US Open Special Bets: Six Top Tips For Oakmont

The 125th US Open is an intriguing betting heat with a number of top contenders all in some sort of form, most notably World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau.

We've covered the outright winner at Oakmont Country Club with our favorites and sleeper picks in our US Open betting tips, but there's a number of specials markets to take a look at too.

So let's take a look at who will be the top LIV Golf player, the first-round leader and even the best left hander in the field.

Top LIV golfer

It's a high-quality field with some form horses such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton as the main contenders.

And that's even ruling out two-time US Open winner Brooks Koepka, Open champion Cameron Smith and Masters winner Patrick Reed.

DeChambeau naturally enough is the 19/10 favorite here but red-hot Niemann will attract attention at 13/2 after winning yet another LIV Golf event.

But while nobody can touch him over 54 holes, over 72 in a Major I can't see him topping DeChambeau or Rahm - as the Spaniard is my pick here at 13/5 to beat Bryson to the punch.

Rahm looks to have his Major mojo back again, he's won this event and he's a better iron player, which has been the one weakness in DeChambeau's game that could cost him again at Oakmont.

First round leader

Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay led the way after 18 holes in last year's US Open - and 22/1 shot McIlroy has been there or thereabouts for the last few years.

However, his driver worries are a big negative and Cantlay's not shown us enough so we'll look elsewhere, even outside of Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau who have obvious claims as tournament favorites.

Ludvig Aberg is a 40/1 shot who likes a fast start as he shot 66 in the first round of last year's US Open, but one former first round leader is the pick as preference goes to Xander Schauffele at 33/1.

Schauffele led in 2023 alongside Rickie Fowler as they both shot 62, and over the last five US Opens Schauffele has the best first-round birdie average with 4.8 so is a solid starter worth a try.

Top Englishman

There's some tough competition here with Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood favored, but former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick could be a touch of value here at around 8/1 to be top Englishman.

He's longer than you think, is above average in driving accuracy and after all that he's won this event just a few years ago - plus he finished T8 at the PGA in a similar test to win this category.

Could McIlroy miss the cut?

It'd be unthinkable after watching Rory McIlroy complete his career Grand Slam in epic fashion at The Masters in April, but now he's just 7/2 to miss the cut at the US Open.

McIlroy's not managed to get his new driver to behave and if there's one event he can't afford his radar to be off from the tee than it's the US Open at Oakmont.

He missed the cut badly at the Canadian Open and while that alone can be ignored, coupled with the driver issues and his understandable search for motivation then you could easily see him having problems here.

You could just as easily see him challenging given his incredible recent US Open record, but after he's climbed his mountain he could just be finding it tough to get his full 100% focus back.

Top left hander

Could Phil Mickelson produce some of his old magic in what looks like being his final US Open? It's tough to see, but not so tough to see him beating the likes of Robert MacIntyre, Brian Harman and Akshay Bhatia at Oakmont at odds of 6/1.

Harman's been off his game and while MacIntyre is favorite in this market, he's only played in three US Opens and finished no higher than T35, so instead I'd pick Bhatia to win this one.

He's 16/5 and although playing in just his third US Open he finished T16 last year and looks to me to have the game and the temperament to do well at Oakmont.

Top Australasian

Min Woo Lee is the favorite but how about we take on the young gun with the now veteran Adam Scott, who is a 5/1 shot to win what in truth is a wide open market.

Cam Smith has missed his last three Major cuts and Scott has finished higher than Jason Day, who has missed the last two cuts in the US Open, in four of the last six Majors.

Scott had a top 20 at the PGA Championship and also one here at Oakmont in the 2016 US Open and with his excellence off the tee he can take the honors for top player from Down Under.