PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For 2024 U.S. Open
PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For 2024 U.S. Open
The 2024 U.S. Open will be held at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina for the third major of the PGA Tour season. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have recorded wins at the first two majors held at Augusta National and Valhalla. Now, players return to Pinehurst for the first U.S. Open event at this course since 2014.
Bryson DeChambeau had a strong finish at Valhalla to force Schauffele to make a clutch approach shot and eight-foot birdie putt to seal a one-stroke win and avoid a playoff. DeChambeau is the betting favorite amongst all LIV golfers once again. Accuracy and distance off-the-tee and on approach will dictate the leaderboard at Pinehurst No. 2 this week.
PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is back to provide his top 5 power rankings, along with course analysis and a look at the current odds in the outright winner betting market for the 2024 U.S. Open.
2024 U.S. OPEN START TIME AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: June 13-16, 2024
- Where: Pinehurst Resort and Country Club No. 2, Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Where to Watch: USA Network, Peacock, Golf Channel, NBC
U.S. OPEN COURSE
Pinehurst No. 2 will play as a par 70 at 7,550 yards. It's a unique set-up, particularly with the rough, which is comprised of sandy and wiregrass native areas. Errant lies off-the-tee and on approach won't encounter much water or thick rough, but native plants and other sandy fescue create difficult conditions that most courses don't offer on the PGA Tour.
The greens also feature Bermudagrass, changing from Bentgrass when this site was last played in 2014, so golfers who were competing at the 2014 U.S. Open will need to adjust accordingly. Pinehurst No. 2 opens with a par 4 that's under 400 yards in length, but golfers will face three subsequent par 4s of varying lengths until the fifth hole, which is a par 5.
The final four holes on the front-nine and back-nine alternate between par 3s and par 4s, with two of these par 3s measuring well over 200 yards in length off-the-tee. The only par 5 on the back-nine happens right away on the 10th hole, running 617 yards.
Martin Kaymer's 9-under-par win at the 2014 U.S. Open beat all other 67 golfers who made the cut by at least eight strokes, thanks to a red-hot putter. Suffice it to say, par is a good score on most of the holes at Pinehurst No. 2 this week.
U.S. OPEN ODDS
| GOLFER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +320 |
| Rory McIlroy | +1000 |
| Xander Schauffele | +1200 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1400 |
| Viktor Hovland | +1600 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +1800 |
| Brooks Koepka | +2200 |
| Ludvig Åberg | +2200 |
| Jon Rahm | +2800 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +4000 |
| Cameron Smith | +4500 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +4500 |
| Justin Thomas | +4500 |
2024 U.S. OPEN POWER RANKINGS
1. SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER +320 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS FOR THIS PICK
Scottie Scheffler is coming off of his first win at The Memorial Tournament, which also marks his first win after the month of April on the PGA Tour. His driver and ball-striking on approach is exceptional, but when his putter is cooperating, as we saw at Muirfield, there are few golfers who can contend alongside the World No. 1. It's why he's +320 to win his second major this year, while Rory McIlroy is a distant second at +1000.
2. COLLIN MORIKAWA +1200 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS FOR THIS PICK
Collin Morikawa contended with Scheffler in the final round at Muirfield, outplaying him on Sunday but unable to find the fairway or the green on the 18th hole to get a good look for an equalizing birdie putt. Morikawa has six career wins, including two majors, but he's looking to add his first U.S. Open title. Ranked 15th strokes gained: off-the-tee and 10th strokes gained: around-the-green, Morikawa's putter is his biggest weakness entering Pinehurst.
3. CAMERON SMITH +4500 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS FOR THIS PICK
Cameron Smith leads LIV in putting average and is among the best in birdie average. The Aussie has a pair of T4 finishes at the U.S. Open, including in 2023. However, this will be his first time playing at Pinehurst, so he'll need to stay sharp off-the-tee and on approach to stay near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.
4. SEPP STRAKA +8000 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS FOR THIS PICK
We saw Sepp Straka get red-hot on Saturday at Muirfield, going bogey-free, before regressing significantly in the final round. The Austrian has missed the cut at the 2022 and 2023 U.S. Open majors, but he did record a T28 finish at Pebble Beach back in 2019. He's best off-the-tee and on approach, so at 80-1 in the outright winner market, there's enough appeal to warrant a 0.10 unit wager on Straka.
5. KEEGAN BRADLEY +8000 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS FOR THIS PICK
Keegan Bradley also had a disappointing finish at Muirfield Village this past weekend. However, Bradley is one of the few players in this field who contended at Pinehurst No. 2 back in 2014. Yes, he wound up 1-over-par, but that was good enough for a T4 finish with Brooks Koepka, Jason Day, and Dustin Johnson. Bradley is ranked 41st strokes gained: approaching the green and 12th total driving, so he's another prospect available at 80-1 with enough talent to warrant a 0.10 unit wager ahead of his return to Pinehurst.
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GOLF ODDS
Matt is an avid writer, editor, and researcher. He enjoys analyzing the game within the game which is fantasy sports and sports betting. Music is another constant in his daily life. Matt loves spending time with his wife and three pets. He likes to read, listen to podcasts, and is constantly motivated to create the most accurate and engaging content in the sports betting industry.