Rickie Fowler has made 18 birdies in 36 holes at the 123rd U.S. Open. Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course has played more like Kapalua than a killer U.S. Open venue. The fact is, I love it and the main reason is our leaderboard. Too many media members are hung up on par. Par does not determine the winner — score does.
As we start the final two rounds of our national championship, let's highlight a couple of keys for building out a successful weekend betting card and closing out this tournament as well as Fowler has started it.
Big roars for Rickie as he takes back the lead at -10.
— Golfbet (@Golfbet) June 17, 2023
+400 live to win @FDSportsbook
pic.twitter.com/ViUiRfHFC2
US Open: Live Outright Odds
All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Golfer — Current Score — Odds
- Wyndham Clark (-9): +700
- Rory McIlroy (-8): +300
- Xander Schauffele (-8): +400
- Harris English (-7): +2200
- Dustin Johnson (-6): +1400
- Min Woo Lee (-6): +2800
- Scottie Scheffler (-5): +700
- Sam Bennett (-5): +12000
- Cameron Smith (-4): +3300
- Tony Finau (-3): +7000
- Gary Woodland (-2): +35000
- Denny McCarthy (-2): +4000
- Justin Suh (-2): +50000
- Brian Harman (-2): +50000
- Charley Hoffman (-2): +50000
- Dylan Wu (-2): +50000
- Ryutaro Nagano (-2): +50000
- Viktor Hovland (-1): +15000
- Bryson DeChambeau (-1): +22000
- Sam Burns (-1): +40000
- Si Woo Kim (-1): +50000
- Keith Mitchell (-1): +50000
- Eric Cole (-1): +50000
- Brooks Koepka (E): +15000
US Open: On-site observations
I have some PGA observations after walking around with the players throughout Thursday and Friday.
- The North Course will continue to get firmer. You could feel it beneath your feet on Friday afternoon, once the marine layer lifted and the sun came out. LACC was a much different test. The tackiness players used to their advantage each morning was burned off and we witnessed some serious bounce.
- Four of the top five players on the leaderboard were in the top-6 in strokes gained putting (SG:P) after two rounds. The only exception was Xander Schauffele. U.S. Opens test your patience, and what better place to understand who is ready to win than with the flat-stick?
- Approach play correlated to more success than off-the-tee. The wider fairways have not allowed the field to differentiate themselves with the driver. The iron game, however, has allowed players to climb the leaderboard.
- Long rounds, difficult putting surfaces, and uneven landing areas have all tested the players' patience. I have seen a bunch of guys get frustrated. That’s not a good sign with two more days to go.
Based upon my on-site observations, let’s make a couple of in-play bets for the weekend.
PGA US Open: Weekend Best Bets
Take Denny McCarthy to finish in the top 20 (+100 on FanDuel)
McCarthy is gaining over a stroke against the field with his iron game and his putter. We all know Denny to be a great putter, but his iron game has vastly improved in 2023. Considering that combination — along with a very positive U.S. Open career record — we expect him to continue to contend.
Take Tyrell Hatton to finish in the top 20 (+190 on FanDuel)
Last month at the PGA Championship, Hatton started slow with a 77. He played the final three rounds six under par. Tyrell is on a similar path in the U.S. Open. He opened with 74 and played seven shots better in Round 2, carding a 67. Last weekend in Canada, he closed with a 64 on Sunday. He will continue to gain ground on the leaders over the weekend as conditions get more difficult.
Take Cam Smith H2H over Scottie Scheffler in Round 3 (+155 on DraftKings)
Scottie Scheffler has been showing a great deal of frustration. As the contest continues, the greens (and conditions) will continue to get more difficult. Scheffler’s putting struggles are well documented. Smith can separate himself from the world’s best golfer with his flatstick and short game. Pick the underdog and collect a little extra pay day with those positive odds.
Read The Line is the leading golf betting insights service led by 5-time award winning PGA Professional Keith Stewart. Read The Line has 16 outright wins in the last year and covers the LPGA and PGA Tour, raising your golf betting acumen week after week. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter and follow us on social media: TikTok, Instagram, Twitter.