The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts is the venue for the 3rd Major of the year and we select 4 players to take on the bookmakers.
The US Open is always a stern test of golf and this year promises to be no different. The Country Club course plays to a par 70 with just two par 5’s and although the rough will be up in typical US Open style, recent history suggests that length off the tee will be more important than accuracy.
The greens are small and there will be no doubt times this week where players will be scratching their heads with a feeling of injustice as their ball rolls into the thick rough. Patience is certainly going to be one of the key ingredients to victory as is the ability to find Greens in Regulation and when you do miss them to scramble effectively.
Rory Mcilroy, fresh off his defence of the Canadian Open is an 11/1 favourite this week with 12/1 Justin Thomas, who chased him home in Canada, looking to go back-to-back in the majors having come from behind to win the PGA Championship last month. US Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler is 16/1 as is defending champion, Jon Rahm and you can get 25/1 and better the balance.
PAST WINNERS (at different courses)
2021 – Jon Rahm -6
2020 – Bryson DeChambeau -6
2019 – Gary Woodland -13
2018 – Brooks Koepka +1
2017 – Brooks Koepka -16
2016 – Dustin Johnson -4
BETTING – Click here to bet
Rory McIlroy 11/1
Justin Thomas 12/1
Scottie Scheffler 16/1
Jon Rahm 16/1
Cameron Smith 25/1
Xander Schauffele 25/1
Patrick Cantlay 25/1
28/1 and better the balance, prices correct at the time of posting but are subject to change
SELECTIONS:
Jon Rahm each way at 16/1
I am going in with the defending champion. Rahm has disappointed in the 2 majors this season finishing 48th in the PGA and 27th in the Masters, but prior to that he ran off 5 Top 10’s in a row including of course his US Open victory.
Rahm has the perfect game for the US Open and is an excellent striker of the ball, leading the PGA Tour in Greens in Regulation stats. He is coming off something of a rest after a Top 10 finish in his last start and I expect him to go close to defending this week.
Matthew Fitzpatrick each way at 33/1
Fitzpatrick won on this course as an amateur having been very consistent this year with 3 Top 10’s in his last 4 starts including a 10th place finish in Canada last week. Fitzpatrick’s US Open record is nothing to write home about although he does have a couple of Top 15 finishes to his credit. For me though his game is far improved from what it was in past seasons and I expect him to be involved in the business end.
Brooks Koepka each way at 66/1
Sure Koepka hasn’t been in the greatest of form and he could only manage 55th place in the PGA Championship, but this is a man who focuses his game on the majors and is a two time champion. Subsequent to those victories he finished runner-up and then 4th last year. Simply put he has a game for US Open golf and at 66/1 I just have to have him on side this week.
Corey Conners each way at 66/1
Conners warmed up with a 6th place finish last week and he has been very inconsistent of late with his only disappointing performance coming at the PGA where he missed the cut. One concern about Conners is that he doesn’t have any US Open form to speak about with 3 missed cuts, but he is another who has lifted his game to another level this year and I can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t be suited to this course.
Top South African, Louis Oosthuizen at 17/10 – Click here to bet on Top South African
Oosthuizen is coming off the LIV Tournament, but he has the temperament to handle anything the crowd may throw at him. He has an excellent record in the majors and was runner-up in the US open last year and hasn’t finished outside the Top 7 in this tournament in the last 3 years.
Click here for all of the US Open markets
