Make the cut golf betting is a yes or no bet on whether a golfer survives the halfway cut: in most 72-hole tournaments, only the leading players and ties after 36 holes play the last two rounds. NSW's glossary of approved bet types describes it as selecting a competitor to qualify for the final round or rounds of a tournament with a cut. The no side, the missed cut bet, wins if your golfer finishes round 2 outside the line.
How the cut line works
Each tour or tournament sets its own cut, Australian events included, so check the event's rule. For 2026, as published by the PGA TOUR (checked October 2026):
| Event | Who plays the last 36 holes |
|---|---|
| PGA TOUR full-field events | Top 65 and ties |
| The Masters | Top 50 and ties |
| US Open | Top 60 and ties |
| The Open | Top 70 and ties |
| PGA Championship | Top 70 and ties |
"And ties" is the part that moves the number. Say, for illustration, that 61 players are at 3 under or better after 36 holes and 11 more are at 2 under. Under a top 65 and ties rule all 72 go through, because 65th place falls inside the 2 under group. Some events have no cut at all, and then there is no make the cut market.
Make or miss the cut markets
A bookmaker prices both sides for each golfer it offers. With illustrative prices:
| Golfer | Make the cut | Miss the cut | Market adds up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player X, a favourite | $1.22 | $4.20 | 81.97% + 23.81% = 105.78% |
| Player Y, an outsider | $2.30 | $1.57 | 43.48% + 63.69% = 107.17% |
Each percentage is 1 / price, and the amount above 100% is the overround, the bookmaker's built-in margin. $50 on Player X to make the cut returns $50 x 1.22 = $61.00, and $20 on Player Y to miss it returns $20 x 1.57 = $31.40.
Withdrawals, disqualifications and shortened events
These are rule types, not any one bookmaker's terms:
| What happens | Common rule type for make the cut bets |
|---|---|
| The golfer withdraws before teeing off | Void where non-starters are refunded; where bets are all in, as the NSW rule book has by default (5.1.1), the bet stands and a yes bet loses |
| The golfer starts, then withdraws or is disqualified before the cut | Treated as missing the cut |
| The golfer makes the cut, then withdraws | Already settled: the yes bet won |
| No cut is made, such as play abandoned before 36 holes | Commonly void |
NSW's Bookmaker Declared Betting Events Betting Rules void bets on the outcome of a 72-hole event abandoned before 36 holes are complete (5.2.3.1). For a disqualification after the cut, rule types differ, so read your bookmaker's golf rules.
How the cut affects other golf bets
A golfer who misses the cut cannot win or place, so outright, each way and top 10 finish bets on them are lost at halfway; golf each way betting covers place terms. Under the NSW rule book's group betting rule, the player who completes more holes wins a tournament head to head (5.2.3.4(b)), so a golfer who makes the cut beats one who misses it; other bookmakers write their own matchup rules.
Checking a make the cut market's overround
Run the overround check from the market table on each golfer before you bet.
B337's Terminal shows prices from 40+ bookmakers across racing and sports, covering AFL, NRL, NBA, soccer, tennis and more when bookmakers have markets up, and sports betting basics covers the main market types. The Terminal's prices refresh on a repeating cycle, so check with your bookmaker. A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A short price to make the cut still loses if the golfer misses it, and one missed cut ends any multi it is in. See responsible gambling for limits and support.