US Open Golf 2023: Early Storylines to Watch, Latest Odds and Predictions
The best men's golfers in the world will have a new challenge on their hands at the 2023 U.S. Open this week.
The event will be played at Los Angeles Country Club. It is the first time the course will host a major tournament.
Normally a few players can draw off previous history at a course to gain an edge on the field, as Matt Fitzpatrick did at The Country Club for last year's event.
Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and the other favorites for the tournament this year may not need any course history to succeed over the next few days.
Scheffler is currently the favorite to win the U.S. Open, and if he cashes in on that, he would become the third prominent golfer to win a major in 2023 after Rahm and Brooks Koepka.
Koepka, Rahm and Scheffler are all expected to be in contention to lift the trophy on Sunday, but a few surprises could emerge as well.
US Open Odds
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Scottie Scheffler (+700; bet $100 to win $700)
Jon Rahm (+900)
Brooks Koepka (+1100)
Rory McIlroy (+1400)
Patrick Cantlay (+1400)
Xander Schauffele (+1600)
Viktor Hovland (+1800)
Max Homa (+2500)
Jordan Spieth (+2500)
Cameron Smith (+2500)
Tyrrell Hatton (+2800)
Matt Fitzpatrick (+3500)
Hideki Matsuyama (+3500)
Dustin Johnson (+3500)
Collin Morikawa (+3500)
Los Angeles Country Club Hosts First Major
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Los Angeles Country Club has not been in the rotation of major hosts, unlike famous U.S. Open venues such as Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach and Oakmont.
It is the first time in 28 years that a major tournament will be played in the Los Angeles area, and the first time in 75 years in which the U.S. Open is in the region.
The tournament has been played in different parts of California, and it last visited the state at Torrey Pines in San Diego in 2021.
The unfamiliarity of the course could be a challenge, especially in the first round as players try to figure out how to approach the course.
LACC should play like a tough U.S. Open venue. Six-under was the winning score for each of the last three tournaments.
The golfers who navigate the fairways most often, or limit damage when they make mistakes, will end up on the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.
Three Favorites Should Be In Contention
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Koepka, Rahm and Scheffler are all expected to contend for the U.S. Open, which starts on Thursday.
Koepka is a two-time U.S. Open winner and is coming off a victory at the PGA Championship.
Rahm's first major victory came at the 2021 U.S. Open, and he has finished inside the top 25 in each of his last four tournament starts.
Scheffler is the only member of the trio without a U.S. Open victory, but he has been remarkably consistent at majors.
The pre-tournament favorite owns eight top-10 major finishes since the start of 2019. He has back-to-back top-seven placings at the U.S. Open.
Other golfers will be in the mix for the win, but it's hard to imagine a lack of star power at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday given the form and history of all three favorites.
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Predictions
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Koepka may have the best major results of 2023, but Scheffler has been the most consistent golfer all season.
Scheffler comes into Los Angeles with four straight top-five finishes and six consecutive top-15 placings, a run that started with a tie for 10th at the Masters.
The 26-year-old produced three rounds in the 60s in four of those last six starts, and he has 11 rounds of 68 or lower in his last four events.
Even when he does struggle, Scheffler finds a way to be in contention, as he was at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. He used a final-round 67 to finish one shot behind Viktor Hovland.
Scheffler is a near-guarantee to be in the top 10 come Sunday afternoon, and until he proves otherwise, he has to be banked on to win his second major.
Other golfers carry larger payouts if you bet on them to win, but Scheffler is one of the few sure things in the field right now, and that makes him a strong candidate to win.
In the dream scenario, we will get some sort of showdown between Koepka, Rahm and Scheffler on Sunday with two of them playing together in one of the final groups.
Winner: Scottie Scheffler
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