Shinnecock Hills, in New York state, stages golf’s US Open for the fifth time this year.
The last time the par-70, 7,450-yard course in Southampton staged the US Open, in 2004, not one single player managed to break par. That gives you an idea of how tough this course can be! It’s wide-open with few trees and a good, old-fashioned test of a golfer’s all-round game. It rewards ambition but punishes the over-bold. Shots have to be struck well or they won’t stay the distance and that applies to putts from four or five feet as well as drives.
This is the 118th staging of the US Open but the rankings were a poor guide last year as the world’s top three – Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day – all missed the cut at Erin Hills. Indeed, the last nine years of the US Open have all seen first-time winners. Lucas Glover, Graeme McDowell, McIlroy, Webb Simpson, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka were all breaking their duck in Majors. That’s a fact that is worth considering in making your choices.
PHIL MICKELSON has a record six runners-up finishes in the US Open, including at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. Betfred make the veteran left-hander a 35/1 chance to finally end his long wait to complete golf’s Grand Slam but that’s not a bad bet!
Mickelson seems to generally fare better in the Eastern United States than elsewhere else. We know he can play Shinnecock Hills, which requires accuracy, and what better way for the Californian to celebrate his 48th birthday by heading the leaderboard going into the final day. He’s looked as good as ever this year, winning the WGC-Mexico Championship, and can be forgiven his performance in the Players’ Championship given Sawgrass is not one of his favourite courses.
Dustin Johnson has leapfrogged Justin Thomas at the top of the USPGA rankings after victory in last week’s FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis but he’ll be making history if winning a second US Open at Shinnecock Hills as no player has ever won the year’s second Major having won on the Tour the week before. Johnson is only a best 8/1 while Thomas is available at 16/1 with several bookmakers.
RICKIE FOWLER‘s frustrating run in Majors continued at the Masters earlier this year. He was also second in the US Open at Pinehurst in 2014 as well as The Open at Hoylake. A third in the PGA Championship later that year must have had the now 29-year-old believing that his turn would never come but he played as well as anyone at Augusta and his name is usually high on the leaderboard in the top tournaments. Fowler can be backed at 20/1 with Ladbrokes but I would recommend each-way backers look elsewhere. That firm are only offering place betting down the fifth place while Coral will pay out on each-way bets down to 10th place in the outright betting.
Americans have won the last three US Opens and six of the last 10 but Britons have also fared well in that time. McIlroy won in 2011 and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell was successful 12 months earlier. JUSTIN ROSE won at Merion in 2013, another tough course, and arrives in good form. Unfortunately, bookmakers are fully aware of the Olympic champion’s capabilities and are giving nothing away with a general 16/1.
Masters champion Patrick Reed is a general 40/1 but at, bigger odds, EMILIANO GRILLO makes more appeal. The Argentine fits the bill as a young player arriving in excellent form and seeking his first win in a Major. He has top-20 finishes in three of the four Majors already despite having only qualified for nine. Five top 10 finishes in 17 tournaments in 2018 is a good return and the 25-year-old is 100/1 with several bookmakers including Ladbrokes.
2018 US Open Outright Current Best Odds
Dustin Johnson 8/1, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas 16/1, Jason Day 18/1, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth 20/1, Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods 22/1, Brooks Koepka 25/1, Henrik Stenson, Hideki Matsuyama and Phil Mickelson 35/1, Branden Grace 40/1, Bryson Dechambeau and Patrick Reed 45/1, Tommy Fleetwood 50/1, Marc Leishman and Sergio Garcia 55/1, Paul Casey 60/1, Louis Oosthuizen, Alex Noren and Patrick Cantlay 66/1, Francesco Molinari and Webb Simpson 70/1, Bubba Watson 75/1, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar and Tony Finau 80/1, Jimmy Walker 90/1, Emiliano Grillo and Xander Schauffele 100/1, Others 110/1 and higher
