Rory McIlroy & Dustin Johnson Open as Favorites in TaylorMade Driving Relief Skins Game vs Rickie Fowler & Matthew Wolff
- “TaylorMade Driving Relief” marks the return of televised golf on Sunday, May 17th
- The Skins Game match features Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson facing Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff
- We’ve rounded up the prop bets to wager on for the charity event
Following no live golf being televised in nearly two months, the TaylorMade Driving Relief Skins Game can’t come soon enough. Rory McIlroy & Dustin Johnson will face Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff at the Seminole Golf Club on Sunday, May 17th.
The charitable event will be supported by UnitedHealth Group, who are pledging $3 million in support of the American Nurses and CDC Foundations, who are helping to lead COVID-19 relief efforts.
Farmers Insurance will also pledge $1 million to back a birdies-and-eagle pool benefitting Off Their Plate, which is assisting healthcare workers and impacted frontline shift employees.
The McIlroy-DJ pairing is heavily favored to defeat Fowler & Wolff in the opening odds for the match.
TaylorMade Driving Relief Skins Game Odds & Prop Bets
| Prop | Rory McIlroy/Dustin Johnson Odds | Rickie Fowler/Matthew Wolff Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Most Money Won From Skins | -200 | +170 |
| Which Team Will Win The First Skin? | -150 | +120 |
Odds Taken May 4th
Heavy Mismatch on Paper
World #1 Rory McIlroy and #5 Dustin Johnson are surprisingly paired together against #27 Rickie Fowler and #110 Matthew Wolff. This has the makings of a massive mismatch, though Wolff has proven to be an incredible talent, winning in his fourth PGA Tour event.
Still, it’s definitely shocking to see a pair with 38 total victories up against a duo who have six combined wins on Tour.
We've got action. 🙌@DJohnsonPGA & @McIlroyRory
vs.@RickieFowler & @Matthew_Wolff5The two-man team skins match will take place on May 17th at Seminole Golf Club with the goal to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts. #DrivingRelief pic.twitter.com/qaeZHvfDFB
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 4, 2020
Wolff hasn’t had a top ten in 14 events since his maiden title last July, while Fowler’s best result in his last four events was a tie for 18th. Meanwhile, Rory was the hottest player on the planet with seven straight top five finishes, and despite Johnson not performing up to his usual capabilities, he still had a runner-up finish four starts ago.
Don’t overthink this one. While you’re not making huge coin wagering on the favorites, it’s not as if the +170 odds for the underdogs is even that enticing.
Pick: Rory McIlroy/Dustin Johnson Win Most Money From Skins (-200)
McIlroy & DJ Should Also Win First Skin
This will be the first time the exclusive Seminole Golf Club (ranked inside the top 100 courses in the world) from Juno Beach, Florida, will host a televised match.
The first hole is not an overly difficult par 4, measuring under 400 yards so expect the birdies to be flying early. Last year Rory was tied for first in par-4 scoring, and is T-17th this season. Fowler was T-8th in 2019 but T-78th in 2020.
Wishing @McIlroyRory the happiest birthday. Looking forward to another year of you obliterating the golf ball with no mercy. pic.twitter.com/MyJO4naBc0
— Skratch (@Skratch) May 4, 2020
DJ hasn’t been overly great on the campaign, ranking T-46th but Wolff has been paltry, at T-184th. With three of the first four holes being par 4’s (the third hole is a par-5, and Rory leads par-5 scoring this season), it’s clear that that duo is better equipped to get out of the gate early.
Pick: Rory McIlroy/Dustin Johnson Win First Skin (-150)
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
