In-form players ahead of the US Open

Already this year, Jon Rahm has won his maiden Masters and a resurgent Brooks Koepka claimed his fifth major at the PGA Championship last month.

00:11 08 June 2023

The four golf majors come around so fast, with one a month starting from the Masters at the iconic Augusta National every April to Britain’s only major The Open Championship each July. The PGA Championship (May) and the US Open (June) fall in between, meaning the penultimate major of the year is just around the corner. 

Already this year, Jon Rahm has won his maiden Masters and a resurgent Brooks Koepka claimed his fifth major at the PGA Championship last month. But who will lift the US Open trophy on the 18th green at the North Course of Los Angeles Country Club in what will be the 123rd renewal of the prestigious tournament on June 18? Let’s take a look at some of the in-form contenders.

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler might only have two wins this season, albeit in high-prestige tournaments in the form of the Phoenix Open and Players Championships, but he has been a figure of consistency and often that can be a good measurement of success in itself. 

The 26-year-old is yet to miss a cut in his 15 PGA Tour events this campaign and has incredibly finished inside the top 10 on 11 occasions — including T2 in the PGA Championship and T10 at the Masters. He was tied for third in the Charles Schwab Challenge and T3 at the Memorial Tournament most recently and will certainly be towards the top of the leaderboard as he hunts down that first US Open. 

The bookies have the American down as the favourite in the golf betting at 8/1.

Brooks Koepka

When Koepka won his second LIV Golf event in Orlando one week out from the Masters, nobody really took any notice of the then four-time major winner’s success. He headed to Augusta as far out as 50/1 in the betting but soon made everybody sit and take notice when leading after 54 holes. 

The American couldn’t hold on for that sought-after green jacket, ultimately imploding under the pressure and allowing Rahm to swoop in for glory. But he didn’t let that agonising final round bog him down, ticking over with solid results back on the LIV Tour before giving it his all at the PGA Championship to end his four-year major drought.

Koepka won the PGA and US Open in succession back in 2018 and on current form, you wouldn’t bet against the 33-year-old completing that impressive feat again at 12/1.

Viktor Hovland

While Viktor Hovland hasn’t exactly been a constant threat at the top of the leaderboard throughout the course of the season to now, winning one tournament this season, finishing runner-up just once and being in the top 10 seven times in his 15 tournaments thus far, it’s the European’s efforts in the big tournaments that make him one worth watching in Los Angeles — while it’s also worth noting he too is yet to miss a cut.

The Norwegian arguably landed his first win of the year at the perfect time when lifting the Memorial title earlier this month and was T3 in the Players (the next best thing to a major), T7 at the Masters and T2 alongside Scheffler at the recent PGA Championship to boost that form.

Hovland seems to up his game at prestigious events and when paired with his win at Muirfield Village Golf Club, he is certainly knocking on the door when it comes to winning that first major. Therefore, at odds of 20/1, he might be worth an each-way bet.