Steve Bamford

Steve Bamford's US Open Tips 2025

Get Steve's previews as soon as they're published @Bamfordgolf Follow Now

 

It’s all about the in-play! bet365 have a multitude of in-play betting markets for the US Open, plus new customers can get £30 of free bets when placing a £10 bet more using bonus code SPORT30. For latest odds and offers click here.

✅ Bet £10 get £30 in free bets for new customers
✅ Bonus code SPORT30 can be used, but does not change the offer amount in any way
✅ For further details read our bet365 new customer offer page
✅ Early odds available each week on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour
✅ ‘Each Way Extra’ promotion where you can choose between 3, 8, 10 or 12 places each way

bet365 New Customer Offer: Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. The bonus code SPORT30 can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way. #Ad

Congratulations if you were on-board Ryan Fox in Canada at early Monday prices of 80/1 with Betfred, as was Golf Betting System Podcast colleague Paul Williams.

On to this week and the 125th US Open is visiting Oakmont Country Club for the 10th time. It should be an absolute feast of golf with all the talk being around the fast, contoured greens, the length of the rough, and whether it will rain at the weekend.

Before we go into the detail surrounding the US Open, we always have new visitors to Golf Betting System. Welcome and let me point you in the direction of our weekly Golf Betting System Podcast (published every Tuesday of the golfing calendar), the Steve Bamford Golf Channel on YouTube and our hugely popular, +6,500 strong, private Group on Facebook – you can Join Here.

2025 U.S. Open Key Bookmaker Promotions

The U.S. Open always gets punters excited and bookmakers have risen to the challenge in 2025 with a fantastic range of extended each-way place term promotions.

These are value-packed times in golf betting and we have never seen so many additional each-way places offered at Major Championships. To make sure that you take advantage, we detail the current new customer offers for you to enjoy below:

bet365 Up to 12 Places Each-Way at the 2025 U.S. Open with bet365 plus Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers who open a sports account – see below:

Bet365 are offering 8 places each-way in their default pre-event market at the 2025 US Open. However their “Each Way Extra” product allows you to additionally select either 5 places each-way at 1/4 odds, 10 places each-way at 1/5 odds, or even 12 places each-way at 1/5 odds on the 2025 US Open Tournament.

✅ Bet £10 get £30 in free bets for new customers
✅ Bonus code SPORT30 can be used, but does not change the offer amount in any way
✅ For further details read our bet365 new customer offer page
✅ Early odds available each week on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour
✅ ‘Each Way Extra’ promotion where you can choose between 3, 8, 10 or 12 places each way

bet365 New Customer Offer: Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. The bonus code SPORT30 can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way. #Ad

boylesports Up to 12 Places Each-Way at the 2025 U.S. Open with Boylesports plus Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets + £10 Casino Bonus (England, Scotland and Wales) or Bet €10, Get €30 in Free Bets plus €10 Casino Bonus (Ireland) New Sportsbook Customer Offer – see below:

Boylesports are offering 10 places each-way at 1/5 odds on their default 2025 U.S. Open pre-event market, plus with their “Pick Your Place” promotion you can increase or decrease to 8 places or even 12 places at 1/5 odds on the U.S. Open golf this week.

✅ Bet £10 Get £30 Free Bets & £10 Casino Bonus for new customers using this qualifying link
✅ Regularly extending full-field PGA Tour events on their Main Outright market to 8 places each-way
✅ ‘Pick Your Place’ promotion where you choose between 6, 10 or 12 places each way

Boylesports UK New Customer Offer: New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. £40 in FREE Bets (FB) as £30 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. 18+. T&Cs apply. #Ad

Course Guide: The fast greens here at Oakmont grab the media attention pre-tournament and rightly so. 2007 winner Angel Cabrera mastered the greens and his close association with Augusta is worthy of note. 2016 winner Dustin Johnson also has a Green Jacket in his walk-in closet. As well as the greens, every U.S. Open build-up fascinates around the rough and its length. Rough here at Oakmont has been described as treacherous and expect tough, non-graduated rough along the fairways. In essence there’s a semi cut of around 1.5 yards before balls hits the genuine 5 inch long grass.

