PGA Championship Round 3 Predictions, Picks & Odds: Big Weekend Ahead for Alex Smalley

Neil Parker - Analyst at Covers.com
Neil Parker • Betting Analyst 16+ years betting experience
Updated: May 15, 2026 , 10:00 PM ET • 4 min read

Alex Smalley is set to take a run at the Wanamaker Trophy.

PGA Championship, PGA Tour, Alex Smalley
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Alex Smalley during Round 2 of the 2026 PGA Championship.

Aronimink Golf Club has shown its teeth through the first two rounds of the 2026 PGA Championship, and this major is wide open heading into the weekend. 

While Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Young remain atop the PGA Championship odds, I’m looking at three other markets, and Alex Smalley headlines my Round 3 golf picks for Saturday, May 16.

Best PGA Championship Round 3 predictions

Golfer Pick Kalshi
Alex Smalley Top 10: Yes 48¢
+101
Joaquin Niemann Top 40: Yes 54¢
-126
Ludvig Aberg  Beats Jon Rahm 54¢
-126

Alex Smalley Top 10: Yes (+101/48¢)

Don’t think the moment is too big for Alex Smalley.

He entered the week with five consecutive Top 25 finishes, gaining true strokes across the board and ranking 21st in adjusted scoring average on the PGA Tour this season. 

While there’s definitely potential for Smalley’s work on the greens to cool considering he paces the field in true strokes gained putting, Smalley’s made 10 birdies and hit 24 of 36 greens in regulation through the first two rounds.

Joaquin Niemann Top 40: Yes (-126/54¢)

Currently sitting T44 heading into the weekend, Joaquin Niemann ranks 13th in true strokes gained tee-to-green and 15th on approach, so he just needs a few more putts to fall this weekend to flirt with a Top 20 finish.

Niemann is definitely a streaky putter, but the Chilean’s ball-striking can do the heavy lifting to propel him up the leaderboard. He entered the event ranked 16th in true strokes gained tee-to-green across his previous six events.

Ludvig Aberg beats Jon Rahm (-126/54¢)

Jon Rahm can’t find the fairway, and he was bailed out in Round 1 by holing out for eagle on the second hole and chipping in for birdie on the eighth.

Rahm has only hit 11 of 28 fairways through two rounds and is 87th in true strokes gained putting. It’s not a recipe for success.

Considering Ludvig Aberg ranks fifth in both true strokes gained tee-to-green and on approach, along with holding a stroke lead over Rahm, I like Aberg pulling further away over the next two rounds.

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Live PGA Championship odds at Kalshi

PGA Championship favorites heading into Round 3

  • Scottie Scheffler (+398/19¢)
  • Cameron Young (+943/8.9¢)
  • Maverick McNealy (+1221/7.1¢)
  • Ludvig Aberg (+1260/7¢)
  • Chris Gotterup (+1436/6¢)

Not intended for use in MA.
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Neil Parker - Covers
Betting Analyst

Neil Parker is, first and foremost, a sports fan. A huge supporter of the Cowboys, Cubs, and Maple Leafs, he has managed to parlay his passion into writing gigs at some of the top websites in the industry.

Neil takes a numbers-based approach to his handicapping and complements his in-depth statistical analysis with a keen eye on the markets to provide the best available odds. He loves to lean on his rolodex of idioms to offset his inner nerd. When it comes to wagering, he throws down on anything that catches his eye at bet365, Betway and BetVictor. He also keeps a close eye on CoolBet because the polar bear brand often has outlier NHL and NFL moneyline prices.

Neil graduated with honors from St. Thomas University in 2007 before completing his BEd at Acadia University in 2010. After teaching a myriad of courses and subjects, he found a groove delivering fun lessons to exceptional learners in non-traditional classroom environments. If his decade-plus teaching run taught him anything about sports betting, it’s to stay the course and use the summer – or offseason – to refresh and prepare to be better in the year to come.

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