The men’s golf major of the year is just around the corner, as play at course number 2 of the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina, will get underway on Thursday. It will be a fascinating battle for the trophy this year, with the winning player also picking up their share of the $20 million purse.
The season’s third major is typically one of the most enjoyable for all sports fans, but which star will come out on top at the 2024 US Open?
Event Information
The 124th edition of the US Open was first held on a nine-hole course in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1895. The event has come a long way since then, and the winner of this edition is expected to pocket almost $4 million.
The 7.550-yard course is set as a par 70 for each tournament round. It will be the second time Pinehurst No. 2 has been used as a US Open venue in its current configuration. That means much of the Bermudagrass rough has gone, replaced by sandy waste arenas that give this special course a much more rustic aura.
2024 US Open Odds
Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite for the US Open with BetXchange. The 2024 Masters’ champion is 3/1 to win the US Open, with his next closest rivals in the betting market being Rory McCilroy at 11/1 and 2024 US PGA Championship winner Xander Schaufflete at 12/1.
Other players of note include the exciting Viktor Hovland (14/a), Spaniard Jon Rahm (25/1), and Dustin Johnson (55/1).
US Open Leading Contenders
It is hard to look past Scheffler. His form in 2024 has been ridiculous. His win at the Memorial on Sunday was his fifth on the tour this year. That is the earliest any player has managed to pick up five wins in a season since back in 1980.
It is an even more remarkable achievement given that Scheffler missed a couple of tournaments between the Masters and the US PGA Championship to be with his wife for the birth of their child. Add that his game seems adaptable to any course, and you have a player that will be difficult to beat in North Carolina.
Xander Schauffele is also worthy of consideration. He has finished inside the top 15 of the US Open every year since 2017 and inside the top 7 five times during that span. Now, he has shed the label of never winning a major. Is it that hard to imagine he could claim two on the bounce?
2024 US Open Prediction
Sheffler hasn’t finished outside the top 17 in an event since August 2023. That type of consistent play is so rare in top-level golf that it is almost impossible to pick against him, even given the file nature of golf and taking into account his insanely low price.
Another bet I like is Tiger Woods to make the cut at 2/1. Pinehurst is a gentle walk of a course, something that will suit the icon. Woods struggled with the hilly course at the US PGA Championship, but he is hitting the ball well, although his four-round stamina is in question. I like him to make it to the weekend.
Pick: Scottie Scheffler at 3/1