Oakmont contains the longest par-3 in U.S. Open history with the 8th playing 289 yards. It also includes two +600 yard, par-5s.Freshly extended to 7,372 yards by the Hanse and Wagner restoration which was unveiled in 2024, this is a long Par 70, but this won’t be a Major Championship dictated by the length of the course.

Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania: Designer: Henry Fownes 1903 with Tom Fazio re-design 2006; Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner Renovation 2023; Course Type: Classical, Technical, Long; Par: 70; Length: 7,372 yards; Holes with Water Hazards: 0; Number of Sand Bunkers: 168; Acres of Fairway: 27; Fairways: Bentgrass with Poa Annua; Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass with Perennial Ryegrass and Poa Annua 5+”; Greens: 8,500 sq.ft average featuring Poa Annua; Tournament Stimp: 13-14ft.

Oakmont Country Club Fairway Widths (yards): Below are the fairway widths for Oakmont and how they compare to recent courses that we’ve seen on Tour:

  • Oakmont: 18-28 yards at 300 yards
  • TPC Toronto: 35-37 yards at 300 yards.
  • Muirfield Village: 24-25 yards at 300 yards.
  • Colonial: 25-30 yards at 300 yards.
  • Quail Hollow: 28-30 yards at 300 yards.
  • The Dunes Golf and Beach Club: 20 – 25 yards at 300 yards.
  • Philadelphia Cricket Club: 30-32 yards at 300 yards.
  • TPC Craig Ranch: 30 – 40 yards at 300 yards.
  • Harbour Town: 250 yards from tee: 29 yards wide; 275:26; 300:22; 325:26; 350:22.
  • Oaks Course: 250 yards from tee: 33 yards wide; 275:34; 300:29; 325:27; 350:26.
  • Memorial Park: 30 – 40 yards at 300 yards.
  • Copperhead: 250 yards from the tee: 24 yards wide; 275:20; 300:21; 325:23 350:19.
  • TPC Sawgrass: 250 yards from the tee: 31 yards wide; 275:32; 300:30; 325:28 350:20.
  • Bay Hill: 250 yards from the tee: 32 yards wide; 275:33; 300:33; 325:39 350:29.
  • PGA National: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:27; 300:25; 325:27 350:25.
  • TPC Scottsdale: 250 yards from the tee: 33 yards wide; 275:30; 300:28; 325:27; 350:27.
  • Pebble Beach: 250 yards from the tee: 33 yards wide; 275:33; 300:29; 325:30 350:26.
  • Torrey Pines South: 250 yards from the tee: 26 yards wide; 275:27; 300:25; 325:24; 350:23.
  • Pete Dye Stadium: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:27; 300:26; 325:26; 350:24.
  • Waialae: 250 yards from the tee: 34 yards wide; 275:32; 300:34; 325:37; 350:34.
  • Plantation Course: 250 yards from the tee: 59 yards wide; 275:61; 300:65; 325:60; 350:62.

Course Designer Links: For research purposes other Gil Hanse PGA Tour designs are listed below:

  • Aronimink Golf Club – 2019 BMW Championship
  • Colonial Country Club – 2024- 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge
  • Los Angeles Country Club – 2023 U.S. Open
  • Merion – 2013 U.S. Open
  • Plainfield CC – The Barclays – 2011 & 2015
  • Ridgewood CC – The Barclays / Northern Trust 2010, 2014 & 2018
  • Southern Hills CC – 2022 U.S. Open
  • The Country Club, Brookline – 2022 U.S. Open
  • Trump National Doral – 2014 through 2016 WGC Cadillac Championship
  • TPC Boston – Deutsche Bank / Dell Technologies Championship through 2018 plus 2020 Northern Trust
  • Winged Foot – 2020 U.S. Open

Course Overview: Oakmont Country Club will undoubtedly be a stern test in 2025 in its lengthened guise. At 7,372 yards – up circa 150 yards from 2016 – it’s obvious that in today’s modern game the course’s defence is not overall length.

Oakmont is defended by clever course design which includes the fastest Poa Annua putting surfaces on the circuit, severely canted green complexes with extreme false fronts, 170 bunkers of the deep variety, sloping fairways, a number of blind or semi-blind tee-shots, and traditional US Open-style Kentucky Bluegrass with Perennial Ryegrass and Poa Annua rough – 5 inches in length.

