The U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst No. 2 this week, and golf fans better get used to seeing the famed track host the national championship.
Pinehurst, in all of its historic glory, will be one of the USGA's anchor sites moving forward. The world's best will return in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 -- go ahead and chew on that while contemplating your mortality.
For now, let's stick to the present. As always, the U.S. Open should present a full test of golf skill with firm and fast conditions punching the game's elite right in the mouth. Martin Kaymer ran away from the field and won the 2014 U.S. Open at No. 2 and he was one of just three players under par for the entire tournament.
Let's dive into the power rankings for the 2024 U.S. Open with betting odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
10. Justin Thomas (+4500)
Trying to fill this 10th spot was very difficult. Outside of the top few players, this is wide open. Let's plug our nose and go with Thomas, an around-the-green expert who just needs one week of average putting. That's a big ask right now, but he does have a pair of top-10 finishes, including the PGA Championship, since missing the cut at the Masters.
9. Viktor Hovland (+1800)
Only four players in the field have shorter odds than Hovland, whose return to his former coach has led to an immediate improvement in his ball-striking; Hovland has gained at least three strokes on the field on approach in each of his last three starts. The problem is he's still a liability around the green, as we saw again at the Masters where the tight lies were again an issue. Pinehurst presents a similar challenge, meaning he's in trouble unless he's dialed all the way in with his irons.
8. Cam Smith (+4000)
He just shot a final-round 80 at LIV Houston, so the former Open Championship winner doesn't come in with great form. He's an interesting fit here, though, if he can keep it on the planet with the driver. Smith's short game might be the best in the world, and this layout does kind of resemble his native Australia. He proved last year he can contend in a U.S. Open, and his four top-10s at the Masters since 2020 could be a sign of what he could do here.
7. Jon Rahm (+2800)
Almost forgot about the two-time major champion, so that's where he's at right now. There are questions about his health, as he's dealing with a foot injury, and the fact that he hasn't picked off one of the small-field LIV tournaments is peculiar. The missed cut at the PGA Championship (on the heels of a T-45 at the Masters) is hard to shake, too.
6. Rory McIlroy (+1000)
He's one of the best golfers of all time, is playing well recently and is a course fit ? so why does McIlroy kind of feel like a long shot? Maybe because on a course like Pinehurst, he can't completely overpower it, and the margin for error might be a little too thin for the occasionally sloppy world No. 2. The left miss is still there, and he does seem like the sort of player who could really get into trouble with the tight lies and false fronts around the green if he isn't precise on approach. He could just find it this week, but it's hard to be overly optimistic.
5. Bryson DeChambeau (+1800)
Now that he's done trying to look like a gorilla who can hit the ball 450 yards off the tee, DeChambeau's game has rounded into form with a touch of sophistication. He finished tied for sixth at the Masters and second at the PGA Championship. He's still plenty long enough to hang at a U.S. Open, of course, and his unheralded short game plays here. He's still a really good putter, and he could be the player who takes the Martin Kaymer role of putting from everywhere around the greens.
4. Brooks Koepka (+2200)
He isn't exactly in the finest form, and the LIV golfers are always tough to read coming into the majors. But Koepka's ceiling is a dream fit for the U.S. Open. He typically takes the big number out of play, which could be huge this week where the winning score almost certainly will be worse than 5- or 6-under.
3. Xander Schauffele (+1100)
After winning the PGA, are the floodgates now open? It's not like he can't contend at a U.S. Open, either. He has two top-fives in the last three U.S. Opens and actually finished tied for 14th last year, fading after a record-setting 62 in Round 1. He does everything required to pass the USGA's test and comes in with confidence.
2. Collin Morikawa (+1400)
There are still questions about how Morikawa can handle adverse conditions, so if the wind blows this week, it could be a problem for him. But he's playing some incredible golf, with four top-five finishes in his last seven starts with two of those top-fives coming at the Masters and PGA Championship. He also quietly has solidified his short game, key for Pinehurst, and has even improved his putting, the skill that typically has done him in.
1. Scottie Scheffler (+320)
Would simply love to hear an argument against Scheffler being No. 1. The gap between Scheffler and every other golfer on the planet is not even particularly close. He is on a generational run, winning five of his last eight tournaments including the Masters, and he's also a tremendous course fit at Pinehurst. Just has to steer clear of the 5-0.
