U.S. Open in unknown Los Angeles C.C. Are bettors having trouble identifying favorites?
The 123rd U.S. Open returns to California for the 15th time this week, but the national championship will be held at the Los Angeles Country Club for the first time.
The LACC, a famed track on Wilshire Boulevard west of Beverly Hills, is extremely exclusive and has for decades avoided hosting PGA Tour events and major championships such as the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. But after architect Gil Hanse recently completed a major renovation of the club's North Course, LACC members finally agreed to invite the USGA to host its national championship and showcase the course.
The relatively unfamiliar track has bettors and golf analysts scrambling to find consensus favorites for this week's tournament, which begins Thursday and will culminate in hoisting the U.S. Open trophy on Sunday night, Father's Day. As bettors make their selections ahead of the first round, numerous players continue to compete for the favorite spot on the odds board.
The U.S. Open comes on the heels of the historic announcement of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Program Merger.
Scheffler’s early favorite
As of Monday afternoon, Caesars Sportsbook has world No. 1 Scotty Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion who finished second at last year's U.S. Open at Brookline Country Club in Massachusetts name, the lowest odds are +650. World No. 2 Jon Rahm, who won the 2021 U.S. Open and this year's Masters, trails only Scheffler (+800).
Rahm won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, San Diego, about 100 miles south of the LACC. Brooks Koepka, who won the PGA Championship last month and the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open titles, is ranked at +850.
BetMGM officials said Scheffler's lines continued to shrink after the 12/1 opening. Scheffler is now 7/1 at BetMGM. Koepka had an even longer start, opening at 33/1, before a series of moves shortened his defense significantly.
Oddsmakers report violence among top candidates. This is unlike many major tournaments, which are either played at the same club every year or are part of a familiar rotation, allowing bettors to determine who performs well and who doesn't perform well at certain venues.
Not only is Los Angeles Country Club a unique venue because of its location and exclusivity, but it’s also a unique golf course that’s completely different from many U.S. Open venues we’ve seen in the past,” writes Andy Lack in Golf Monthly Road. “With fairways over 80 yards wide, huge barns running the length of the course, and molar-shaped greens, the Los Angeles Country Course feels like an Australian sand strip course in the heart of one of Australia’s largest metropolises. "
While Koepka is the second-most pressure in the book, Max Homa at +2800 and Viktor Hovland at +1600 are the first and third-most pressure in the book, respectively, according to BetMGM. Homa accounted for nearly 12% of BetMGM's U.S. Open trading volume, while Hovland attracted nearly 7% of the money.
Attractive Long Shot
As the game unfolds, bettors are seeing some attractive bets for the big names.
2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick is priced at 33/1, while 2020 champion Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for fourth at the PGA last month The odds are 40/1. 2019 Pebble Beach winner Gary Woodland has even longer odds at 100/1. A $10 bet on Woodland to win would net you $1,000.
Rory McIlroy hasn't won a major since 2014, but he did finish seventh at the PGA. McIlroy is a perennial betting favorite in the majors and is priced at 12/1 this week. 2016 U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson has odds of 40/1.
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