Pinehurst’s famous Course No.2 will host the world’s best players for the 2024 US Open as Scottie Scheffler remains the man to beat.
Scheffler has claimed four big titles already this season including The Masters in April.
He’ll be back in action in North Carolina looking for his third major crown following his hugely eventful week at the recent PGA Championship.
The world no.1 was arrested following a fatal accident outside Valhalla Golf Course. He was ultimately released and went on to finish a remarkable T8.
Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele held off fierce competition from Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland to claim the Wanamaker trophy.
Now, another all-star field will head to Pinehurst for the third major of the year and Scheffler and Schauffele are among the favourites once more.
Scottie Scheffler 4/1
Scheffler is the clear favourite to claim the US Open and with good reason.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a stellar campaign and is looking to follow up his sublime Masters win in Augusta earlier this year with this title.
The American is the player to beat right now, and he’s shown that time and time again.
Of course, he endured a run-in with the law and was arrested at the PGA Championships, although all charges have now been dropped.
He also recently became a father, so if he can stay focused despite these changes to his personal life, it’s hard to see how anyone could stop him from winning at Pinehurst.
Rory McIlroy 11/1
McIlroy has won the US Open once in 2011, but since then, it’s been a barren spell in this particular major for the Northern Irishman.
Of course, it’s not as bad as his relationship with The Masters, where he is still yet to win, but he would almost certainly love to add another major to his name.
However, this season has been far from his best, winning the Dubai Desert Classic in mid-January but struggling elsewhere.
But he can take some encouragement from the way he fought back at the Canadian Open.
At one point, McIlroy was well off the pace and found himself floundering in the middle of the pack, but he fought back over the last two rounds and finished T4.
This could be the kickstart he needed to hit the form we all know he’s capable of.
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Xander Schauffele 12/1
Schauffele finally got that major monkey off his back at the recent PGA Championship.
The American had seven PGA Tour wins to his name, plus an Olympic gold medal, but he hadn’t won a major until he produced a sublime display to claim victory at the Valhalla Golf Club.
He finished with a record score of 21 under par and beat Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke after the LIV golfer birdied his final hole.
His previous best at the US Open is T3, which he will no doubt hope to beat this time around.
Scheffler might have had the better season, but all of the momentum is with Schauffele.
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Jon Rahm 16/1
In 2023, Rahm was arguably one of the best players around and claimed success in The Masters and Ryder Cup.
However, since leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, the Spaniard has struggled.
He’s yet to win an event on the LIV Golf tour, with his highest finished T3, while the majors have been shambolic.
Rahm finished T45 in defence of his crown at Augusta, while he didn’t even make the cut at the PGA Championship.
Given this form, his odds should be much worse, but this is Rahm we are talking about, and he’s capable of the spectacular at any moment.
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Viktor Hovland 16/1
Hovland has also had a strange season, given he ended 2023 as one of the clear stars of the future.
The Norwegian was crucial in Team Europe’s Ryder Cup victory but has struggled on the PGA Tour, failing to come close to winning at his first seven events of the year.
In the majors, Hovland failed to perform at The Masters, missing the cut.
But at the PGA Championship, he rediscovered his best form and ended up T3.
He will hope this is the moment that will kickstart his season and lead him to a first major title.
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