The first round of the US Open has been eagerly anticipated as the build-up to the start of the tournament on Thursday has gotten closer as we get to see just how tough Pinehurst is going to play under competitive conditions this week.
It might be a case where the field have to hang tough and ensure they are still in touch with whoever leads at the end of the day if the course is as hard as people say it will be but either way everyone will be out for a positive start.
First Round Leader
As we always do in the first round of a tournament we begin the preview with the first round leader market where we will go with a couple of bets. Before we get to them we need to reference that there are two waves of tee times, morning and afternoon, off the first and tenth tees. A look at the weather would suggest the breeze might kick up the odd notch in the afternoon so it might be better to pick players out in the morning in the hope there is a bit of dew that takes the sting out of the greens.
With that in mind, there are two players I like. Both are out in the morning and both have an excellent short game with the latter profile being a must. Rickie Fowler is out in the morning wave. He should have good memories of this place having finished second here 10 years ago. We know he has a tremendous short game and he isn’t averse to getting a major going early doors. I’d be worried about him lasting the pace but it isn’t that long ago he was winning on the PGA Tour. The other player I like is Si Woo Kim. He has a very underrated short game and has a very good record at the Wyndham Championship which is played on a Donald Ross design like this one. He has also won at Sawgrass where a good approach and short game is needed so he might not hate conditions here. Kim was T15 at The Memorial last week so he is ticking along nicely and might well be able to put in a competitive score from the morning wave.
Thursday 3 Balls
As always on a Thursday of a big field golf tournament the players go out in three balls off two tees with a morning and an afternoon wave. The pick of the groups in the morning wave is the 12.29 BST tee time where Will Zalatoris, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Tiger Woods will go out before the other marquee group of Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Brooks Koepka go out 11 minutes after that. The afternoon wave is headed up by the 18.14 BST tee time of Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler, the current top three in the world rankings while 11 minutes after they go out the former champion Bryson DeChambeau tees off alongside Viktor Hovland and Max Homa. I’ve had a look through the groupings for Thursday and there are two that I like in the afternoon wave.
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Jason Scrivener/Brandon Robinson Thompson/Brendan Valdes
Match tees off at 17.30 BST
The first group off the first tee in the afternoon wave on Thursday catches my eye from a betting point of view where the Australian player Jason Scrivener goes out alongside the Challenge Tour operator Brandon Robinson Thompson and the amateur Brendan Valdes.
I’ve mentioned in the two previews I did for the tournament how there is an Australian sandbelt feel to this place with the fast, firm fairways and greens and the ball rolling further if you keep it down and straight and that might play right into the hands of the Australian player Scrivener who will have grown up in these conditions and who is operating at a level above both of his playing partners anyway. It is hard to think that a second tier golfer in Europe is going to tame this beast of a course and similar can be said of an amateur. Valdes didn’t think he would be playing in this tournament having missed out in a playoff in the Florida qualifier but he is in as an alternate, which while that second chance might free him up, he won’t have had the same prep as others. Scrivener is playing just his third American major but he has experience of them and with the course likely to suit he is my pick here.
Brian Harman/Nick Dunlap/Wyndham Clark
Match tees off at 18.25 BST
The other group that interests me is one which will get plenty of attention on the opening day of the tournament as Wyndham Clark begins his title defence alongside The Open champion Brian Harman and the winner of the American Express, Nick Dunlap.
All eyes will be on Clark to see how he handles the pressure of being the defending champion. I don’t think he’ll necessarily fade under that scrutiny but I’m far from convinced that the test that is in front of him will suit him particularly well. Dunlap won the early season California event but we shouldn’t forget that there is a pro-am side to that tournament so the tracks are set up a whole lot easier than the test that is in front of him here and all of his iron play and short game statistics paint the picture of someone who will struggle and potentially miss a fifth cut in as many majors. That leaves us with Harman who might not hate the test this week as he is a straight hitter with a dream short game as he showed when winning The Open and he is also a very good putter. Harman isn’t a stranger to starting majors well and with doubts over the other two and a course which should play to his strengths, I like The Open champ here.
Tips
Back S-W.Kim First Round Leader (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 81.00 with Betway (1/5 1-6)
Back R.Fowler First Round Leader (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with Spreadex (1/5 1-6)
Back J.Scrivener to beat B.Robinson Thompson & B.Valdes for a 3/10 stake at 2.70 with Bet365
Back B.Harman to beat N.Dunlap & W.Clark for a 3/10 stake at 2.75 with Boylesports
Back him here:
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