US Open Odds 2012: Money Lines on Rising Stars

As expected, Tiger Woods is the 6-1 favorite to win the US Open, according to Bovada. It seems to be the trend that as soon as he wins an event, he's tabbed as the favorite for whatever major is coming up shortly thereafter (see: Masters).

The US Open, though, has a history of crowning unexpected winners. Look at what happened last year, when Rory McIlroy came out of nowhere—or rather, out of a horrific Masters performance—to win his first ever US Open. This is an event where anything can happen, and anything usually does happen, so you're almost better off putting your money on a long shot.

Here's a look at some of the guys worth a bet at Olympic. 

Dustin Johnson (25-1)

There's nothing like winning your last tournament prior to the US Open in order to prepare yourself for the tough course at the Olympic Club. The field at the St. Jude Classic tends to be notoriously soft due to the fact that a lot of players tend to prefer preparing solo for the US Open, but still, Johnson emerged victorious at nine-under.

Ever since Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Johnson has looked very good in spurts. He's had four top-10 finishes in his last six events and has yet to miss a cut in 2012. He's never won a major, and his best finish at the US Open came in 2010, when he finished in a tie for eighth, but he's entering this year's tournament on a hot streak. 

Rickie Fowler (33-1)

For the first time ever, Fowler will enter a major with a PGA Tour win, which came back on May 6 at the Wells Fargo. Except for a messy seven-over performance at the Memorial, Fowler has been good since then, registering a second-place finish at the Players Championship and finishing fifth at Colonial.

Fowler has been far from consistent over the last couple of months, but perhaps that sets him up well for a good run at Olympic, where it seems like it's anyone's game every year. He proved at the Players Championship that he can show up for a big tournament without cracking under the pressure. 

Bubba Watson (50-1)

Could he really win two majors in the same year? Maybe. He has a reputation for being a little bit of a headcase, but as long as being grouped with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson doesn't get in his head, he has a real chance at Olympic.

Granted, he hasn't been great since winning the Masters on April 8. He finished 18th in the Zurich Classic and missed the cut after the second round at the Memorial. But maybe he just needs to be motivated to win one of the big ones again.

You might recall that nobody expected him to win at Augusta, and he surged up the leaderboard on Sunday to steal it right out from under Louis Oosthuizen. Maybe he could do the same this time around.