The third major golf championship of 2021 gets underway this week with the 121st US Open Championship. Golfers gear up to tee off for the first round of play on Thursday, June 17.
San Diego’s legendary golf course, Torrey Pines, hosts the tournament for the first time since 2008. Sportsbooks predict it will take a certain type of golfer to claim victory over these links.
2021 US Open odds favor Jon Rahm
Now that Spanish golfer Jon Rahm has been cleared to play the Open, the 26 year-old enters the field as the all-around betting favorite.
Two weeks ago, Rahm held a six-stroke lead at the annual Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. He was forced to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 test, however, after concluding his third round of play.
Rahm returns from isolation seeking redemption at one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year. He is no stranger to the ever-challenging Torrey Pines course, winning the Farmers Insurance Open there back in 2017.
DraftKings Tennessee gives Rahm +850 odds of winning his debut career major title this weekend, while BetMGM situates him at the top of the leaderboard with +1000 odds.
Odds for other US Open betting favorites
Fellow top-ranked players Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Jordan Spieth all trail behind Rahm in the latest odds.
Defending champ DeChambeau looks to notch another Open win into his belt, though he’ll have to wade through plenty of competition to get there. Koepka already boasts two back-to-back wins from 2017 and 2018, and hopes to turn that into a trio of victories after this weekend.
Viable contenders from the middle-of-the-pack
Justin Thomas ranks as the No. 2 player in the world and is coming off of a Players Championship win this past March. He sits at +2300 odds entering the US Open, right behind Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
After Rahm’s withdrawal earlier this month from the Memorial Tournament, Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa sat atop the leaderboard at 13 under par. Cantlay was ultimately crowned the winner after shooting par on the first playoff hole. Now, the duo round out the list of top-10 contenders, both sitting at +2500 odds.
Golfing great Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship last month, becoming the oldest major champion in the history of the game. The 50 year-old golfer has taken second place at the Open six times, though he has never claimed the title. Odds for Mickelson to win his second consecutive major are +6600.
Ways to wager on the US Open
Wagering on the overall winner of the Open is only one way bettors can tee up the action this coming weekend. A variety of different prop bets and special market options also exist, including:
- Player matchups
- Group betting
- Finishing position
- Round leader
- To make/miss the cut
- Top player by nationality
- Bogey free round/tournament
- Winning margin
- Player to hit hole in one
Bettors confident in naming both the winner and runner up can find strong value in Straight Forecast wagering, which offers the ability to select first- and second-place tournament finishers.
US Open promos and boosts
In addition to the wide array of wagering options, some Tennessee sportsbooks also offer boosts and promos on the tournament.
DraftKings’ Bryson vs. Brooks odds boost
One popular player matchup market is getting a big boost at DraftKings. Bettors can select either Bryson Dechambeau or Brooks Koepka to log the higher tournament finishing position. Odds for both selections are boosted to +110. The max bet for this boost, which expires at the first tee off of Round 1, is $25. Meaning, a winning wager would result in a profit of up to $27.50.
BetMGM’s US Open mulligan promo
BetMGM understands that sometimes do-overs are necessary in the world of golf. To emphasize that sentiment, the King of Sportsbooks is offering a refund to bettors whose golfer doesn’t win but still places in the top five.
To qualify, bettors must first opt into the “Top 5 Golfer Insurance” promo and place a wager on any golfer with +110 or longer odds to win. The maximum refund on this offer is $25, which will be paid out in the form of bonus bets.
Betting continues until players drain the final putt on Sunday, June 20, though these promos and boosts will be long gone by then. Pay a visit to any of Tennessee’s seven sportsbooks to ace your US Open bets before play starts this Thursday.
