US Open Odds 2017: Latest Vegas Lines for Underrated Sleepers in the Field
There are no prizes for guessing the favourites for the 2017 U.S. Open, with the familiar names of Dustin Johnson (15-2), Jordan Spieth (12-1) and Rory McIlroy (12-1) topping the pile.
The trio and those close behind them are there for a reason, but as always, there are some sleepers in the field that stand out as being somewhat underrated.
Consider these three players who could be set to challenge at this year's tournament despite being ranked among the outsiders, with all odds courtesy of OddsShark.
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Justin Thomas, 33-1
At 33-1, Justin Thomas is only a slight outsider being just outside the top 10 favourites, but he arguably deserves to be higher.
Thomas is one of relatively few players in the field to have experienced playing at Erin Hills, which is hosting the U.S. Open for the first time, having played there as an amateur in 2011.
Per PGATour.com, no player has earned more top-10 finishes this year than Thomas' seven, three of which were wins. The American has only failed to make the cut on three occasions in 15 events.
He ranks fourth in strokes gained when approaching the green, and he's also the leader in getting a birdie or better on par fours, which will come in handy, as there are 10 par fours on the course.
Francesco Molinari, 80-1
Francesco Molinari is well down the list with early odds of 80-1, but his game could be well-suited to Erin Hills.
The Wisconsin course seems forgiving because of its wide fairways, but the rough is notably difficult to deal with, per the USGA:
It also has 138 bunkers, which are designed specifically to be more hazardous than usual.
Per Mike McAllister of PGATour.com, there are "almost no flat bottoms" in the bunkers, and as a result, any errant players will have to deal with an "endless variety of uphill, downhill and sidehill lies."
As such, driving accuracy will still be important, and Molinari is behind only Steve Stricker in that regard this year.
The Italian is also second in strokes gained approaching the green and 11th in getting a birdie or better on par fives, of which there are four on the lengthy par-72 course, which puts him just one place behind Johnson in that regard.
He has achieved four top-10 finishes this year, including second at the BMW PGA Championship, missing the cut just once in 14 events, so he's in excellent shape heading into the major.
Byeong Hun An, 100-1
Like those above him, Byeon-Hun An enters the tournament in better form than his 100-1 odds would suggest.
The Korean has enjoyed three top-10 finishes and failed to make the cut only once in 15 tournaments.
And he is 21st in strokes gained off the tee and 15th in strokes gained approaching the green, which also bodes well for a strong performance.
The course is also among the longest in U.S. Open history and could surpass 2015 course Chambers Bay, which is the longest thus far at 7,695 yards.
With An's average driving distance of almost 300 yards, he should be well-equipped to deal with the longer holes on offer.
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