The Bookies point of view…
32Red’s Sponsorship manager Jack Milner delivers a weekly verdict on each tournament.
The US Open heads to Pebble Beach and golf’s who’s who all poised to create history on the west coast this week, world number one and defending champion Brooks Koepka has been usurped at the head of the betting by Rory McIlroy, after the Northern Irishman’s bludgeoning victory last week in Canada. That shows he is back to the sort of form that saw him bag The Player’s Championship at Sawgrass, and he warrants maximum respect if replicating the form he showed off the tee in Hamilton.
Koepka meanwhile, successfully defended the PGA Championship at Bethpage and is bidding for a third consecutive US Open success. He sauntered to victory last month when only really tested in the final round by close friend Dustin Johnson, himself a former winner and primed to record a second major success.
The man they arguably all have to beat is Tiger Woods, who won a 14th major with his Masters win at Augusta in April and boasts a terrific record around Pebble Beach. He famously won this tournament by 15 shots when the US Open was hosted at the course in 2002 and should be suited by the lesser demands of the course against the aforementioned big hitters.
Tiger would be my most likely winner but he is plain too short at 11/1 with 32Red, and I’d much prefer to take a chance on golf’s next two superstars in Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schaufele at bigger prices. The pair are undoubtedly going to be a staple in USA’s next dozen or so Ryder Cup sides and it is only a matter of time before either break through to the next level.
Tremendous tee-to-green, Cantlay showed tremendous grit to win for the first time this season with a last round 63 getting the job done at The Memorial, whilst Schaufele has hit the crossbar in several including Tiger’s infamous green jacket success in the spring.
They should relish the forecast tricky conditions, and look too big at their current prices, and the same applies to Francesco Molinari. The Champion Golfer arguably should have won a second major at Augusta, and probably would have done bar his mishap at the 12th in the final round and is huge at 35/1. For one of the straightest hitters on tour, the price is an insult.
Of the rest, Webb Simpson has been popular, 28/1 from 40s with 32Red and probably the right price, should go well and money for others that similarly played well in Canada Shane Lowry and Henrik Stenson, both now 50s, probably has them at around the right price.
Jack’s selections:
Patrick Cantlay @18/1 with 32Red
Xander Schaufele @28/1 with 32Red
Francesco Molinari @35/1 with 32Red
