O Scottie Scheffler" market. Here are two ways you can win that bet:
You essentially get two chances to win: an outright victory by your player, or a second-place finish behind the one person who doesn't count.
The "Winner W/O" market serves a very specific purpose, and it all comes down to dominance. In phases of the sport where one player is head-and-shoulders above the rest - think Tiger Woods in the early 2000s or Scottie Scheffler's recent incredible run - the standard tournament winner market can become a bit... boring.
Imagine a tournament where the favorite is listed at odds of +250, while the next-best players are at +1000 or longer. The overwhelming probability is that the heavy favorite wins, which can discourage people from betting on anyone else. There’s not much value in taking another top-tier player at +1200 odds if they are mostly just fighting for second place.
The "Winner W/O" market solves this. By removing the dominant favorite, sportsbooks create a new, much more competitive betting event. Now, those other elite players might be transformed from longshots into favorites in this new market, with more appealing odds.
It generates more interest, gives bettors a proposition with a higher statistical chance of success, and makes the entire tournament-watching experience more engaging, even if the result at the very top seems like a foregone conclusion.
Thinking like a GOLF coach rather than just a bettor can give you a real edge here. You're not just picking a name, you're analyzing player capabilities in a specific context. It's less about finding the one generational talent and more about finding the highly skilled, consistent professional who's playing excellent golf.
This market isn’t always available or valuable. It really shines during tournaments with a clear, heavily-favored golfer. These are typically:
If there’s no clear favorite and the top five players have similar odds, the "Winner W/O" market won't offer a dramatic difference from the standard "To Win" market.
Now comes the fun part: player selection. Your goal isn't necessarily to pick the world #2 just because the world #1 is excluded. You want to find value. Look for players who fit this profile:
This is where sound-minded decision-making comes into play. The "Winner W/O" bet doesn't exist in a vacuum. You should always compare it to other available markets, most notably the "Top 5 Finish" or "Top 10 Finish" bets.
Let’s put this in perspective with a hypothetical scenario. Say you like Collin Morikawa in a tournament where Scottie Scheffler is the favorite.
Here’s what the odds might look like:
Bets for Collin Morikawa
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To Win: +2200
Winner W/O Scheffler: +1400
Top 5 Finish: +400
Top 10 Finish: +200
Now, let's analyze the thinking:
Your goal is to align your analysis of a player's likely performance with the market that offers the best return for that performance.
The "Winner W/O" golf market is a fascinating feature that adds an entire strategic layer to watching and betting on a tournament. It serves the practical purpose of keeping things exciting when one player is dominant, and it rewards fans who possess a deep understanding of the entire field, not just the name at the very top. By looking for the right tournaments and the right type of players, you can engage with the sport in a much more nuanced way.
Of course, making sharp decisions, whether you're betting or just trying to improve, comes down to understanding the game from the inside. At Caddie AI, our goal is to give you that caddie and coach perspective. Understanding the optimal strategy for a par 5, knowing how to play from a tricky lie in the rough - these are the details that separate players on the course. We give you that on-demand strategic advice and analysis, putting a pro-level golf brain in your pocket so you're never left guessing. The better you understand the game at its strategic core, the more confident and capable you'll become, both as a player and as a fan. You can learn more about how Caddie AI works on our website.
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