Another aspect of the course which deserves note is its tactical usage of length. Oakmont contains the longest par-3 in U.S. Open history with the 8th playing 289 yards. At its maximum this hole is on the edge of the shorter players’ driving distance ranges. It also includes two +600 yard, par-5s. It will be interesting to see if Rory or Bryson or Min Woo can even attempt to reach in two.

170-odd bunkers add bite and it’s interesting that one of the few changes from 2016 is the fact that rough has been reduced around those bunkers to maximise the number of captures.

Gil Hanse has made the bunkering even more difficult – Oakmont is famous for its Church Pews bunker set between Holes 3 and 4 – with fairway bunkers now getting on for an automatic 1 shot penalty. Oakmont is also known for ditches which criss-cross the property. In 2016 the USGA carved out those ditches to where players could get in there and play. In 2025 that won’t be the case with 12 to 18 inch high native grasses making recovery shots a nightmare.

Other changes to note that will ratchet-up the difficulty include the rough. We always discuss the length of the rough at each and every U.S. Open, and in recent years we have seen graduated rough in-play to alleviate the concerns of the players. That won’t be the case at Oakmont in 2025. The wet Pennsylvania spring has made it particularly thick, with the USGA topping it off at five inches – it will be higher as the championship progresses.

Key areas of change from the Gil Hanse renovation include the addition of more than 24,000 square feet of green surface, so greens are 8,500 sq.ft on average featuring fast Poa Annua.

Encouraged by a vocal club membership who are well known to want their course to play as difficult as possible, Hanse’s work has made the notoriously fast greens even harder. Expect far more pin locations and as Grounds Superintendent Mike McCormick says, “The greens are the No. 1 defence on the course. Oakmont, in today’s world, it’s not a crazy-long golf course. There are several holes out here where the players will be hitting wedges into and it puts even more of an emphasis on the greens.

us open tips

US Open Winners: 2024: Bryson DeChambeau (-6); 2023: Wyndham Clark (-10); 2022: Matt Fitzpatrick (-6); 2021: John Rahm (-6); 2020: Bryson DeChambeau (-6); 2019: Gary Woodland (-13); 2018: Brooks Koepka (+1); 2017: Brooks Koepka (-16); 2016: Dustin Johnson (-4); 2015: Jordan Spieth (-5); 2014: Martin Kaymer (-9); 2013: Justin Rose (+1); 2012: Webb Simpson (+1); 2011: Rory McIlroy (-16); 2010: Graeme McDowell (E); 2009: Lucas Glover (-4).

  • 2024: Bryson DeChambeau 69-67-69-71 -6/274
  • 2023: Wyndham Clark 64-67-69-70 -10/270
  • 2022: Matt Fitzpatrick 68-70-68-68 -6/274
  • 2021: Jon Rahm 69-70-72-67 -6/278
  • 2020: Bryson DeChambeau 69-68-70-67 -6/274
  • 2019: Gary Woodland 68-65-69-69 -13/271
  • 2018: Brooks Koepka 69-63-66-66 -16/264
  • 2017: Brooks Koepka 67-70-68-67 -16/272

OWGR of U.S. Open Winners: 2024: DeChambeau 38; 2023: Clark 32; 2022: Fitzpatrick 18; 2021: Rahm 3; 2020: DeChambeau 9; 2019: Woodland 24; 2018: Koepka 9; 2017: Koepka 22.

Datagolf Ranking U.S. Open Winners: 2024: DeChambeau 10; 2023: Clark 11; 2022: Fitzpatrick 10; 2021: Rahm 1; 2020: DeChambeau 12; 2019 Woodland 20.

Path to Victory: Below are end of round positions for the winners of the US Open since 2010:

  • 2024 – Bryson DeChambeau: Round 1: 4th, Round 2: 2nd, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2023 – Wyndham Clark: Round 1: 3rd, Round 2: 2nd, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2022 – Matt Fitzpatrick: Round 1: 7th, Round 2: 13th, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2021 – Jon Rahm: Round 1: 5th, Round 2: 5th, Round 3: 6th.
  • 2020 – Bryson DeChambeau: Round 1: 14th, Round 2: 2nd, Round 3: 2nd.
  • 2019 – Gary Woodland: Round 1: 8th, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2018 – Brooks Koepka: Round 1: 46th, Round 2: 4th, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2017 – Brooks Koepka: Round 1: 4th, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 2nd.
  • 2016 – Dustin Johnson: Round 1: 2nd, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 2nd.
  • 2015 – Jordan Spieth: Round 1: 7th, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2014 – Martin Kaymer: Round 1: 1st, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2013 – Justin Rose: Round 1: 16th, Round 2: 3rd, Round 3: 5th.
  • 2012 – Webb Simpson: Round 1: 23rd, Round 2: 29th, Round 3: 8th.
  • 2011 – Rory McIlroy: Round 1: 1st, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 1st.
  • 2010 – Graeme McDowell: Round 1: 10th, Round 2 1st, Round 3: 2nd.

