2023 U.S. Open Golf Betting Preview

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s best players will come together for the first time since the announced merger this week as the U.S. Open heads to Los Angeles Country Club in California.

This is the first time the Los Angeles Country Club has hosted the U.S. Open, and at the Bovada Sportsbook the favorite this week is World Golf Rankings No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at +700.

Scheffler has come close to winning his last four tournaments with four straight top-five finishes. That includes tying for second in the last major, the PGA Championship. Scheffler’s best finish at the U.S. Open came last year when he tied for second place at The Country Club in Brookline.

Rahm, Koepka, McIlroy following on odds board

Following Scheffler on the U.S. Open odds are Jon Rahm at +1100, Brooks Koepka at +1200, and Rory McIlroy at +1400.

Rahm, this year’s Masters champion, won the U.S. Open in 2021 at Torrey Pines. Rahm delivered a disappointing performance at the PGA Championship last month, finishing tied for 50th. In his last Tour stop he tied for 16th place at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago.

Koepka, arguably LIV Golf’s top player, won the PGA Championship last month and tied for second at the Masters earlier this year. Koepka is a two-time U.S. Open champion having won back-to-back years in 2017-2018 at Erin Hill and Shinnecock.

McIlroy’s is a four-time major winner, including the U.S. Open in 2011, but recently he’s come up short in majors. In his last six majors McIlroy has five top-10 finishes and a missed cut at this year’s Masters. McIlroy has also cracked the Top 10 in his last three Tour events.

Defending champ Fitzpatrick underdog for week

The defending U.S. Open champion is Matt Fitzpatrick. He won his first career major last year at Brookline after shooting six-under-par to edge Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by one stroke. Fitzpatrick won the RBC Heritage earlier this season, but in his last five tournaments he has only one top-10 finish. He’s a +4000 underdog to repeat as the U.S. Open champion.

Along with Koepka, Rahm, McIlroy, and Fitzpatrick other former U.S. Open winners in this week’s field include Bryson DeChambeau (+4000), Gary Woodland (+15000), Dustin Johnson (+4000), Jordan Spieth (+2500), Martin Kaymer (+50000), and Justin Rose (+5000).

This may be the first time that the Los Angeles Country Club has hosted a U.S. Open but at least a couple players in this week’s field will be familiar with the course as the Country Club hosted the Walker Cup in 2017. Part of the winning U.S. team at that event were Scheffler, Zalatoris, and Collin Morikawa (+3500). Zalatoris is sidelined until at least the fall due to back surgery and won’t be in this week’s field.