BROOKLINE -- Collin Morikawa acknowledged how he felt he could have shot better than the 1-under par 69 during Thursday's opening round of the U.S. Open at The Country Club.
"Through nine I thought I was going to go a lot deeper than three; I'll tell you that," Morikawa said referencing that he was 3-under par through nine holes before a pair of backside bogies. "Yeah, I would have expected someone to shoot four or five (under)."
But those who placed wagers on Morikawa to win the 122nd U.S. Open this weekend should remain optimistic. And those who haven't yet might want to jump on the two-time major champion while he still offers some betting value.
After all, one specific stat bodes very well for Morikawa's potential this weekend.
Morikawa's 69 on the par-70 layout Thursday marked the third time he's opened a major tournament in the 60s, as shared by Golf Channel. Morikawa won the major championship each of the previous two times he did so -- the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship.
Morikawa, who was 30-to-1 to claim the U.S. Open entering the week, now has had his prices slashed at DraftKings Sportsbook betting board to 18-to-1. That's no payout to scoff at.
He remains behind the favorite Rory McIlroy (4-to-1), Matthew Fitzpatrick (+650), Jon Rahm (11-to-1) and Sam Burns (12-to-1).
If bettors would rather cover themselves a bit, Morikawa is +360 to finish in the top 5 and plus money (+165) to land in the top 10. Not the same big payday, of course.
Morikawa will begin his second round Friday afternoon as he tees off at 1:03 p.m. ET. Bettors looking to give themselves said value better jump on Morikawa quickly, as a strong showing certainly will further slash his betting prices.
You can follow along with NESN's U.S. Open coverage from The Country Club here.