Shots From the Lead: Below are the US Open winners since 2010 and where they were positioned in terms of shots from the lead during the tournament:

  • 2024 – Bryson DeChambeau: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: 1 back, Round 3: 3 ahead.
  • 2023 – Wyndham Clark: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: 1 back, Round 3: level.
  • 2022 – Matt Fitzpatrick: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: 3 back, Round 3: level.
  • 2021 – Jon Rahm: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: 2 back, Round 3: 3 back.
  • 2020 – Bryson DeChambeau: Round 1: 4 back, Round 2: 1 back, Round 3: 2 back.
  • 2019 – Gary Woodland: Round 1: 3 back, Round 2: 2 ahead, Round 3: 1 ahead.
  • 2018 – Brooks Koepka: Round 1: 6 back, Round 2: 5 back, Round 3: level.
  • 2017 – Brooks Koepka: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: level, Round 3: 1 back.
  • 2016 – Dustin Johnson: Round 1: 1 back, Round 2: 1 ahead, Round 3: 4 back.
  • 2015 – Jordan Spieth: Round 1: 3 back, Round 2: level, Round 3: level.
  • 2014 – Martin Kaymer: Round 1: 3 ahead, Round 2: 6 ahead, Round 3: 5 ahead.
  • 2013 – Justin Rose: Round 1: 4 back, Round 2: 1 back, Round 3: 2 back.
  • 2012 – Webb Simpson: Round 1: 6 back, Round 2: 6 back, Round 3: 4 back.
  • 2011 – Rory McIlroy: Round 1: 3 ahead, Round 2: 6 ahead, Round 3: 8 ahead.
  • 2010 – Graeme McDowell: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: 2 ahead, Round 3: 3 back.

Incoming Form of U.S. Open winners since 2010:

  • Bryson DeChambeau: 18th LIV Houston/2nd PGA/27th LIV Singapore/26th LIV Adelaide.
  • Wyndham Clark: 12th Memorial/MC PGA/1st Quail Hollow/24th Mexico.
  • Matt Fitzpatrick: 10th Canada/MC Memorial/5th PGA/2nd Wells Fargo.
  • Jon Rahm: WD Memorial/8th PGA/34th Byron/MC Quail.
  • Bryson DeChambeau: 25th Tour Champ/50th BMW Champ/MC Northern Trust/4th PGA.
  • Gary Woodland: 52nd Memorial/8th PGA/MC Quail Hollow/32nd Augusta.
  • Brooks Koepka: 30th TPC Southwind/2nd Colonial/11th TPC Sawgrass/42nd Quail.
  • Brooks Koepka: 37th TPC Southwind/31st Memorial/50th TPC4S/16th TPC Sawgrass.
  • Dustin Johnson: 5th TPC Southwind/3rd Memorial/12th TPC4S/28th TPC Sawgrass.
  • Jordan Spieth: 3rd Memorial/30th TPC4S/2nd Colonial/MC TPC Sawgrass.
  • Martin Kaymer: 12th Wentworth/29th TPC4S/1st TPC Sawgrass/18th Quail.
  • Justin Rose: 8th Memorial/50th Wentworth/MC TPC Sawgrass/15th TPC Louisiana.
  • Webb Simpson: MC Memorial/MC TPC Sawgrass/ 4th Quail/13th New Orleans.
  • Rory McIlroy: 5th Memorial/24th Wentworth/MC Quail/3rd Kuala Lumpur.
  • Graeme McDowell: 1st Celtic Manor/4th Madrid/28th Wentworth/26th TPC Sawgrass.

Stats: We’ve published some key player statistics for this week’s event that are well worth a look. Naturally they’ll help to shape a view on players who could go well this week: Current Form | Tournament Form | First Round Leader | Majors Stats | Combined Stats.

