What Happens to Your Golf Bet When a Player Withdraws (2026)
Andy Molitor
an hour ago
When a golfer withdraws before he hits a single shot, your golf bet on him is voided and you get your money back. Once he has hit one shot, a withdrawal or a disqualification almost always counts as a loss on outrights, top-10s, and top-20s. Matchups are the exception that pays: if the other golfer quits before the cut, your side usually wins. That is how FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM all write it in their own house rules, checked on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The line that matters is the first tee shot. Everything below is about what happens on either side of it.
Does a golf bet lose if the player withdraws?
Yes, if he started. FanDuel’s house rules say a player must complete at least one stroke for a bet to stand, and a player who withdraws after that is treated as a loser in the outright market and as finishing last in the top-5, top-10, and top-20 markets. DraftKings counts a golfer as having played once he takes one stroke, then settles any bet on a starter who withdraws or is disqualified as lost. BetMGM says the same thing in plainer words: once a player tees off on the first hole, future bets on him stand.
So a back spasm on the second hole Thursday morning is a losing ticket, even though he played barely more golf than the guy who never showed up and got refunded. It feels unfair. It is also the rule everywhere that matters, so price it in.
What happens if he withdraws before the tournament starts?
The bet is voided and the stake comes back. That holds for the outright, the finishing-position markets, and props at all three books. FanDuel’s rule voids every bet on a player who does not start, DraftKings voids bets on a golfer who never takes a stroke, and BetMGM cancels futures on a player who withdraws before the event and cancels top-5, top-10, and top-20 bets on anyone who does not start.
One wrinkle at DraftKings. Its golf rules say a market that covers eight or more golfers is not voided just because one of them never tees off. A pre-tournament withdrawal from a big group market can leave your bet live on whoever is left.
Golf withdrawal rules at FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM
How each sportsbook settles golf bets when a player withdraws or is disqualified, read from the house rules each book filed with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, checked in November 2026.
| What happens | FanDuel | DraftKings | BetMGM |
|---|---|---|---|
| He withdraws before hitting a shot | Void, stake back | Void, stake back | Cancelled, stake back |
| He withdraws or is disqualified after teeing off (outright) | Loses | Loses | Bet stands, loses |
| Same thing on a top-5, top-10, or top-20 bet | Loses (counted as finishing last) | Loses | Loses |
| Tournament matchup, opponent quits before the cut | Your golfer wins | Golfer with more completed rounds wins | Your golfer wins, even if he misses the cut |
| Tournament matchup, opponent missed the cut, your man pulls out on the weekend | Your golfer wins | Not spelled out in the golf rules | Your golfer wins |
| 2-ball or 3-ball, one golfer never tees off | Whole 2-ball or 3-ball void | Void if a golfer in the group does not start the event | Whole 2-ball or 3-ball cancelled |
| 2-ball or 3-ball, a golfer quits mid-round | He counts as having played | Bets on him lose | Bets stand |
| Single-round player props, he quits mid-round | Void (birdie and bogey-free props) | Void (round score props) | No golf-specific clause |
| You bet him after his last shot, before the withdrawal is announced | Outright bet not counted as a loser | Matchup and group bets voided (general rules) | Bets placed in that gap cancelled |
Read across the rows and the pattern is simple. The books agree on the big three questions, and the differences live in the corners: matchups after the cut, mid-round props, and that awkward overnight gap.
What happens to a golf matchup when one player withdraws?
If your guy keeps playing and the other one bails before the cut, you win. FanDuel and BetMGM both name the remaining player the winner, and BetMGM goes as far as saying he wins even if he then misses the cut. DraftKings gets to the same place another way: a golfer who has completed more rounds is always ranked ahead of one who has completed fewer.
After the cut it flips in a way people miss. If your golfer made the cut and the other guy already missed it, FanDuel and BetMGM both say your golfer wins even if he withdraws on Saturday. He already beat his man. DraftKings’ golf section does not spell that case out, so check with support before you assume it.
A quick example with real numbers. FanDuel had a Ben Griffin vs. Ryan Gerard matchup posted for the 2026 World Wide Technology Championship on Monday, November 2, at 1:22 p.m. Central, Griffin at -110 and Gerard at -120. If Gerard hits his opening tee shot and then withdraws in the first round, a 10-dollar bet on Griffin returns 19.09 dollars under FanDuel’s rules. If Gerard pulls out before hitting a shot, the matchup is void and the 10 dollars comes back.
What happens to 3-ball bets when a player withdraws?
If any golfer in the group never tees off, the whole 3-ball is void at FanDuel and BetMGM, and DraftKings voids the group if one of its golfers does not start the event. Once all three have teed off, the bets stand. A golfer who quits on the 12th hole is treated as having played, which in practice means he cannot win the 3-ball.
That makes a mid-round withdrawal a gift to the other two names in the group. Their bets now ride on a two-man race. If you are on the guy who quit, it is a loss, not a refund, at all three books.
What does each payout look like on a real board?
What a 10-dollar bet returns when the golfer withdraws, using FanDuel’s rules and FanDuel’s 2026 World Wide Technology Championship prices from Monday, November 2, 2026, at 1:22 p.m. Central.
| Bet | FanDuel price | Returns if he withdraws before his first shot | Returns if he withdraws after teeing off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Gerard to win | +1300 | 10.00 dollars | 0 dollars |
| Ryan Gerard top 20 | -125 | 10.00 dollars | 0 dollars |
| Ben Griffin to beat Ryan Gerard, Gerard withdraws in round 1 | -110 | 10.00 dollars | 19.09 dollars |
Same golfer, same injury, and the result depends entirely on whether the ball got hit. So if you hear a player is banged up on Wednesday, the risk is not that he pulls out. That just refunds you. The risk is that he tees off hurt and quits after nine holes, which takes the whole stake with him.
Do sportsbooks ever refund a withdrawal anyway?
Sometimes, but that is a promotion, not a rule, and you should not bet as if it will happen. Collin Morikawa withdrew from the 2026 Players Championship on March 12, 2026, with a back injury after one hole. Under the rules above, every pre-tournament bet on him was a loser. DraftKings refunded all of them anyway as cash credits under its Early Exit promotion, and it said it would also cover round and hole props on him, which Early Exit normally leaves out.
It was a nice gesture, for a two-time major champion at the Players. Nothing in the rules promises it the next time a lesser name tweaks a wrist at a fall event, so treat any refund as a bonus and the house rules as the deal you actually signed up for.
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If you are new to the basics, our guide on how to bet on golf covers odds, bet types, and how dead heats cut a tied place bet. The golf betting glossary handles the rest of the lingo, and if you play fantasy instead, the golf DFS hub is the place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Does a withdrawal count as a missed cut?
At FanDuel, a player who withdraws or is disqualified before completing 36 holes is counted as having missed the cut, so a “miss the cut” bet on him wins. One who withdraws after the cut is counted as having made it. BetMGM’s rule is harsher: if a player withdraws at any stage after starting, its make-or-miss-the-cut bets on him are settled as losers. Same withdrawal, opposite result on a miss-the-cut ticket.
What if a golfer is disqualified after his bet has already been paid?
Usually nothing changes. FanDuel settles on the official result at the time, regardless of a later disqualification, and settles 2-balls and 3-balls on the score the player signed for. DraftKings will not re-settle a bet for a disqualification or penalty that comes after it has paid out, though it does fold one in if the bet is still open when the ruling lands.
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