U.S. Open Favorites: DJ, McIlroy, and Spieth on Top with Tiger in the Mix
By Michael Shamburger
The U.S. Open begins on Thursday at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, New York. Here is a rundown of the favorites to win the championship.
Odds: +1100 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: MC
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win – Tournament of Champions, T2 – WGC-HSBC, T2 – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Win – FedEx St. Jude Classic
DJ won the U.S. Open two years ago at Oakmont. The following year at Erin Hills he missed the cut. So far this year he has a win, two second-place finishes, and three more top 10’s. The only event of the 10 he’s participated in that he finished outside the top 20 was the WGC-Match Play, when he was bounced early.
To say he has been playing well for a while now would be an understatement, just look at the graphic below.
That is staggering stuff from the number one golfer in the world.
Odds: +1300 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: MC
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win – Arnold Palmer Invitational, T5 – Masters
Rory McIlroy came close to completing the career grand slam early this year when he was paired with Patrick Reed on Sunday at the Masters, but ultimately could not pull it off. The four-time major champion heads into the U.S. Open following a missed cut at the Players Championship and a T8 at the Memorial Tournament.
The 29-year-old currently doesn’t rank in the top 10 in any of the big statistical categories, but he has climbed to 15th overall in strokes gained total and has looked to be on form this season with three top 10 finishes in 10 events which is enough to put him second on this list.
McIlroy’s U.S. Open win came in 2011 at Congressional when he bested Jason Day by eight strokes.
Odds: +1400 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: T35
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: T3 – Houston Open, 3 – Masters
Jordan Spieth appeared to correct whatever was going wrong with his putter early in the season at the Masters when he turned it on Sunday for a crazy good final round performance that almost became the greatest comeback in major championship history.
The 24-year-old, three-time major champion has yet to win this season, but has finished in the top 10 three times, including a third place finish behind Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler at Augusta. He struggled early this season with his putter and currently ranks 190th in strokes gained putting, 170th in total putting, and 118th in one-putt percentage. That’s not something we’re used to from Spieth.
Spieth’s U.S. Open win came in 2015 at Chambers Bay when he bested Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke. Obviously, he’ll need to have his putter on point this week to have a chance, but you can never count this kid out on the biggest stages in golf.
Odds: +1400 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: MC
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win – WGC-HSBC Champions, 3 – Arnold Palmer Invitational, Win – Fort Worth Invitational, T6 – the Memorial Tournament
Justin Rose has had one of the best seasons of his career to this point. Rose has climbed from 13th in the world rankings last season at the TOUR Championship to third. After last season’s final event, Rose won his next two events, the WGC-HSBC Champions, and Turkish Airlines Open. He added another win at the Indonesian Masters along with a win at the Fort Worth Invitational. He has six top 10 finishes in 11 events this season and has not missed a cut.
Rose is second to only Dustin Johnson in strokes gained total and also ranks eighth in strokes gained tee-to-green and 10th in strokes gained putting. He’s been putting on a clinic this season and is poised to claim his second U.S. Open and major championship.
Rose won the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club.
Odds: +1500 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: T9
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win – CJ Cup, Win – The Honda Classic, 2 – WGC-Mexico Championship
Justin Thomas stole the number one world ranking from Dustin Johnson after the Players Championship, but relinquished it last week after DJ won the FedEx St. Jude Classic. That should probably be a slight relief for Thomas, who was nervous to claim the ranking in the first place.
Thomas has had a strong season with a win and five other top 10 finishes in 14 events. He ranks third in strokes gained total and second in strokes gained tee-to-green. It’s very possible that he could claim his second major championship this week.
Odds: +1600 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: MC
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: Win – Farmers Insurance Open, T2 – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Win – Wells Fargo Championship, T5 – The Players Championship
Jason Day is back. After staggering 2015 season and great start in 2016, Day withdrew from his final two events in 2016 and slipped the following year in 2017 when he was unable to claim a win. This season, however, Day has regained his form and not only won early in the year at the Farmers Insurance Open, but also last month at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Just like DJ, Rose, and Thomas, Day ranks in the top five in strokes gained total at fourth. The one thing that he has excelled at this season is putting. Day ranks first in strokes gained putting at 1.190.
Could this be the place the Aussie claims his second major championship?
Odds: +1600 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: Umm … he didn’t play
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: T2 – Valspar Championship, T5 – Arnold Palmer Invitational
Tiger Woods is in the middle of what, by all accounts, is a successful return to the sport he once dominated. Woods has only missed one cut in the nine events he’s participated in and has a second place finish and another top five finish under his belt. While he finished lower than he would have preferred to at the Masters, T32, it was still a successful return to major championship golf with a final round 69.
While Woods has struggled with his control off of the tee, he has not struggled around the green. Woods ranks fourth in strokes gained approaching-the-green, fifth in strokes gained around-the-green, and sixth in strokes gained tee-to-green.
It’s hard to imagine that Woods, who got off to a blistering start during his third round at the Players Championship and jumped into contention, will not make the cut this week playing like he has been during this comeback.
Odds: +1700 (Via BetDSI Sports)
2017 Finish: T5
2018 Wins/Top Finishes: 2 – Masters, T8 – the Memorial Tournament
The newly engaged Rickie Fowler is still in search of his first major championship. Fowler came so close to getting over the hump at the Masters earlier this year when he finished second to Patrick Reed, but it didn’t happen. He’s easily one of the best to have not yet won a major considering his finishes in majors over the last five years.
While Rickie has no wins this season, other than the Hero World Challenge, that runner-up finish at the Masters could be enough to boost his confidence this week heading into Shinnecock.
It would be nice to see him finally get it done.