My published predictor is available here. Top 10 of my published predictor are: 1) Scottie Scheffler; 2) Bryson DeChambeau; 3) Jon Rahm; 4) Joaquin Niemann; 5) Rory McIlroy; 6) Xander Schauffele; 7) Tommy Fleetwood; 8) Sepp Straka; 9) Nick Taylor; 10) Taylor Pendrith.

Our brand new predictor model is running alongside, where you can build your own rankings in live time, using the variables listed on the left hand side.

US Open Winners & Prices: 2024: DeChambeau 20/1; 2023: Clark 66/1; 2022: Fitzpatrick 25/1; 2021: Rahm 10/1; 2020: DeChambeau 25/1; 2019: Woodland 80/1; 2018: Koepka 25/1; 2017: Koepka 45/1; 2016: Dustin Johnson 16/1; 2015: Spieth 9/1; 2014: Kaymer 40/1; 2013: Rose 28/1; 2012: Simpson 80/1; 2011: McIlroy 22/1; 2010: McDowell 80/1. Past 5 Renewals Average: 29/1; Average: 38/1.

Weather Forecast: The latest weather forecast for Oakmont, Pennsylvania is here.

Pennsylvania in mid-June is featuring some hot weather for the 4 days of the U.S. Open. 27-28 degrees Celsius – 81 – 82 Fahrenheit – is very pleasant, with a slight drop to 24 degrees Celsius 75 Fahrenheit, set for what could be a rainy Saturday. What is for sure is the Oakmont members and USGA will get the ambient conditions they desire for the first 36 holes at the very least.

Be in no doubt that Oakmont has taken plenty of rain. 384 mm or 15.1 inches since the start of March is plenty of precipitation. Over 40 mm – approaching 2 inches – fell over the weekend, with more forecast on Monday, so the course is lush, the fairways will be soft and the rough will be long. Oakmont has SubAir, but I’m expecting at least soft fairways on Thursday, but with Tuesday and Wednesday being warm and dry, expect releasing greens from the off. A long course with releasing greens is a combination the players won’t like.

With wind no significant factor at all, Saturday looks to be the problem. Rain looks likely from mid-morning onwards, turning to thunderstorms in the afternoon with a high 60% probability. Sunday could also see rain, but the probabilities are lower.

Player Strokes Gained Rankings: These top 25 in the field rankings are based on an 8-tournament window that stretches back to the RBC Heritage / Corales Championship / Volvo China Open which includes both PGA Tour and DP World Tour events, where recorded. Player rankings are based on performance relative to the rest of the field:

