Golf betting: Are bettors ready to back Rory McIlroy again?

Action Network writer Michael Leboff admits that McIlroy hasn't generated his usual hype this year since he hasn't won an event. However, he is encouraged by how he has played outside of his first start of the PGA Tour season when he finished 

"I rarely play outrights on golfers this high up the board, but I’m going to go for it here with Rory McIlroy," Leboff writes.

"McIlroy has strung together six top-25 finishes on the spin, including his third-place finish at the Valero Texas Open two weeks ago, and his ball-striking numbers look terrific."

Golf Digest's Andy Lack is less confident in McIlroy's chances of topping the leaderboard as the PGA Tour action heads to Hilton Head for the RBC Heritage.

"Harbour Town is a short, positional, less-than-driver golf course that doesn’t emphasize McIlroy’s best skills: driving the ball with reckless abandon," he writes. "McIlroy will be forced to rely exclusively on his course management and short to middle iron play to succeed at the RBC Heritage. At this current moment, he is elite at neither."

Lack also notes that McIlroy has limited experience playing at Harbour Town and hasn't exactly dominated the field, finishing 41st at -11 in 2020. 

Golf fans may recall that McIlroy was in the field for the RBC Heritage last year and withdrew at the last minute, citing that he was mentally taxed and needed to take a break for his "mental and emotional well-being."

Which brings us back to the recent LIV Golf rumors and whether that will impact how McIlroy plays at the RBC Heritage. Although, McIlroy himself has already shot that notion down.

"This is an important week for a lot of us to get ourselves up in the FedEx Cup rankings, to try to get another good week on the board and really get some momentum going for the rest of the season," he told the Golf Channel. "It's a huge event. These signature events are a big deal."

So, are you ready to put your money on McIlroy again?

Given his limited success at Hilton Head, a safer bet ahead of the RBC Heritage would be to back the Irishman to finish in the top 10 -- especially with where he's priced at sportsbooks. His performance at Harbour Town could give you an even better idea of how you want to bet on him later in the season.