This week’s US Open Championship will see golf’s big hitters go for glory at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy heads to Boston in fine form after his victory at the Canadian Open on Sunday.
US Open 2011 winner McIlroy, defending champion Jon Rahm, PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler lead a huge field of 156 players for the third men’s major of the year, which starts on Thursday. They are joined by “PGA Tour guys, LIV guys, Korn Ferry guys, DP World Tour guys, amateurs and everyone in between”, said Golf Digest.
With the sport going through a “civil war” following the launch of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Series, there will be a big focus on some of the rebel “LIV guys” competing this week: 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, two-time major champion Dustin Johnson and six-time major champion Phil Mickelson to name just three.
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Six-time US Open runner-up Mickelson has “dominated the golf headlines” in recent months for his “controversial comments about Saudi Arabia and the PGA Tour”, said Sky Sports. The American only ended his “self-imposed exile” from golf to compete in the opening event of the LIV Golf Series last week. With a win at the US Open he would make history by completing a career grand slam.
1. UK TV coverage
“Round-the-clock” coverage of the 122nd US Open will be shown live on Sky Sports Golf. The broadcaster will have more than 40 hours of live action from the four tournament days. All times below BST.
Thursday 16 June – 1pm-1am: first round live
Friday 17 June – 1pm-1am: second round live
Saturday 18 June – 4pm-1am: third round live
Sunday 19 June – 2pm-12am: final round live
2. US Open betting odds
Rory McIlroy
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fresh from their “thrilling” final round in Canada, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas are the favourites to win the US Open, said USA Today. Here we take a look at the latest betting odds according to Oddschecker, as of 15 June.
As is the case with all major championships, “the field is strong”, said Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads on The Analyst. “It’s tough to win in a field like this”, but according to the site’s FRACAS model Rory McIlroy “projects as the clear favourite with a 6.90% chance of winning”.
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This feels “inevitable”, Rory’s “on a mission”, said the Anonymous Caddie on Golf Digest. “He figured out the early-round major woes at the PGA. It feels like the window is open once again for the Northern Irishman to add another major.”
“We’re going back to the Jordan Spieth well,” said Golf Digest. Data scientist and RickRunGood.com founder Rick Gehman, Golf Digest deputy managing editor Stephen Hennessey, and FanShare Sports’s Lee Alldrick have all picked Spieth as their outright winner. “I usually need zero excuse” to bet on Spieth in a major, said Hennessey. And guys like Gehman and Alldrick being on him “mean I’m all in”.
Justin Thomas, this year’s PGA Championship winner, will “take care of business” and also win the US Open, said Johnny Recks on Clutch Sports. “When it comes to a major tournament, Thomas seemingly manages to find another gear.”
Golf stats expert and “proven golf insider” Sal Johnson has released his “highly confident” pick for the US Open, said Sportsline. “Shockingly, Johnson is strongly fading Viktor Hovland, who is among the favourites but has struggled mightily in major championships.”
Despite what the odds may suggest, this year’s US Open is “wide open”, said Patrick McDonald on CBS Golf. Five “sleepers” who “may surprise as winners” at The Country Club include Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Sungjae Im, Corey Conners and Justin Rose.
Another sleeper pick is Shane Lowry, said Nick Goss on NBC Sports Boston. The Irishman has “seven top-ten finishes in majors, including a win at the British Open in 2019”.
“According to my statistical model”, Lowry’s game should “fit this track quite well”, said Nick Hennion in the New York Post. His “best bet” is for Lowry to achieve a top-20 finish.
4. US Open tee-times: first and second rounds
Defending champion Jon Rahm is grouped with Collin Morikawa and James Piot
(Image credit: David Cannon/Getty Images)
Round one: Thursday 16 June (all times BST)
Starting on hole one
11:45 Michael Thorbjornsen (US*), Erik Barnes (US), Matt McCarty (US)
11:56 Matthew NeSmith (US), Patrick Rodgers (US), Travis Vick (US*)
12:07 Troy Merritt (US), William Mouw (US*), Andrew Putnam (US)
12:18 Collin Morikawa (US), James Piot (US), Jon Rahm (Spa)
12:29 Jordan Spieth (US), Adam Scott (Aus), Max Homa (US)
12:40 Billy Horschel (US), Patrick Cantlay (US), Daniel Berger (US)
12:51 Harold Varner III (US), Sebastian Munoz (Col), Alex Noren (Swe)
13:02 Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Cameron Young (US), Will Zalatoris (US)
13:13 Adam Schenk (US), Stewart Hagestad (US*), Grayson Murray (US)
Mike Starling is the former digital features editor at The Week. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.
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