US Open Field 2015: Final Odds and Predictions for Golf's Top Sleepers
When the players hit the course at Chambers Bay to start off this year's U.S. Open on Thursday morning, there will be a few favorites in the fold. Rory McIlroy goes into the tournament with big expectations, while Jordan Spieth will be expected to compete for the title as well.
Whom are the sleepers you should keep an eye on? Which longshots might actually have a chance of springing a surprise?
Let's break them down.
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| Rory McIlroy | 7-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 8-1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 16-1 |
| Justin Rose | 18-1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 18-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 18-1 |
| Adam Scott | 25-1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 25-1 |
| Bubba Watson | 33-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 33-1 |
| Jason Day | 33-1 |
| Jim Furyk | 33-1 |
| Jimmy Walker | 33-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 33-1 |
| Martin Kaymer | 40-1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 40-1 |
| Patrick Reed | 40-1 |
| Billy Horschel | 50-1 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 50-1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 50-1 |
| Tiger Woods | 50-1 |
| Byeong Hun An | 66-1 |
| J.B. Holmes | 66-1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 66-1 |
| Lee Westwood | 66-1 |
| Paul Casey | 66-1 |
| Ryan Moore | 66-1 |
| Zach Johnson | 66-1 |
Tiger Woods has fallen so far that he's now considered a sleeper pick for major tournaments, one who is barely even worth that consideration.
The only reason to even pay attention to Woods in this tournament is because he shocked everyone by playing quite well at the Masters, at least on the Friday and Saturday. There is always the belief with Woods that he might figure things out again, that his old dominance might creep to the surface one last time, especially at a big event.
His recent play doesn't exactly inspire confidence, though; he shot an 85 in the third round of the Memorial for heaven's sake! He's not the player he once was, and he certainly hasn't been starting well, per Jason Sobel of ESPN:
But at the Masters, he reminded everyone that, in stretches, he can at least resemble the player he once was. If he can do that a bit more consistently at the U.S. Open, well, who knows what he might be able to do?
He's a true longshot at this point. But let's be honest—he's a longshot we remain obsessed with.
Brandt Snedeker
Brandt Snedeker has been quite good this year. He has six top-10 finishes to his name, a victory on the tour and has missed the cut just three times in 17 events. In his last two events, he's finished second and sixth.
The worry with Snedeker, and the reasons he's probably being valued at 50-1, is because he missed the cut at the year's two biggest events to this point, the Masters and the Players Championship. Failing to show up at big events doesn't bode well for him at the U.S. Open.
On the other hand, if there is any player capable of winning this tournament buried among the apparent no-hopers in the odds, it's Snedeker. He's played too well this year to be ignored.
Martin Kaymer
It's hard to imagine the defending champion of this tournament being considered a sleeper to win it again, but a Martin Kaymer triumph is available at 40-1 odds. That's pretty low for a player who has already conquered the U.S. Open in his career.
"A lot of times I'm under the radar, I feel like, which is fine," Kaymer told Dave Skretta of the Associated Press (h/t via Yahoo Sports). "Obviously the other guys, they should get a lot of credit for what they've done."
Kaymer's sneaking under the radar might have something to do with the fact he doesn't have a top-30 finish in his last seven PGA events and missed the cut three times in that span. He also missed the cut at his last tournament, the Irish Open, though he finished a respectable 18th at the BMW PGA Championship before that.
So no, Kaymer's recent play isn't exactly inspiring, but any golfer who wins a U.S. Open by a whopping eight strokes the year before has to be considered. Yes, his recent play has made him a sleeper, but his history at the U.S. Open makes him a smart sleeper to gamble on.
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