Rarely does a PGA TOUR event end early, but it happened at Pebble Beach on Sunday because of inclement weather. Wyndham Clark, leading by one stroke, was declared the winner after 54 holes.
Most sportsbooks should still pay out your bets (and keep your losing bets) if three things are true:
- 36 holes (two rounds) have been completed.
- An official result has been declared by the tournament's governing body (PGA TOUR in this case). BetMGM says a trophy must be awarded, but we're assuming that's metaphorical. If the tournament was tied, it's unlikely the TOUR would declare a winner.
- You didn't place the bet after the last round ended. So if you bet Wyndham Clark to win Friday and the tournament ends early, you'll still win. But if you bet him Sunday morning and the tournament never resumed, your bet will be void.
DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM and FanDuel all use 36 holes as the minimum number to declare your outright bets as action.
There's been some controversy Monday morning after DraftKings voided some bets placed "toward the end of Round 3." Bettors parlayed many players to finish in the top 20 for a massive payout, and since the tournament ended, that top 20 remained intact and the bets won. But it's unclear exactly when the big bet below was placed. At least one was placed after the round ended, which would give DK grounds to void, per its house rules.
A DraftKings spokesperson said Monday: “We are currently reviewing the settlement of certain bets placed on this weekend’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am following the cancellation of the final round due to severe weather. DraftKings' house rules are currently the same as they were at the start of this event."
Update:
They voided the bets https://t.co/ODTpUqWtpz— TheUndefinedMystic (@pennycheck) February 5, 2024
DraftKings and other sportsbooks also say they reserve the right to void any "odds being clearly incorrect given the chance of the event occurring at the time the bet was placed," among many other stipulations. Right or wrong, it gives them some leeway to cancel bets that take advantage of an unusual situation like this.
At most sportsbooks, the same rules will apply to most other bets as well, like matchups and finishing position bets like top 20s. But not every book's house rules make specific note of a 36-hole minimum for every different bet type. Again, it's likely they will handle it this way and bets will still stand, but it's not a guarantee.
FanDuel does make specific note of the 36-hole minimum for finishing position bets; DraftKings does the same for matchup bets.
If your bet was already completed earlier in the tournament — like a first-round leader, or a second-round matchup — those bets will of course stand.
As always, be sure to check your book's house rules to verify they work the same as these major U.S. books.
