The US Open, desperately unlucky to be caught in the crossfire of the dollar-obsessed sideshow in St Albans that divided the world of golf last week and threatens to run and run, will have to go some to beat the epic showdown between Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau in Canada at the weekend.
What with Rory’s stunning first victory of the year and Linn Grant’s nine-shot spanking of the men in the Scandinavian Mixed, a monumental achievement given no other lady finished in the same parish, it was a Sunday to restore faith in this glorious game.
It was noticeable that the word “money”, which dominated the LIV Golf show the previous day when Charl Schwartzel’s $4.75m winning share equated to 80% of Jack Nicklaus’s career earnings and the last man’s 24-over score was rewarded with $120,000, never once entered the conversation in Halmstad or Toronto.
Money can’t buy drama and excitement which is what the Canadian Open gave us in spades with McIlroy’s brilliance shooting the man from Holywood to the forefront of the US Open betting. One thing’s for sure: in a city with a huge Irish contingent and history, he won’t go short of support. It helps that he has won a US Open before and the complication of competing a career Slam doesn’t arise as it annually does at Augusta National but it’s a worry how rarely golfers win two in a row, particularly in consecutive weeks.
And there’s no way that the venerable Country Club, hosting its fourth US Open, will make it easy for them. It will be set up to test every facet of their game in what the Americans perhaps misguidedly feel is the most important of the four Majors.
Brookline first became famous in 1913 when a 20-year-old unknown amateur Francis Ouimet saw off the great English invaders Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, then infamous in 1999 when a blatantly biased crowd went over the top and some American players forgot sportsmanship and etiquette as the US turned Ryder Cup defeat into victory.
Sweet-swinger Boros never tried to thrash the ball but relied on an exceptional short game, fairways-and-greens exponents Strange or Faldo both played within themselves and Fitzpatrick must have been the shortest hitter of his year. So punters know what to look for… or that’s the theory anyway.
I like Lowry but there’s precious little juice in 28/1 for a guy who hasn’t won for a long time and I like Fitzpatrick but his PGA and Canadian efforts were ultimately disappointing after highly promising starts and again 25/1 is giving nothing away. Yet there’s no doubting Thomas - my idea of the most reliable bet to win back-to-back Majors - could spoil the Boston Tee Party by taking his revenge on McIlroy now that Rory is in the hot seat and under even more pressure.
Despite his poor efforts in the first two Majors, Patrick Cantlay impresses as the type of player best suited to the course. The FedEx Cup winner’s third at Memorial last time and general form has been tip-top and he has the right sort of temperament for a championship where pars are good scores.
US Open Golf Betting Tips 2022
- 2pts each-way Justin Thomas at 12/1 (William Hill) 9 places
- 1pt each-way Patrick Cantlay at 28/1 (William Hill) 9 places
- 1pt each-way Justin Rose at 60/1 (Bet365) 8 places
- 1pt each-way Rory McIlroy at 11/1 (William Hill) 9 places
- 0.5pt each-way Brooks Koepka at 45/1 (Bet365) 8 places
- 0.5pt each-way Corey Conners at 55/1 (Bet365) 8 places
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