Wyndham Clark was aiming for his 4th win in ten months at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Severe rain reduced the tournament to 54 holes, resulting in officials announcing Clark as the winner. While he celebrated his $3.6M win inside the ropes, the situation outside for a particular fan was much gloomier.

The 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am encountered severe weather conditions that raised concerns about the tournament being cut short. Despite the likelihood of canceling the final round, DraftKings, Jay Monahan & Co.’s betting partner, allegedly continued to accept bets. This situation escalated on February 3, 2024, when Nicholas Bavas, an Iowa native, placed five bets on various outcomes, including a parlay that required several competitors to finish in specific positions. Among his wagers was a $100 bet with a potential payout of $4,651,571 and a $25 bet that could yield $250,068, which contributed to a total possible win of $14.2 million if he correctly selected all his picks.

DraftKings accepted Bavas’s bets late at night, just before officials announced the tournament’s cancellation. On February 4, Jay Monahan & Co. confirmed that no further play would occur due to the weather, effectively finalizing the results after 54 holes. After this decision, Bavas decided to sue DraftKings, arguing that the sportsbook should honor his bets despite the tournament’s abrupt end. Bavas contends that this outcome should have rendered his bets valid winners. However, DraftKings later voided all five bets unilaterally, refunding the wagered amounts and citing rules that state any “futures bets” placed after the last shot of what is later deemed the final round are invalid.

Bavas’s lawsuit contends that the rules referenced by DraftKings do not apply to his specific bets, which involved multiple players. The lawsuit mentions, “Had Bavas wanted to place a bet on only the single individual ‘player’ who would ‘win the trophy’ and become the ‘tournament winner,’ he would have done so.” The lawsuit argues that even if DraftKings could void the parts of bets 1 through 4 that selected Wyndham Clark as the tournament winner, it should have recalculated the odds based on the remaining selections.

His attorney, Ben Lynch, pointed out that “DraftKings would not have allowed Bavas to cancel his bets if he had lost,” highlighting a perceived inconsistency in how the rules were applied. The lawsuit seeks damages for breach of contract and violations of consumer protection laws. Notably, Bavas was not the only one who anticipated that the weather would lead to a rain-shortened pro-am. DraftKings encountered significant backlash on social media when it retroactively voided all bets placed after the conclusion of play on February 3, 2024. DraftKings are yet to respond to the lawsuit; however, this isn’t the first time the PGA Tour has drawn attention over betting.

The PGA Tour once banned two Korn Ferry Tour players for betting

In 2023, the PGA Tour, which had previously accepted Phil Mickelson despite his huge gambling habits, suspended two players from the Korn Ferry Tour: Vince India and Jake Staiano. The tour stated that both players violated its Integrity Program by placing bets on PGA Tour events, even though they didn’t bet on tournaments in which they were participating. India received a six-month suspension starting on September 18, 2023, while Staiano faced a three-month ban beginning on September 11, 2023. Staiano explained that his suspension resulted from a bet he made on a 12-hole exhibition match between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in 2021. Jake Staiano last competed in the 2025 Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship, while Vince India hasn’t participated in an event since the 2023 Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation.

The PGA Tour’s Integrity Program Manual, last updated in September 2021, aims to “prevent betting-related corruption in PGA TOUR competitions.” This detailed 5,000-word document outlines rules and guidelines for gambling, targeting players as well as tour volunteers, directors, employees, and others connected to the players, such as caddies and family members. One key section, titled “Prohibited Conduct,” clearly states that betting on PGA Tour events is not allowed, emphasizing the importance of maintaining fairness and integrity in the sport.