Best bets and long shots for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/06/2021 (1884 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The U.S. Open returns to its normal Father’s Day finish after moving to September last year due to COVID-19.

Torrey Pines Golf Club will play host of the third major of the year and the 7,600-yard monster will be set up to normal U.S. Open standards — long, high rough and fast greens. It will be a complete examination of a golfer’s game.

The last time Torrey Pines hosted the event, in 2008, it was Tiger Woods who won his third U.S. Open – on one leg, at that. Woods will not be in this year’s field as he continues to recover from injuries sustained from a car accident earlier this year.

Bryson DeChambeau will defend his title against one of the most open fields of all the majors — with the best in the world going up against a myriad of qualifiers.

So, who is worth a look this week? Here are some best bets for the U.S. Open (all odds via GolfOdds.com):

Favourites

Bryson DeChambeau (16-1): DeChambeau’s U.S. Open-winning strategy from 2020 should bode well for him again in 2021 given Torrey Pines’ length and thick rough. He’s also notched six top-10 finishes in just 14 tournaments this season.

Jon Rahm (10-1): The tournament favourite was forced with withdraw from the Memorial holding the 54-hole lead after a positive COVID-19 test. But since passing through all protocols he’s back to tee it up at Torrey Pines — the site of his first PGA Tour win.

Brooks Koepka (16-1): Koepka seems to only get up for the majors and he does a pretty good job when it’s time for golf’s big four. He has four top-5s in the U.S. Open in seven starts — including two wins — and was runner-up to Phil Mickelson at last month’s PGA Championship.

Middle of the pack

Phil Mickelson (60-1): Can Mickelson finally do it? After winning last month’s PGA Championship at age 50 —becoming the oldest major championship winner in history — he’s, again, looking to win the U.S. Open. This major has been the only one alluding him as he’s famously finished runner-up six times.

Justin Rose (60-1): Rose is a sneaky-good pick with top-10 finishes at both 2021 majors. He’s also a past U.S. Open winner and a winner at Torrey Pines — he captured the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open.

Patrick Reed (30-1): Reed is looking for a rare double: winning a PGA Tour event and a major championship on the same golf course in the same season. The 2018 Masters winner won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January by five shots. He’s finished inside the top-15 in four of his last six U.S. Open starts.

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Long shots

Taylor Pendrith (500-1): The Canadian is going to play like he’s got nothing to lose and that attitude should serve him well. He’s long hitting, boasts a fabulous short game and earned a spot in the field after winning medallist honours at his qualifier last week. Pendrith was also the low Canadian at last September’s U.S. Open (T-23).

Lee Westwood (150-1): How’s this for preparation? Westwood, last week, went to Las Vegas to get married. Still, he is the highest finisher from the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines who is in the field this year (he finished third) and has been playing some fairly solid golf over the last 12 months.

Bubba Watson (100-1): Watson is a former winner at Torrey Pines (2011) and clearly loves golf in California, as four of his 12 Tour wins have come in the state. He hasn’t played great lately, but overall he’s had a solid season. He ranks sixth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and if he gets a few putts to fall then that’ll be the difference.

Adam Stanley is an Ottawa-based contributor to the Star’s Sports section and the host of golf podcast Next Round’s On Me. Follow him on Twitter: @adam_stanley