And just like that, we're (kind of) halfway to the calendar Grand Slam. OK, so it's not that impressive to pick winners when the top two players in the Official World Golf Ranking win the first two majors of the year, but we at the "Best Bets" department did have Rory McIlroy No. 1 entering the Masters and Scottie Scheffler No. 2 ahead of the PGA Championship. And now we're looking to keep things rolling with men's major No. 3, the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
The famed Pittsburgh track will host the national championship for a 10th time, but the first time since Dustin Johnson (Remember him?) won in 2016. And as always, it is expected to present a tough test. Let's just say we're not looking for the winning score to be double digits under par like it has at the first two majors of the year. Anyway, here's a look at our best 13 bets (odds via DraftKings) to beat the field, the course and the USGA to hoist the U.S. Open trophy this year.
1. Scottie Scheffler (3.5/1 2.8/1)
Icon Sportswire
Reason to pick: He's the World No. 1 and he's won three of his last four starts by a combined 17(!) shots. This is getting ridiculous from a betting perspective. Forget about his insane odds, he has to move up to No. 1 after his latest masterpiece at the Memorial Tournament.
Cause for concern: He was pretty wild with the driver on Sunday at Quail Hollow, which could come back to bite him more at Oakmont.
2. Bryson DeChambeau (9/1)
Gregory Shamus
Reason to pick: The reigning U.S. Open champ is coming off a second consecutive runner-up finish at the PGA Championship. And he finished T-15 at Oakmont in his pro debut in 2016. Long before the long-hitter became a YouTube star.
Cause for concern: Those irons—really, those wedges—are holding this driving god back. But Bryson said he's "got some tricks up his sleeve" so we still like him at these odds.
3. Xander Schauffele (12/1 18/1)
David Cannon
Reason to pick: The iron play that helped him win two majors in 2024 is still there, and his putter is starting to show signs of heating up after a slow start. And without a win this year, his odds have ballooned.
Cause for concern: Schauffele currently ranks only 124th in strokes gained/off the tee. So while he's gained distance in recent years, he's going to have to hit more fairways at Oakmont to contend.
4. Jon Rahm (12/1)
Kevin C. Cox
Reason to pick: For the first time since winning the 2023 Masters, Rahm played his way into contention late on Sunday at a major championship at the PGA.
Cause for concern: Then, he promptly played his way out of contention. Even so, the Spaniard proved he still deserves to be considered one of the best players in the world, and his odds might be the most fair of that elite bunch.
5. Rory McIlroy (6/1)
Scott Taetsch/PGA of America
Reason to pick: Despite a disappointing T-47 finish at the PGA Championship, he's still enjoying a historic season. And now he doesn't have to worry about the pressure of completing the calendar Grand Slam in addition to the career one!
Cause for concern: His media no-show for four consecutive days at Quail Hollow was odd. And he needs to gain some confidence with that new driver.
6. Collin Morikawa (20/1)
Richard Heathcote
Reason to pick: Ranking second in driving accuracy and sixth in strokes gained/approach seems like a pretty darn good combination to attack Oakmont with.
Cause for concern: His winless drought has reached 19 months, and his major winless drought is coming up on four years.
7. Ludvig Aberg (25/1)
Harry How
Reason to pick: The young Swede already is a winnner of a signature event this year at a past U.S. Open venue. The leap to becoming a major champ just seems like a matter of time.
Cause for concern: Since a solo seventh at the Masters, Aberg has gone T-54, T-60 and T-16 in his next three PGA Tour starts and MC at the PGA Championship. And he ranks outside of the top 125 in both strokes gained/approach and strokes gained/putting.
8. Hideki Matsuyama (50/1)
Cliff Hawkins
Reason to pick: The 2021 Masters champ has top-six finishes in two of his past three U.S. Open starts.
Cause for concern: He missed the cut at the PGA, snapping a streak of 19 consecutive major made cuts. And he also missed the cut at Oakmont in 2016.
9. Justin Thomas (25/1)
Douglas P. DeFelice
Reason to pick: He finally ended that three-year winless drought with a victory at the RBC Heritage. And he trails only Scottie and Rory in strokes gained total for the season.
Cause for concern: In 10 previous U.S. Open starts, he has twice as many missed cuts (four) as he does top-10s.
10. Patrick Cantlay (40/1)
Jared C. Tilton
Reason to pick: The eight-time PGA Tour winner has finished in the top 15 in four consecutive U.S. Opens, including a career-best T-3 at Pinehurst last year.
Cause for concern: He's still never really come close to winning a major. And he's coming off his first missed cut of the year at the last major.
11. Sepp Straka (65/1)
Andrew Redington
Reason to pick: He's the only multiple (individual) winner on the PGA Tour this year besides Rory and Scottie and he's coming off a solo third at the Memorial. Straka seems like great value here given his ability to control his golf ball.
Cause for concern: Not a bomber like most recent U.S. Open champs. Also, Oakmont potentially having Pepsi products instead of his beloved Diet Coke.
12. Brooks Koepka (30/1)
Maddie Meyer/PGA of America
Reason to pick: He's a two-time U.S. Open champ and, well, that's about it.
Cause for concern: Since winning the 2023 PGA, he's been surprisingly non-competitive at the majors, including missed cuts at this year's Masters and PGA, where he was seen making a beer run after failing to qualify for the weekend at Quail Hollow. But we'll happily buy Brooks a beer if he comes through for us at Oakmont.
13t. Justin Rose (100/1)
Harry How
Reason to pick: You can get a guy who has finished runner-up in two of the past three majors and whose lone major title came at the U.S. Open for 100-to-1 odds? Sign us up!
Cause for concern: OK, so the one where he didn't contend was the PGA, where he shot 76-75 to miss the cut by eight shots.
13t. Ben Griffin (80/1)
Raj Mehta
Reason to pick: How can we not include the (suddenly) hottest player on the planet not named Scottie Scheffler?
Cause for concern: He's never played in a U.S. Open. That said, he did just finish runner-up to Scottie at a U.S. Open-like test at Muirfield Village.