U.S. Open Odds 2012: Latest Odds for PGA's Top Golfers

The U.S. Open will begin this week, and with it will come a sea of bets for the top golfers in the game.

Golf is a traditionally difficult sport to handicap, simply due to the massive size of the field, but a few top players still headline the field and have the best chance to bring home the trophy.

The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California will be the venue of the Open, and according to the Toronto Sun, it will be an absolutely brutal test for the field.

The course is tremendously long and punishes mistakes dearly. Long, accurate drives will be paramount in scoring well.

Here are the odds for some of the top golfers in the world according to BankrollSports.com.

Rickie Fowler—40-1

Rickie Fowler is one of the brightest young stars in golf. Once the best amateur golfer in the world, Fowler has taken his talents to the pro game and has thrived.

Despite only being ranked 18th in world standings, Fowler is often competitive in big tournaments, and nothing is bigger than a major.

Fowler hits the ball with decent power and above-average accuracy, both traits that will be absolutely necessary at the Olympic Club.

His solid all-round game should translate well to the demanding course, so despite his low odds, Fowler could surprise.

Phil Mickelson—22-1

Phil Mickelson is only the 12th-ranked player in the world, but he thrives in the biggest tournaments, giving him a legitimate chance to win the U.S. Open.

Despite not being among the games biggest hitters, Lefty can still power the ball enough to be competitive.

He will need to improve on his 55.6% driving accuracy to do so, but Mickelson has always been capable of surprising in majors.

Bubba Watson—50-1

After winning the 2012 Masters, Bubba Watson will look to continue his impressive 2012 with a solid performance in San Francisco.

Despite tremendously low odds, Watson has a serious chance to win the Open with his explosive drives.

His accuracy is streaky, but underrated, and if Watson can hit the fairways, he can win this tournament.

Rory McIlroy—12.50-1

Rory McIlroy, the defending U.S. Open champion, will look to use his explosive drives to defend his title.

Unfortunately, McIlroy's accuracy is only middle-of-the-road, so he could get into serious trouble, resulting in a few ugly holes.

Still, McIlroy consistently saves his best performances for the Majors, so he could have a shot to win this tournament if he gets hot.

Tiger Woods—5.65-1

Tiger Woods finally won a tournament at the Memorial, but is that enough to say that he's back?

BankrollSports.com seems to think so, naming him the favorite to win the U.S. Open, and he certainly has the skill set to do it.

Unfortunately, one win does not mean that Tiger is back on the upswing. He's been incredibly streaky, and the demanding greens at the Olympic Club could spell trouble for the three-time U.S. Open winner.

Tiger will be competitive, as he always is at majors, but to name him such a heavy favorite is not fair to the rest of the very talented field.

These are just a few of the top players in the world, almost all of whom will be represented in San Francisco.

The long holes and demanding recovery shots will favor long, accurate drivers, which means Watson should be among the leaders, but the tough greens could spell trouble for him as well as Tiger.

That should open room for Rickie Fowler to be among the leaders, and his accuracy and solid all-round game makes him the dark-horse candidate, and my favorite to win it in 2012.