The U.S. Open returns to Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California, for the first time since 2008 for the 121st playing of the national championship.
A field of 156 is in attendance as Bryson DeChambeau tries to defend his 2020 title. Jon Rahm enters the week as the favorite to win the U.S. Open and at No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin world ranking. He’s teeing it up for the first time since being forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test.
The South Course plays to a par of 71. While the listed yardage is 7,652, it can play up to 7,800 yards. Greens are comprised of Bentgrass and Poa Annua. Patrick Reed won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January, but that tournament is split between the North and South courses.
Below, we look at the U.S. Open odds and make our predictions to win. Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 8:55 a.m. ET.
More: 2021 U.S. Open betting guide
Favorite
Jon Rahm (+900)
Rahm held a six-stroke lead after the third round of the Memorial Tournament when told he needed to withdraw. He was cleared earlier than expected and will be able to get in some early prep work this week.
The five-time PGA Tour champ got his first career win at the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open. He has gained an average of 2.05 strokes per round on the field over 15 career rounds on the South Course. He was the runner-up at the 2020 Farmers, and he tied for seventh in January.
Rahm also leads the Tour this season in total strokes gained on the field per round, and he’s second in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green. He’s ninth on Tour in bogey avoidance.
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Contender
Cameron Smith (+5000)
Smith has 15 rounds of experience on the South Course with an average of 0.97 strokes gained per round. He’s gaining 0.85 strokes per round from tee-to-green and his short game has been excellent in the 2020-21 season. He’s 31st in bogey avoidance.
The Australian has just one solo PGA Tour win in his career, but he has three top-10 finishes in 2021, including a T-10 at the Masters in April. He didn’t miss the cut in any of the last 11 majors.
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Long shot
Matt Wallace (+15000)
Wallace is playing Torrey Pines for the first time, but he should fit the course well. He is averaging 0.22 SG: Off-the-Tee and 0.78 SG: Tee-to-Green per round, and he’s 19th on Tour in par 4 efficiency: 450-500 yards.
The Englishman made the cut in each of his last eight majors, including a T-12 finish at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. His long irons are well-suited to the venue, and he can handle the thick rough off the fairways and around the greens.
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