It’s time for the third golf major of the season, and there likely won’t be a bigger test for the best golfers in the world than the U.S. Open this season.
Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will host the 125th U.S. Open this week, and the course conditions will be daunting for the players in the field. The par-70 track measures 7,327 yards and features 168 bunkers, but the thick, long rough at Oakmont is already striking fear in the players’ hearts during their practice rounds.
Oakmont is hosting the U.S. Open for the first time since 2016, when Dustin Johnson claimed the title with a final score of just 4-under par. He was one of just four players to finish the tournament under par, a true testament to the brutal course layout and conditions at the venue.
To no one’s surprise, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the outright favourite heading into the tournament with odds around +250 at most Bet99, making him the biggest favourite at a U.S. open since 2009, when Tiger Woods was +175, according to the sportsbook. Scheffler is in fine form right now, posting an incredible three wins in his last four events, including the second major of the season, the PGA Championship.
Two-time U.S. Open winner (2024, 2020) Bryson DeChambeau will also be a popular pick to win at Oakmont this week. He’s received 12.8% of tickets in the outright winner market and represents 16.7% of the handle at BetMGM, the sportsbook reported to Canada Sports Betting as of Monday morning. Only Scheffler (17.8% of tickets and 31.3% of handle) has been a more popular bet.
Bryson DeChambeau to win the U.S. Open
Outright odds (top 15 in field)
| Scottie Scheffler | +260 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +700 |
| Rory McIlroy | +1100 |
| Jon Rahm | +1100 |
| Xander Schauffele | +2000 |
| Collin Morikawa | +2200 |
| Ludvig Aberg | +2500 |
| Joaquin Niemann | +2800 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +3000 |
| Justin Thomas | +3500 |
| Shane Lowry | +3500 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +3500 |
| Sepp Straka | +3500 |
| Viktor Hovland | +4500 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +5000 |
| Russell Henley | +5000 |
Notable Canadians in the U.S. Open field
Corey Conners (+5000 to win): Conners is playing some very consistent golf this season and is coming off a T27 at the Canadian Open. He’s performed well in the previous two majors this year, finishing T8 at the Masters and T19 at the PGA Championship. Conners finished T9 at the U.S. Open last year, and his well-rounded game should help him compete for a top-20 finish at Oakmont.
Taylor Pendrith (+10000 to win): Pendrith is in good form, already posting four top-10 finishes this season. He finished T5 at the last major (PGA Championship) and has since posted T12 and T27 finishes at his last two tournaments. He ranks fourth in shots gained off the tee, which should help him avoid the dense rough at Oakmont. Pendrith is a good choice if you’re looking for a longshot this week.
Nick Taylor (+15000 to win): Like Pendrith, Taylor has also been playing some great golf over the last few weeks. After missing the cut at the PGA Championship, he finished fourth at the Memorial and T13 last week at the Canadian Open. Taylor ranks 17th in driving accuracy (67.15%) and fifth in greens in regulation (70.37%) on tour this season.
Mackenzie Hughes (+20000 to win): Hughes lost in a playoff at the Myrtle Beach Classic at the beginning of May, but he’s missed the cut twice and finished no higher than T27 over his last four events. Statistically, he doesn’t stand out in any particular facet of the game, except for perhaps scrambling from the rough, which he ranks 32nd on tour in.
Corey Conners top-10 finish at U.S. Open
U.S. Open best bets
- Fade Rory McIlroy (+1100) to win: McIlroy is in awful form right now after missing the cut at the Canadian Open. He itted heading into that event that his motivation to practice has been lacking after his Masters win in April, and he also acknowledged that competing this week at Oakmont will be especially challenging given the state of his game right now. He’s particularly struggling with his new driver after his previous driver was deemed non-conforming ahead of the PGA Championship. McIlroy hit just 13 of 28 fairways off the tee up in Canada, and if he continues to miss fairways, this week at Oakmont will be miserable for him given the hellish state of the rough. Stay far away from Rory this week.
- Shane Lowry top-10 finish (+320): The 38-year-old was in serious contention at this course heading into the final round at the 2016 U.S. Open heading before imploding with a round of 6-over par to finish T2. However, he should have some confidence at this ridiculously difficult golf course knowing he was previously so close to victory. The Irishman is in the midst of a fine season, finishing second at two events while posting four top-10 results. He’s also coming off a respectable T13 result in Canada last week after four very solid rounds. Lowry ranks second on tour in strokes gained approach to green and first in proximity to hole.
- Ryan Fox to win (+9000): We’re getting incredible odds here on a player that has two wins in his last four events on tour, including last week at the Canadian Open. If you’re looking for a longshot to back, you could do much worse than riding the red-hot Fox this week at Oakmont. He had a respectable T28 finish in his last major (PGA Championship) and also boasts three top-25 finishes at majors throughout his career, although he’s never finished higher than 16th at one of golf’s marquee events. Fox ranks 12th on tour in putting average and 17th in strokes gained approach to green, which should help him navigate the terrors of Oakmont.