Location:

Los Angeles Country Club – North Course.

Last US Open winner on same course:

N/A.

USPGA result:

+10 points.

Current market leaders as of late evening on 14/06/23 (Boyles – 10 Places):

• Scottie Scheffler – 6/1.
• Jon Rahm – 9/1.
• Brooks Koepka – 10/1.
• Rory McIlroy – 11/1.
• Patrick Cantlay – 14/1.
• Viktor Hovland – 14/1.
• Xander Schauffele – 16/1.
• Jordan Spieth – 20/1.
• Max Homa – 22/1.
• Matthew Fitzpatrick – 25/1.
• Tyrell Hatton – 25/1.
• Cameron Smith – 25/1.
• Tony Finau – 28/1.
• Collin Morikawa – 28/1.
• Justin Rose – 30/1.
• Justin Thomas – 30/1.
• Jason Day – 33/1.
• Bryson DeChambeau – 33/1.
• Tommy Fleetwood – 33/1.
• Dustin Johnson – 33/1.

Past six winners (and runners up) of the US Open:

• Matthew Fitzpatrick (Will Zalatoris & Scottie Scheffler).
• Jon Rahm (Louis O).
• Bryson DeChambeau (Matthew Wolff).
• Gary Woodland (Brooks Koepka).
• Brooks Koepka (Tommy Fleetwood).
• Brooks Koepka (Hideki Matsuyama & Brian Harman).

This year’s championship is not a usual US Open course, but it’s still going to be long and tough, and the same characteristics of a US Open winner will need to be there. Interesting fact is that Max Homa has the course record (61), which he shot while still in college.

Past US Open experience – last five years (2022 – 2018):

• Scottie Scheffler – T2, T7, N/A, MC, N/A.
• Jon Rahm – T12, WIN, T23, T3, MC.
• Brooks Koepka – 55^th, T4, N/A, 2^nd, WIN (WIN in 2017 as well).
• Rory McIlroy – T5, T7, T8, T9, MC.
• Patrick Cantlay – T14, T15, T43, T21, T45.
• Viktor Hovland – MC, WD, T13, T12, N/A.
• Xander Schauffele – T14, T7, 5th, T3, T6.
• Jordan Spieth – T37, T19, MC, T65, MC.
• Max Homa – T47, MC, MC, N/A, N/A.
• Matthew Fitzpatrick – WIN, T55, MC, T12, T12.
• Tyrell Hatton – T56, MC, MC, T21, T6.
• Cameron Smith – MC, MC, T38, T72, MC.
• Tony Finau – MC, MC, T8, MC, 5^th.
• Collin Morikawa – T5, T4, MC, T35, N/A.
• Justin Rose – T37, MC, MC, T3, T10.
• Justin Thomas – T37, T19, T8, MC, T25.
• Jason Day – N/A, N/A, T38, T21, MC.
• Bryson DeChambeau – T56, T26, WIN, T35, T35.
• Tommy Fleetwood – MC, T50, MC, T65, 2^nd.
• Dustin Johnson – T24, T19, T6, T35, 3rd.

Wow, there are so many guys who have done so well recently. Scheffler’s top seven and second place, Rahm’s win and a T3, and McIlroy and Schauffele with their insane consistency over the last few years. Nothing can touch Koepka, however, and I’m willing to forgive his T55 finish last year, due to his injury concerns.

Form – past five tournaments played:

• Scottie Scheffler – 3^rd, T3, T2, T5, T11.
• Jon Rahm – T16, T50, 2nd, T15, WIN.
• Brooks Koepka – WIN, (Liv – 6th, 3rd, 19^th, WIN).
• Rory McIlroy – T9, T7, T7, T47, MC.
• Patrick Cantlay – T30, T9, T21, T4, 3^rd.
• Viktor Hovland – WIN, T16, T2, T43, T59.
• Xander Schauffele – T24, T18, 2nd, T4, 4th.
• Jordan Spieth – T5, MC, T29, MC, 2nd.
• Max Homa – T9, T55, T8, MC, MC.
• Matthew Fitzpatrick – T20, T9, MC, T35, T19.
• Tyrell Hatton – T3, T12, T15, T5, T3.
• Cameron Smith – T9, (LIV- 2^nd, 7th, 4^th, 29^th)
• Tony Finau – MC, T72, T23, WIN, T31.
• Collin Morikawa – WD, T29, T26, MC, MC.
• Justin Rose – 8^th, T12, T9, T25, T16.
• Justin Thomas – MC, T65, T14, T25, MC.
• Jason Day – MC, MC, WIN, MC, T39.
• Bryson DeChambeau – T4, (LIV – 10th, 7th, 22^nd, 28^th)
• Tommy Fleetwood – 2^nd, MC, T18, T5, T15.
• Dustin Johnson – T55, (LIV – WIN, 25^th, 10^th, 7^th)

Looking at recent form, it’s all about the boys at the top of the betting. Shock. Scheffler’s form is making my brain hurt, wondering how he is keeping this consistency up, and Hovland stepping into the picture with his recent win. It’s hard to judge the quality of the LIV form, but Brooks is highlighted more so for his recent win in the PGA, than his record outside of that.

SG driving (Top 20 PGA Tour):

1. Scottie Scheffler
2. Patrick Cantlay
3. Rory McIlroy
4. Kevin Yu
5. Keith Mitchell
6. Hayden Buckley
7. Viktor Hovland
8. Brent Grant
9. Cam Davis
10. Dean Burmester
11. Tyrrell Hatton
12. Gary Woodland
13. Luke List
14. Cameron Young
15. Adam Scott
16. Jon Rahm
17. Sungjae Im
18. Corey Conners
19. Will Gordon
20. Shane Lowry

Driving Accuracy (Notables):

• Morikawa – 6^th.
• Cantlay – 12^th.
• Scheffler – 25^th.
• Rose – 35^th.
• Hovland – 36^th.
• Day – 47^th.
• Rahm – 89^th.
• Homa – 92^nd.

SG Scrambling:

1. Jonathan Byrd
2. Aaron Baddeley
3. Byeong Hun An
4. Matt Kuchar
5. Brendon Todd
6. Tommy Fleetwood
7. Scottie Scheffler
8. Hideki Matsuyama
9. Justin Thomas
10. Alex Noren
11. Chris Kirk
12. Stephan Jaeger
13. Beau Hossler
14. Matt Wallace
15. Rory McIlroy
16. Robby Shelton
17. Ben Griffin
18. Harry Hall
19. Mackenzie Hughes

Homa, Rose, Finau and Fitzpatrick are all top 36 or better. Nice to see Scheffler and McIlroy near the top of this category as well. It shows how unbelievably good their all-round game is at the moment.

Selections (EW 10 Places):

• Brooks Koepka – 1 point EW @ 10/1.
• Scottie Scheffler – 1 point EW @ 6/1.

I am keeping this one very very simple. Koepka is just the man at the moment and with all the LIV controversy going around, it’s only going to play in his favour. While all the other golfers are consumed by what’s happening, he’s as cool as a breeze. Scheffler is my other selection, as he is placing in every tournament he plays and is top of all the categories I feel are important. 6/1 is shocking odds for golf, but it feels like a safe play with the 10 places being offered. If you asked me for a reserve pick, it would be Hovland, given his recent win. He didn’t make the final cut, due to his recent US Open form.

Best of luck.