  • Top 25 SG Off The Tee: 1) Bryson DeChambeau; 2) Scottie Scheffler; 3) Chris Gotterup; 4) Jon Rahm; 5) Daniel Berger; 6) Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson; 7) Jordan Smith; 8) Corey Conners; 9) Trent Phillips / Adam Scott; 11) Patrick Cantlay / Harris English / Jordan Spieth / Sepp Straka; 15) J.J. Spaun; 16) Keegan Bradley / Rasmus Hojgaard / Taylor Pendrith; 19) Frederic Lacroix; 20) Jhonattan Vegas; 21) Ryan Gerard; 22) Ryan Fox / Min Woo Lee / Maverick McNealy / Cameron Young.
  • Top 25 SG Approach: 1) Emiliano Grillo / Scottie Scheffler; 3) Joaquin Niemann; 4) Richard Bland; 5) Shane Lowry; 6) Keegan Bradley; 7) Matthew Fitzpatrick; 8) Viktor Hovland; 9) Daniel Berger; 10) Tony Finau / Chris Kirk; 12) Corey Conners / Ben Griffin / Trent Phillips; 15) Sepp Straka; 16) Akshay Bhatia / Aaron Rai; 18) Sam Bairstow / Tommy Fleetwood; 20) Brian Campbell / Ryan Fox / Nick Taylor; 23) Nicolas Echavarria; 24) Christiaan Bezuidenhout; 25) Si Woo Kim.
  • Top 25 SG Around The Green: 1) Keegan Bradley; 2) Kevin Velo; 3) Guido Migliozzi / Cameron Smith; 5) Tommy Fleetwood / Ryan Gerard; 7) Russell Henley; 8) Tyrrell Hatton / Sam Stevens; 10) Matt Fitzpatrick / Xander Schauffele; 12) Adam Scott; 13) Min Woo Lee / Davis Riley; 15) Sungjae Im / Andrew Novak / Justin Thomas; 18) Brian Campbell / Si Woo Kim / Andrea Pavan; 21) Byeong Hun An / Lucas Glover / Michael Kim / Maverick McNealy; 25) Tony Finau / Tom Hoge.
  • Top 25 SG Tee to Green: 1) Scottie Scheffler; 2) Emiliano Grillo; 3) Keegan Bradley; 4) Bryson DeChambeau; 5) Chris Gotterup; 6) Tommy Fleetwood; 7) Shane Lowry; 8) Daniel Berger; 9) Matthew Fitzpatrick; 10) Xander Schauffele; 11) Ryan Gerard / Joaquin Niemann / Trent Phillips; 14) Ryan Fox / Aaron Rai / Jordan Spieth; 17) Si Woo Kim; 18) Corey Conners / Jon Rahm; 20) Harris English / Tony Finau / Sepp Straka; 23) Taylor Pendrith; 24) Ben Griffin / Frederic Lacroix.
  • Top 25 SG Putting: 1) Sam Burns; 2) Sepp Straka; 3) J.T. Poston; 4) Justin Thomas; 5) Max Greyserman; 6) Jon Rahm; 7) Ben Griffin / Patrick Reed; 9) Joaquin Niemann; 10) Denny McCarthy / Cameron Young; 12) Bryson DeChambeau; 13) Hideki Matsuyama; 14) Brian Harman; 15) Thomas Detry / Adam Scott; 17) Akshay Bhatia / Collin Morikawa / Sam Stevens; 20) Scottie Scheffler; 21) Tommy Fleetwood / Xander Schauffele / Gary Woodland; 24) Tony Finau / Mark Hubbard.

Player Strokes Gained Total Rankings: These top 25 in the field rankings are based on an 8-tournament window that stretches back to the RBC Heritage / Corales Championship / Volvo China Open which includes PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf League events, where recorded. Player rankings are based on performance relative to the rest of the field:

  • Top 25 SG Total: 1) Bryson DeChambeau; 2) Scottie Scheffler; 3) Jon Rahm; 4) Joaquin Niemann; 5) Carlos Ortiz; 6) Sam Burns; 7) Tommy Fleetwood; 8) Keegan Bradley; 9) Jinichiro Kozuma / Sepp Straka; 11) Si Woo Kim; 12) Mark Hubbard; 13) Richard Bland / Ben Griffin / Shane Lowry / Xander Schauffele; 17) Matthew Fitzpatrick / Chris Gotterup / Marc Leishman / Jordan Spieth; 21) Corey Conners / Tony Finau / Justin Thomas; 24) Tyrrell Hatton / J.T. Poston.

Tournament Trends & Key Factors: Analysing the final stats of 2007 and 2016 U.S. Opens held here at Oakmont gives us a little more insight into the requirements for this uniquely, classical test:

  • 2016, Dustin Johnson (-4). 317 yards (1st), 64.3% fairways (18th), 76.4% greens in regulation (1st), 76.5 % scrambling (1st), 1.87 putts per GIR (43rd).
  • 2007, Angel Cabrera (+5). 311 yards (2nd), 48.2% fairways (48th), 65.3% greens in regulation (3rd), 36.8 % scrambling (40th), 1.72 putts per GIR (10th).

Tournament Skill Averages:

  • Driving Distance: 2nd, Driving Accuracy: 33rd, Greens in Regulation: 2nd, Scrambling: 21st, Putting Average 37th.

So let’s take a view from players as to how Oakmont sets up and what skill sets the course favours:

Dustin Johnson (2016): “It’s always good to be playing well coming into a U.S. Open because you know it’s going to be tough. This is one place you really need to control your golf ball. You’ve got to control your spin and where you want the ball to land, so obviously, it’s a premium to hit the fairways because the rough’s thick and deep. You can get a decent lie every once in a while, but the majority of them, they sit down, and it’s tough to control it. And then the fairway bunkers are almost a penalty stroke too because they’re so deep, and the ball, you never really get that good of a lie. So I really think it’s important to hit the fairways here.

