There have been some serious betting moves in U.S. Open betting markets ahead of the tournament next week.
The biggest move has been for Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who despite being in moderate form, continues to attract interest.
Golf betting markets have four players battling for favoritism in one of the more competitive U.S. Open fields in recent history.
McIlroy Seeking Overdue Win
McIlroy hasn’t won a major since taking out the 2014 PGA Championship by a shot over Phil Mickleson.
At the time, it looked like McIlroy would kick on and win many more than four majors. However, after collecting the PGA Championship twice, an Open Championship and a U.S. Open, he hasn’t performed as expected.
McIlroy has won 16 tournaments on the PGA and European Tours since, but the majors that elude him. He is desperately seeking a return to major form and bettors believe he’s overdue.
The sportsbook has McIlroy at +1200 to win at The Country Club, which is shorter than expected. We priced McIlroy around +1500 given his recent form but the market confidence is telling.
“I just have to stay as patient as possible,” McIlroy told BBC.com. “I know that if I keep playing the golf that I’m playing the chances are going to present themselves.
“I’m going to give myself a few more chances this year, not just to win Majors but to win golf tournaments in general.”
Scheffler Staying Steady
Scottie Scheffler hasn’t won a golf tournament since becoming World No.1 but we’re not holding that against him.
The American superstar missed the cut at the PGA Championship but showed his mental toughness when bouncing back to lose in a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
He got a little unlucky with Sam Burns holing a huge putt on the first playoff hole and there are plenty of positives to take from that outing.
His demeanor has changed a little since the pressure was piled. However, he’s handling it well, and betting online markets expect another strong performance from Scheffler at Brookline.
Holding outright favoritism at +1100, Scheffler is likely to be around the top leaderboard and he still represents value despite the short quote.
Thomas Closes In after Win
Justin Thomas got back to his best with a PGA Championship victory and he has always been a player who targets the majors.
We’re prepared to overlook his missed cut at the Charles Schwab. He would have still been on a high from his win at Southern Hills, so his focus would have shifted straight to the U.S. Open.
Following the win, his odds moved to +1200. It was a significant move and he could close into favoritism for the U.S. Open.
Thomas made a Twitter post showing him enjoying a beer with the Wanamaker Trophy despite missing the cut at Colonial, which was great to see and shows that he’s in grand spirits.
He’s a serious hope at the U.S. Open and that’s reflected in betting markets, so he’s one to watch.
Spaniard Drifting in Markets
Jon Rahm is still one of the best players in the world but bettors are getting a little frustrated.
He was in a position to make a run at The Memorial but he’s struggling to cap off his tournaments with a strong finish.
The Spaniard finished T10 but his performance for T48 at The PGA Championship wasn’t quite good enough for someone of his stature.
His temperament has always been under scrutiny and it boiled over at The Memorial. He hit a shank, then tossed his club which almost hit a lady carrying a microphone.
We had visions of Novak Djokovic at the 2020 US Open, but luckily for Rahm, he escaped with an apology.
If he has his emotions in check, he’s a chance to win and U.S. Open betting markets have him at +1400. His odds have drifted from a lower opening quote but he’s still one of the fancied golfers in the tournament.
