US Open Odds 2016: Latest Vegas Lines for Underrated Sleepers in the Field
Whoever comes out on top in the 2016 U.S. Open will have earned their trophy the hard way.
The major will go back to Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, where even the most recent U.S. Open champion failed to score under par. Angel Cabrera won the tournament in 2007 at the course shooting five over par.
According to Vegas, names such as Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson are among the players with the best odds to win the tournament, per Odds Shark.
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However, there are a few under-the-radar sleepers who don't fall on this list but could be sneaky contenders come the weekend. Here's a look at a few players to keep an eye on as well as what their odds are, according to Odds Shark.
| Rory McIlroy +700 | 7-1 |
| Jason Day +700 | 7-1 |
| Jordan Spieth +800 | 8-1 |
| Dustin Johnson +1400 | 14-1 |
| Justin Rose +2800 | 28-1 |
| Phil Mickelson +2800 | 28-1 |
| Rickie Fowler +2800 | 28-1 |
| Adam Scott +2800 | 28-1 |
| Henrik Stenson +3300 | 33-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama +3300 | 33-1 |
Patrick Reed
Odds: 50-1
The fact that Patrick Reed is such a long shot is kind of surprising. The 25-year-old has had a strong year in 2016 and appears primed to take the next step sometime soon. He leads the PGA in top-10 finishes with nine in the season and has two second-place finishes to his name.
Missing the cut at The Players Championship is a concern, but he has bounced back since. He finished tied for eighth in the Memorial Tournament last time out and is third on the PGA Tour's U.S. Open Power Rankings.
Will Gray of GolfChannel.com noted how well Reed has played of late:
Oakmont is a fairly unforgiving course, so scrambling will come into play. Few players have done that better than Reed this year. He ranks second in the stat on the tour.
Reed's skill set and recent success make him a sleeper worth believing in. The only thing to worry about is a relative lack of success in majors. As good as Reed has been, his best finish at a major is 14th. However, that was at last year's U.S. Open, so this might be the tournament that sees him break through.
Paul Casey
Odds: 66-1
Looking back on the leaderboard from this tournament in 2007, one name that could come back to compete again is Paul Casey.
Casey finished 10th when Cabrera hoisted the trophy by shooting 11 over par.
When it comes to Oakmont, hitting good, accurate drives off the tee will be vital. As Jordan Spieth explained after a practice round, accuracy will be paramount to scoring well down the stretch, per Kyle Porter of CBS Sports:
"You learn that literally anything can happen, especially out here where the way the course is set up right now. If you don't hit fairways on the last five holes, you could lose a four- or five-shot lead like that. Just not even doing anything wrong. You can hit decent shots that just barely miss the fairway. And all of a sudden, you have to do well to have ten feet for par.
"
Casey finished fourth at the Masters back in April, but he hasn't done much since. His best finish is his 23rd place at the Players.
However, he does rank 11th on the tour in total driving. That combined with his track record of success at the course make him a sneaky pick to be in contention despite his recent struggles.
Martin Kaymer
Odds: 70-1
If you don't like going out on a limb on guys who haven't won a major before, Martin Kaymer might be more your speed.
The German is just two years removed from winning the 2014 U.S. Open by eight strokes, as he obliterated the competition on a tough course in Pinehurst.
Obviously, Kaymer isn't enjoying the best 2016 campaign—he has just one top-25 finish on the PGA Tour this season—but he's already shown that he can come through in a major.
While Kaymer hasn't exactly lit it up stateside this season, he has warmed up on the European Tour. He'll enter the tournament with a seventh-place finish at the BMW PGA Championship last time out.
When Kaymer is at the top of his game, he's capable of playing with the best. Given the small amount of momentum he's generated of late, it's not out of the realm of possibility he is once again part of the picture as the tournament moves into the weekend.
All statistics via PGATour.com unless otherwise noted.
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