Golfers worth a wager at the US Open
Jon Rahm, the No. 3 golfer in the world, has come out of quarantine and is the 9/1 favorite for this week’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
This has been a busy year for Rahm off the course, as he welcomed his first child this spring. On the course, he has not met his usual high standards.
Nevertheless, he has posted three top-five performances and seven top 10s. He also appears to be peaking at the right time with his game. A Saturday 64 two weekends ago gave him a six-stroke lead over a field that had 11 of the top 15 players in the world participating at the Memorial Tournament.
Then, the news of the positive COVID-19 test came alongside the 18th green in front of a national television audience, and he was forced to withdraw.
Torrey Pines will play differently than it typically does for the Farmers Insurance Open in January, but previous experience on this track will still matter. Rahm has that, considering this was the site of his first worldwide victory as a professional back in 2017 with a 60-foot eagle on the 72nd hole. In the last three years, Rahm has finished seventh or better on this course.
Here are some others who are worth a wager in La Jolla.
Dustin Johnson (16/1)
The reigning Masters champion certainly does not leap off the page, considering his tie for 10th last week at the Palmetto Championship was his first top-10 finish since Riviera in early February.
Last week, he was on the hunt for a win before a triple bogey on 16 took him out of it. Moreover, his Torrey Pines form is also not much to write home about, but we must consider he is usually returning from the Middle East to play here, so the travel catches up with him. The recent form (last 24-36 rounds) has not been much, but if you extend back to the last 50 rounds, Johnson is second in the field for strokes gained: Tee-To-Green. He returns to the Poa Annua greens, and no player comes close to having more victories on this putting surface than Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player.
Xander Schauffele (18/1)
The San Diego native has played four U.S. Opens and finished fifth, sixth, third, and fifth. He has five top-five performances and seven top 10s in majors over the last five years. His historical form at Torrey Pines is poor, but he did finish tied for second earlier this season and ranked first in Scrambling that week.
Tony Finau (25/1)
Finau continues to knock at the door, but never is quite able to come through it. He has nine major top 10s in his last 13 appearances. Finau has a form line at Torrey Pines from 2021 to his rookie PGA Tour season in 2015 of 2-6-13-6-4-18-24. Although he lacks a victory here, or anywhere but Puerto Rico for that matter, he is a horse for this course. He also had two runner-up finishes at Riviera, including earlier this year, on Poa Annua greens, which are his preferred putting surfaces.
Viktor Hovland (25/1)
The Norwegian ended up tied for second with several others at Torrey Pines this year, but was the only one to really emerge as a challenger on Sunday to the eventual winner Patrick Reed. Hovland is only one of four players in this field to rank in the top 15 over the course of the last 24 rounds for both Off-The-Tee and Approach.
Scottie Scheffler (40/1)
Could be a bit of a wild card, considering that he has yet to earn his first PGA Tour win and the maiden is rarely broken at a major championship. Nevertheless, he is currently in excellent form, finishing eighth in the PGA Championship and third in the Memorial.
A terrific ball-striker, Scheffler has the combination of being an excellent, long driver, where he ranks 1st in Total Driving and 12th Off-The-Tee plus an excellent short game.
Jason Kokrak (66/1): Won the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial three weeks ago and ranks third on the PGA Tour for Total Driving.
Max Homa (80/1)
Bested Finau in the playoff to win at Riviera earlier this year. Always seems to come to life in his home state. Not likely, but there is the possibility.