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US Open Field 2019: Best Odds, Picks for Pebble Beach Sleepers and Favorites
June 12, 2019
Brooks Koepka has an opportunity to achieve something only one other man has at the U.S. Open.
If the two-time defending champion conquers Pebble Beach Golf Links, he would join Willie Anderson as the second player to earn a U.S. Open three-peat.
The difficulty of Koepka's task is high, as Anderson has stood alone in the record books since 1905.
But if there is a player to shatter old records, it is Koepka, who has two straight titles at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship.
While Koepka will be viewed as one of the favorites to win at Pebble Beach, there is always the possibility for a sleeper or two to surprise us and contend during the weekend at a major.
Sleepers were more prominent on the leaderboard at the PGA Championship than The Masters, partly because of the larger field, and the same could occur at the U.S. Open with a wide array of potential dark horses to choose from.
Best Odds
Dustin Johnson (+700; Bet $100 to win $700)
Rory McIlroy (+800)
Brooks Koepka (+900)
Tiger Woods (+1100)
Patrick Cantlay (+1600)
Jordan Spieth (+1900)
Xander Schauffele (+2500)
Justin Rose (+2500)
Favorite Picks
Brooks Koepka (+900)
It feels a bit silly not to bet on Koepka in some manner given his tremendous form at majors.
The four-time major champion has landed in the top 10 of five tournaments this season, with four of those finishes in the top five.
There will be some caution to betting on Koepka because of his tie for 50th at the RBC Canadian Open, but that has to be seen as an outlier in an overall successful season.
In his last two U.S. Open wins, Koepka has started on opposite ends of the spectrum, with a first-round 67 in 2017 and a 75 to start off the 2018 competition.
But the 75 from a year ago at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is the only round above 72 that he has recorded at the U.S. Open during his reign of dominance.
Koepka might not be able to overpower the course and land in the 60s each round, but if he is able to put together four consistent rounds, like he did at The Masters, he will be in contention for the three-peat.
Patrick Cantlay (+1600)
Patrick Cantlay is the least recognizable name on the list of favorites, but he may be in the best form of the top players going into Pebble Beach.
Cantlay burst on to the major scene with a third-round 64 at Augusta that led to a tie for ninth.
Since The Masters, Cantlay has been in remarkable form at three tournaments, and he landed in a tie for third at the PGA Championship.
Cantlay won The Memorial at the start of June with four straight rounds in the 60s, and he took a tie for third at the RBC Heritage in April.
Because U.S. Open courses are notoriously difficult, we may not see four rounds under 70 from Cantlay, but he has the consistency and form that make him an intriguing option, especially at +1600.
Sleeper Picks
Tony Finau (+5000)
A year ago, Tony Finau was one of the best performers at major tournaments, but his form has dropped off a bit since The Masters.
In five tournaments since his tie for fifth at Augusta, Finau missed a pair of cuts, finished in the 60s in two tournaments and took second at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The second-place finish from the end of May is the performance that gives us hope Finau turns things around at Pebble Beach.
Finau's fifth-place finish at Shinnecock Hills and fourth-best average driving distance are signs that point to him possibly hitting his stride at Pebble Beach.
The 29-year-old has had previous success on the tough setup of a U.S. Open course, and if you compare him to other sleepers, his major record is one of the best, which is why he is a good sleeper candidate at +5000.
Shane Lowry (+6600)
Shane Lowry comes into the U.S. Open with seven consecutive rounds in the 60s.
The 32-year-old was consistent at Bethpage Black by carding three rounds below 70 to earn a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship.
Lowry followed that up with a tie for second at the RBC Canadian Open, in which he carded rounds of 64, 68, 66 and 67.
If you go back further, Lowry has three more rounds in the 60s from the RBC Heritage and Zurich Classic.
In 2015 and 2016, Lowry landed in the top 10 at the U.S. Open, and he is trending in that direction entering Pebble Beach.
If he continues to play with a steady hand, Lowry could find himself in one of the final groups Sunday.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from PGATour.com