My bag doesn’t really change no matter what course I’m playing. I put a 2 iron in every once in a while, and I’ll take a wedge out. But this week, I’m going to play a 2 iron and just three wedges. Sometimes I go just driver, 3 wood, 3 iron, and then four wedges, just depending on the course. But this week, I do have a 2 iron in.

The greens. They’re so hard to putt. No matter how close you are to the hole, it’s just, they’re tough to putt. I mean, I hit so many good putts today that I thought were going in, and burned the edge or lip out. But that’s just how it goes. I mean, these greens are tough.

You’ve just got to hit the fairway on 15 and 18. Then 16 is a really tough par 3. And then 17, you know, it’s a short par 4, but it’s difficult. You’ve just got to kind of wherever the flag is, you’ve got to kind of have a game plan and stick to it. Today, with the back flag, I went for it and hit it in the right bunker, hit a great, you know, hit a good bunker shot. Got to eight feet, just short of it, which was fine, and lifted out from there. This morning, the pin was on the front just over the bunker and I laid up. So it just depends on how I’m feeling, which way the wind’s blowing. Just all depends.

Phil Mickelson (2016): “The reason why I’m optimistic about Oakmont is that it doesn’t require me to hit a lot of drivers. It requires me to get the ball in play off the tee, but when I’m not hitting drivers, if I’m hitting 3-woods, hybrids, I feel confident I’m able to do that a fairly high percentage of the time. I really think it is the hardest golf course we’ve ever played. A lot of golf courses, when it challenges you tee to green the way Oakmont does, it usually has a little bit of a reprieve on the greens, and you really don’t at Oakmont. They’re some of the most undulating, fast, difficult greens to putt. It really is the hardest golf course I think we’ve played.

Jordan Spieth (2016): “It’s going to take an extreme amount of patience and discipline off the tee. A lot of people talk about Oakmont’s greens but the most important thing I think for this year’s U.S. Open will be driving the golf ball. You don’t have to hit it very far. It will be helpful to hit it far and straight as it is anywhere, but you are going to have discipline to take iron off the tee, knowing you can hit 3-wood and still be ok. You just have to give yourself shots out of the fairway into a lot of these greens, given they slope front to back with false fronts. So you have to be coming out of the fairway with the right amount of spin. Your depth is thrown out on a lot of these holes because it’s well bunkered. Whether it’s an approach shot or a tee shot, there are some bunkers that you think are green-side, or you think you can fly them and actually it’s completely the opposite.

First Round Leader Analysis: First round leader(s), their wave and winning score since 2010. Full First Round Leader stats are here.

  • 2024 – Cantlay/McIlroy – AM/PM Split -5/65 – 55/1 & 22/1.
  • 2023 – Fowler/Schauffele – Both AM -8/62 – 55/1 & 35/1.
  • 2022 – Hadwin – PM -4/66 – 125/1.
  • 2021 – Henley/Oosthuizen – AM/PM Split -4/67 – 100/1 & 45/1.
  • 2020 – Thomas – AM -5/65 – 25/1.
  • 2019 – Rose – PM -6/65 – 40/1.
  • 2018 – Henley/D Johnson/Piercy/Poulter – 2AM/2PM -1/69 – 125/1, 16/1, 200/1 & 100/1.
  • 2017 – Fowler – AM -7/65 – 40/1.
  • 2016 – Landry – AM -4/66.
  • 2015 – D Johnson/Stenson – Both AM -5/65.
  • 2014 – Kaymer – PM -5/65.
  • 2013 – Mickelson – AM -3/67.
  • 2012 – M Thompson – AM -4/66.
  • 2011 – McIlroy – PM -6/65.
  • 2010 – Casey/de Jonge/Micheel – All PM -2/69.

For the record, here’s the breakdown of pure Poa Annua and Bentgrass/Poa Annua mix PGA Tour victors in the field since 2008:

  • 11 – Dustin Johnson.
  • 5 – Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm.
  • 4 – Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa.
  • 3 – Keegan Bradley, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Reed.
  • 2 – Cameron Davis, Harris English, Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Nick Taylor, Gary Woodland.
  • 1 – Ludvig Aberg, Daniel Berger, Akshay Bhatia, Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark, Nick Dunlap, Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ryan Fox, Emiliano Grillo, James Hahn, Tom Hoge, Viktor Hovland, Marc Leishman, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Joaquin Niemann, Matthieu Pavon, Andrew Putnam, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Justin Thomas, Erik van Rooyen.

