The third major championship of the 2021 men’s professional golf season will take place this week, as the U.S. Open tees off on Thursday and will conclude on Father’s Day from Torrey Pines.
The event will be on the West Coast, providing some primetime golf this weekend.
Here’s a look at the odds for this week’s major for Michigan sports bettors to consider.
The Rundown: 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines
The US Open is the third of the four annual major championships in golf. It’s a four-day tournament that includes the majority of the top golfers in the world.
Check out our US Open betting page for all the information you need on wagering on this major championship.
- Dates: June 17-20, 2021
- Location: San Diego, California
- Course: Torrey Pines Golf Course, South Course
- Par: 71
- Length: 7,685 yards
- TV and streaming: NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock
- Prize pool: $12.5 million
- First place share: $2.25 million
- Defending champion: Bryson DeChambeau
Jon Rahm favored by oddsmakers
The favorite coming into this weekend’s tournament is Spaniard Jon Rahm. The majority of oddsmakers are listing Rahm at +1000 to win, putting him as the clear favorite.
Rahm will be seeking his first major championship victory. He has placed in the top 10 in the first two majors of this year.
The US Open hasn’t been too kind to Rahm, however. He has missed the cut twice in five appearances and has just one top-10 finish (third, 2019).
Rahm currently sits third in the Official World Golf Ranking. This year, he has seven top-10 finishes over 12 events. However, he has yet to win in 2021.
He seemed to be on his way to victory a few weeks ago at the Memorial Tournament, but was forced to withdraw with a six-stroke lead after the third round because of a positive COVID-19 test result. Rahm recently posted on social media that he is cleared to play this weekend.
Other top contenders by oddsmakers, with their longest odds listed, are:
- Dustin Johnson +1600 (WilliamHill Sportsbook)
- Bryon DeChambeau +1800 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
- Brooks Koepka +1800 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Xander Schauffele +2000 (WilliamHill Sportsbook)
- Rory McIlroy +2000 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Jordan Spieth +2100 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Bet on the Koepka vs. DeChambeau rivalry
There hasn’t been a golf rivalry with as much steam as the one involving Koepka and DeChambeau in quite some time.
Things seemed to pick up during the PGA Championship, when video surfaced of Koepka not appreciating a walkthrough by DeChambeau during a Koepka interview.
A few social media jabs since have golf fans eager to see these two battle it out on the course.
PointsBet Sportsbook is getting in on the rivalry, with a no-juice wager option in the head-to-head matchup of Koepka vs. DeChambeau. You can make a max wager of $50 for either golfer in the head-to-head pairing at +100.
DraftKings also has a similar market, with +110 odds on both golfers maxed at $25.
DeChambeau is the defending US Open champion, but he has finished outside the top 30 in both majors this year. He is fifth in the world rankings, with one win and four top-10 finishes out of 12 events in 2021.
Koepka is a four-time major champion, including the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Opens. He missed the cut at the Masters, but bounced back with a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. Koepka is 10th in the world rankings, with one win and three-top 10 finishes in nine events this year. However, he has missed five cuts and has been running hot-and-cold.
Dustin Johnson trying to bounce back
Dustin Johnson remains No. 1 in the world rankings, but is in need of a strong showing this weekend.
Johnson has missed the cut in both majors this year after finishing in the top six in all three in 2020.
This year, DJ has one win in Europe, while placing in the top 10 in just three of his 11 tournaments.
Included in those 11 events are two missed cuts and three others events in which he finished outside the top 40.
Johnson actually competed in the last US Open at Torrey Pines back in 2008 (won by Tiger Woods). He finished tied for 48th at +10 in his major championship debut.
Phil Mickelson looking to complete grand slam
Phil Mickelson shocked the golfing world last month, becoming the oldest player to win a major when he won the PGA Championship at age 50.
That was Lefty’s sixth major of his career. He is only missing one major from becoming a grand slam winner, which is the U.S. Open. His victory last month has likely inflated his odds for this tournament. PointsBet is listing Mickelson at +6000 to win.
Mickelson has finished second in this event six times in his career. When last at Torrey Pines, Mickelson finished 18th.
Don’t let last month’s win influence you too much, though. It was Mickelson’s first top-10 finish in a major since 2016. This year, Mickelson has missed five cuts out of 12 events and not cracked the top 10 in any event except his PGA Championship win.
