Dustin Johnson has often been near the top of the leaderboard this season. (Photo credit: Keith Allison / Foter / CC BY-SA)
The U.S. Open is known as the toughest major to score well at, and it doesn’t look like that will be any different this year.
Chambers Bay, a public course located near Seattle, is hosting the U.S. Open this weekend — the first time it has been the venue for a PGA Tour event.
Endurance will be a factor, since there are plenty of elevation changes on the course. Tiger Woods joked with reporters this week that it seems like every hole is uphill.
The greens are also tough, with runoffs in every direction and large mounds that can turn good shots into bad and vice versa. There are no collars around the greens, and the fescue grass is different than players are accustomed to.
Things to look at when making U.S. Open betting picks include greens in regulation, driving accuracy and scrambling. These are more important stats than driving distance, since the U.S. Open puts such a premium on accuracy.
With that in mind, here are three value picks for U.S. Open betting this year:
1. Dustin Johnson +2200
Johnson is regularly in the mix, posting six top-ten finishes already this year. He has been successful at previous U.S. Opens, leading the 2010 tournament after 54 holes. He’s not the most accurate off the tee, but he is solid when it comes to hitting greens in regulation.
2. Rickie Fowler (+2200 at William Hill)
Fowler finished in the top five at all four majors last season, including a second-place effort at the 2014 U.S Open. He’s won the Player’s Championship already this season, and appears on the cusp of becoming a major champion.
3. Hideki Matsuyama (+3550 at Pinnacle Sports)
Though just 23 years old, Matsuyama has raised eyebrows this season with six top-five finishes. He was fifth at the Masters, so you know he won’t be fazed by the spotlight of a major championship. Matsuyama also ranks high on the PGA Tour in both Greens in Regulation and Scrambling.