We’ve picked out our outright bets for the US Open and before the tournament begins there is just enough time to have a look at the side markets in the hope that we can burgle a few more quid away from what will hopefully be a decent week.
As with any major championship we have a whole host of markets priced up this week from the individual nationality ones to the grouped finish ones as well as things like making and missing the cut and various other attractive things. I’ve looked through all the markets and come up with four bets.
Top Canadian
There are four Canucks in the field this year with three from the PGA Tour and Taylor Pendrith from the Korn Ferry Tour. You’ve got to think that one of the hardest golf courses in the world isn’t going to be tamed by a player who hasn’t got a PGA Tour card so I’m leaving him out of the equation and looking at this being between the other three, who are actually out alongside each other for the first 36 holes.
They are Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes and it is the latter I like. To be fair to Conners his iron play could be a real boost for him this week but ultimately you have to put the ball in the hole no matter how close you hit it and of this trio Hughes has the best short game. The was evident at The Honda Classic where he chased Sungjae Im home in second and at the carnage that was The Memorial and the BMW Championship, finishing in the top 10 in both of those. Those pieces of form are the best of anything the three have to offer so at 9/5 he’s the one for me.
Top Scandinavian
There are five members of the Scandinavian golfing fraternity in New York this week with two making their US Open debuts in Rasmus Hojgaard and Sami Valimaki while the more experienced Viktor Hovland, Alex Noren and Henrik Stenson complete the quintet.
I actually like the European Tour pair of Hojgaard and Valimaki but I can’t believe they are going to crack a tournament like this at not just their first attempt in it but their first go in an event on American soil so they are removed from my thinking. Stenson has barely been seen since lockdown so that is a huge negative which leaves the other two and of that pair I like Alex Noren. Hovland has rightly been talked up as a superstar in the making but his clear weakness is on and around the greens and you can’t be weak in that part around here and expect to challenge. As luck would have it Noren has a wonderful short game and his long game isn’t the worst either. I’d have him favourite for this market so I’m happy to be on at 3/1.
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Top South African
There are seven players in the field this year from South Africa, each looking to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and he the fourth winner of the tournament from the sunshine nation.
Louis Oosthuizen is already a major champion and he is the 7/4 favourite here which is probably right. He has the game and the temperament to win around here but there is an all or nothing element to his major performances which is a concern so I’m happy to risk taking him on. Erik van Rooyen probably isn’t at that level yet and the same goes for Christiaan Bezuidenhout while Shaun Norris and JC Ritchie are relatively new to this level. Branden Grace isn’t though and he should already have a US Open to his name as he threw away the tournament at Chambers Bay when he led with a couple of holes left. I don’t think there is the same expectation on him this year though but the way he drives the ball and the quality of his short game should see him go very nicely over the course of the week. He got into the field quite late so he’s playing with the house money here and at 9/2 he’ll carry mine in this market.
Top South American
There are only two South American players in the tournament this year – Joaquin Niemann and Sebastian Munoz, two men who aren’t expected to be challenging for the title or anything but who could be filed in the dark horse column.
Niemann is the favourite here and based on his BMW Championship performance that is absolutely fair enough but I’m not sure the margin between the two currently is as big as the odds suggest. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Munoz finished in a tie for eighth in that tournament and then followed that up with a very solid effort at the Tour Championship where all parts of his game was in good nick. Munoz won the Sanderson Farms Championship last season on this very weekend so the Colombian will be feeling good about himself right now. At 11/8 in a match I think he’s the bet.
Tips
Back M.Hughes Top Canadian for a 3/10 stake at 2.80 with Betfred
Back A.Noren Top Scandinavian for a 2/10 stake at 4.00 with Betfair
Back him here:
Back B.Grace Top South African for a 2/10 stake at 5.50 with Boylesports
Back him here:
Back S.Munoz Top South American for a 3/10 stake at 2.38 with Bet365
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