The Memorial Tournament is over, and we congratulate Viktor Hovland on his first PGA Tour win since 2021. But now our eyes turn to the 122nd US Open going down this weekend at Los Angeles Country Club, Southern California. Featuring over 150 players, this will be the third major of the season and the 122nd US Open.
Matt Fitzpatrick won the 2022 tournament held at the Country Club, Boston, Massachusetts, and will aim to defend the title this weekend. However, he must battle it with other elite golfers, including Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka.
The 2023 US Open course
The 2023 US Open at Los Angeles Country Club will be in Southern California for only the third time, having been held at Torrey Pines South Course and Riviera CC.
George Thomas originally designed the 126-year-old club. The Course was redesigned by Gil Hanse in 2010, leading to the hosting of the 2017 Walker Cup, bringing it into the spotlight, and finally securing the selection for this year’s US Open. This will be the fifth major golf event held at this Course since 1930 and the first since 1940.
The Course stretches 7,250 yards and plays at par-71, with its undulating topography adding to the challenge for the players.
The top contenders
Scottie Scheffler (7/1)
The world number one 2022 heads to Los Angeles Country Club as the favourite to lift the trophy at 7/1. Scottie was tied for second place in Brookline last year. His incredible form is the sole reason bookmakers predict his triumph at the 2023 US Open this season.
Scheffler won the Players Championship in March this year and has made cuts in all 15 appearances this season.
Jon Rahm (8/1)
Rahm won the US Open in 2021, becoming the first Spanish to achieve the fete. However, he had a disappointing outing last year, finishing 12th. He will be eager to repeat the 2021 heroics in Southern California.
The 28-year old most recent win was in April this year when he won the Masters but has since recorded inconsistent finishes. He was 15th at the RBC Heritage, second at the Mexican Open, Top-50 at the PGA Championship, and then Top-15 at the Memorial Tournament at the beginning of this month.
Brooks Koepka (9/1)
Brooks proved that playing at the less-regular LIV had not affected his competitive ability when he won the 2023 PGA Championship in May. The win was his fifth career major, which includes two US Opens. He will aim to add a third title and a sixth career major trophy cabinet.
Rory Mcllroy (10/1)
The Northern Irishman has been a consistent contender though his last major win came in 2014 at the PGA Championship. The 2023 US Open might end his long wait for the fifth major of his career.
He won the 2011 edition and has recorded top-9 finishes in his last four appearances at the US Open.
2023 US Open players and odds
| Player | Odd |
| Scottie Scheffler | 7/1 |
| Jon Rahm | 8/1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 9/1 |
| Rory McIlroy | 10/1 |
| Max Homa | 14/1 |
| Justin Thomas | 16/1 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 16/1 |
| Viktor Hovland | 18/1 |
| Cameron Smith | 18/1 |
| Xander Schauffele | 18/1 |
| Collin Morikawa | 22/1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 25/1 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | 25/1 |
| Tony Finau | 25/1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 35/1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 35/1 |
| Shane Lowry | 35/1 |
| Cameron Young | 35/1 |
| Sungjae Im | 40/1 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 40/1 |
| Jason Day | 50/1 |
| Joaquin Niemann | 50/1 |
| Sam Burns | 50/1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 50/1 |
| Sahith Theegala | 55/1 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 55/1 |
| Corey Conners | 55/1 |
| Aaron Wise | 60/1 |
| Daniel Berger | 60/1 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 60/1 |
| Joonhyung (Tom) Kim | 60/1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 65/1 |
| Wyndham Clark | 65/1 |
| Keegan Bradley | 65/1 |
| Davis Riley | 65/1 |
| Marc Leishman | 70/1 |
| Billy Horschel | 75/1 |
| Denny McCarthy | 75/1 |
| Justin Rose | 75/1 |
| Seamus Power | 80/1 |
| Mito Pereira | 80/1 |
| Patrick Reed | 90/1 |
| Russell Henley | 90/1 |
| Talor Gooch | 90/1 |
| Abraham Ancer | 100/1 |
| Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 100/1 |
| Robert MacIntyre | 100/1 |
| Webb Simpson | 100/1 |
| Gary Woodland | 100/1 |
| Harold Varner | 100/1 |
| Jason Kokrak | 100/1 |
| Adam Scott | 100/1 |
| Thomas Pieters | 125/1 |
| Tom Hoge | 125/1 |
| Chris Kirk | 125/1 |
| Mackenzie Hughes | 125/1 |
| Si-Woo Kim | 125/1 |
| Brian Harman | 125/1 |
| Luke List | 125/1 |
| Cam Davis | 125/1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 125/1 |
| Sebastian Munoz | 125/1 |
| Kurt Kitayama | 125/1 |
| Patrick Rodgers | 150/1 |
| Lucas Herbert | 150/1 |
| Matthew NeSmith | 150/1 |
| Keith Mitchell | 150/1 |
| Adrian Meronk | 150/1 |
| Cameron Tringale | 150/1 |
| Harris English | 150/1 |
| Kevin Kisner | 150/1 |
| Taylor Moore | 150/1 |
| K.H. Lee | 150/1 |
| JT Poston | 150/1 |
| Alex Noren | 150/1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 150/1 |
| Min Woo Lee | 175/1 |
| Adam Hadwin | 175/1 |
| Victor Perez | 175/1 |
| Adam Svensson | 175/1 |
| Nick Hardy | 175/1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 200/1 |
| Joel Dahmen | 200/1 |
| Eddie Pepperell | 200/1 |
| Sepp Straka | 200/1 |
| Taylor Montgomery | 200/1 |
| Justin Suh | 200/1 |
| Nick Taylor | 200/1 |
Past winners
| Year | Winner |
| 2022 | Matt Fitzpatrick |
| 2021 | Jon Rahm |
| 2020 | Bryson DeChambeau |
| 2019 | Gary Woodland |
| 2018 | Brooks Koepka |
| 2017 | Brooks Koepka |
| 2016 | Dustin Johnson |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth |
| 2014 | Martin Kaymer |
| 2013 | Justin Rose |
With the star-studded field, the 2023 US Open promises a tight battle among the players and an exciting weekend for the fans. We’re hoping that McIlroy can pull together his form from earlier in the year after failing to claim a title in the last few major tournaments, and he nearly pulled it back at the Memorial Tournament, so fingers crossed he’s on his way back to his best form.
For even more golf previews, check out our Golf section.
Backed Rory to win this one, and was so unlucky to miss out by a single stroke. Fortunately, I covered him each way and managed still end up making a small profit. On to the next one Rory, let’s get another major into your collection!