DraftKings sportsbook has disputed claims of changing its golf betting rules to avoid paying out millions to bettors who backed Wyndham Clark after his lead in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, asserting their rules remained consistent despite allegations of late betting line closures and rule adjustments following the event’s weather-induced early conclusion.
At Glance
‣ DraftKings sportsbook faced claims of changing its golf betting rules to avoid paying out millions to bettors who backed Wyndham Clark after his lead in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which was cut short due to severe weather.
‣ Despite the inclement weather, Clark led the tournament after shooting an extraordinary round of 60, prompting a surge in bets on him to win. The PGA Tour eventually declared the tournament over at 54 holes, with Clark as the champion.
‣ DraftKings was accused of keeping betting lines for Wyndham Clark open late into the event and then changing its betting rules to state that any tournament bet would be void if placed after the last shot, leading to frustration among bettors.
‣ In response to the controversy, DraftKings issued a statement denying the change in its betting policy during the event and clarified that its house rules were the same at the start of the event, while also reviewing the settlement of certain bets placed on the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The @ATTProAm has been shortened to 54 holes due to inclement weather.
@Wyndham_Clark is the champion for his third PGA TOUR title 🏆— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR)
Oh boy, DraftKings sportsbook found itself in a bit of a pickle, didn’t it? They were accused of tweaking their golf betting rules mid-game. Why? To avoid paying out a fortune to fans betting on Wyndham Clark after he dominated the Pebble Beach Pro-Am’s third round.
The weather around Monterey Peninsula was atrocious last week. Despite that, Clark managed to shoot a jaw-dropping round of 60 on Moving Day. This left him leading, just a stroke ahead of Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg. It was the second Signature Event of 2024, and Clark was sitting pretty at the top.
Suddenly, everyone was backing Clark. Whether it was through parlays or outright bets, the 2023 US Open champ had become the hot favorite. But then, the storms rolled in. It became clear pretty quickly that playing on Sunday might just be a pipe dream.
And, wouldn’t you know it? Saturday’s play turned out to be the grand finale for the week. The PGA Tour had to chop the tournament down to 54 holes, announcing Clark as the champ in the wee hours of Monday.
Not everyone was grinning ear to ear, though. Golf Digest spilled the beans that DraftKings kept the betting lines for Clark open way too late. We’re talking late Saturday into Sunday. That left them wide open for a massive payout.
Originally, the sportsbook’s rules stated that any PGA Tour tournament bet would be honored if the players managed to complete at least 36 holes. But then, DraftKings decided to switch things up. They changed their tune to: “any tournament bet would be void if placed after the last shot of the tournament.” This move effectively nixed all bets under the new rule.
Fans were miffed. They felt DraftKings dragged its feet on suspending betting, especially given the grim weather forecast for Sunday and the potential for an overflow day.
DraftKings, however, fired back on Monday. They denied changing their golf betting policy during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. According to them, their house rules hadn’t budged an inch since the event kicked off.
Their statement tried to clear the air: “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.”
So, if you had placed your bets on Clark before his tee-off on Saturday, breathe easy. The early cancellation didn’t touch your bets.
And there you have it. A stormy weekend, a bit of controversy, and a whole lot of drama. Just another day in the world of sports betting, huh?