Recent U.S. Open history features a new breed of champions with first-time Major winners galore. Indeed, going back to 2009, 12 of the last 16 champions had never captured a Major title. So for me it’s interesting to look at the prices of first-time Major winners going back to Danny Willett wining the 2016 Masters:

  • 2024 U.S. Open Xander Schauffele 18/1
  • 2023 Open Championship Brian Harman 110/1
  • 2023 US Open Wyndham Clark 66/1
  • 2022 Open Championship Cam Smith 28/1
  • 2022 US Open Matt Fitzpatrick 25/1
  • 2022 Masters Scottie Scheffler 16/1
  • 2021 US Open Jon Rahm 10/1 Fav
  • 2021 Masters Hideki Matsuyama 45/1
  • 2020 US Open Bryson DeChambeau 25/1
  • 2020 U.S. Open Collin Morikawa 35/1
  • 2019 Open Championship Shane Lowry 70/1
  • 2019 US Open Gary Woodland 80/1
  • 2018 Open Championship Francesco Molinari 33/1
  • 2018 Masters Patrick Reed 50/1
  • 2017 U.S. Open Justin Thomas 45/1
  • 2017 US Open Brooks Koepka 50/1
  • 2016 U.S. Open Jimmy Walker 150/1
  • 2016 Open Championship Henrik Stenson 33/1
  • 2016 US Open Dustin Johnson 16/1
  • 2016 Masters Danny Willett 66/1

Overall it’s well worth noting that the average price for U.S. Open winners for the past 5 renewals is 30/1. Jordon Spieth won at 9/1 in 2015, fresh from a Masters win, and since then the winning prices have been 16/1 (2016 – Johnson), 45/1 (2017 – Koepka), 25/1 (2018 – Koepka), 80/1 (2019 – Woodland), 25/1 (2020 – DeChambeau), 10/1 (2021 – Rahm), 25/1 (2022 – Fitzpatrick), 66/1 (2023 – Clark) and 20/1 (2024 – DeChambeau).

Take the Wyndham Clark win out of the equation and that average odds price falls to 20/1, highlighting that we should expect a quality winner this week at Oakmont, where Dustin Johnson was 16/1 in 2016.

My Final US Open Tips Are As Follows:

Bryson DeChambeau 4pts Win Only 15/2 with Betfred

You have to pick a lane this week at the U.S. Open. World Number 1 Scottie Scheffler is the kind of short price we have only seen in golf betting for the likes of Tiger Woods for Majors. His chances are obvious and his game seems perfectly suited to the demands of Oakmont Country Club. He’s the right price and the obvious winner-in-waiting.

But let’s to try to get him beat. The most obvious rival for Scheffler is defending champion Bryson DeChambeau. Like him or loathe him, DeChambeau is good for golf and it’s a crying shame that we don’t see the likes of DeChambeau, Rahm and Niemann playing more regularly with Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. These 6 are the very best in the game right now.

From a Major Championship rota perspective, of the US-based Majors it’s crystal clear that the U.S. Open is the most suited to the 31 year-old Californian. Slowly but surely getting his head around Augusta National – 6th (2024) and 5th (2025) – long, parkland, classical golf courses are where DeChambeau is really in his element. The 2020 (Winged Foot) and 2024 (Pinehurst Number 2) U.S. Open Champion, DeChambeau’s record at the PGA of America-organised PGA Championship is not too shabby either. 4th (2020 TPC Harding Park), 4th (2023 Oak Hill), 2nd (2024 Valhalla) and 2nd (2025 Quail Hollow) is top-notch. Soft fairways and damp rough early doors will only suit Bryson’s power even further in my opinion.

A 12-time PGA Tour / LIV Tour winner, 10 of which have been on greens that have featured Bentgrass or Bentgrass Poa Annua mix, DeChambeau also has a stellar record in these geographical climes. 9 of his professional wins have come in Illinois (x2), New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio (x2) and West Virginia. Those wins were the 2016 DAP Championship (Korn Ferry), 2017 John Deere Classic, 2018 Memorial Tournament, 2018 Northern Trust, 2018 Dell Technologies Championship, 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, 2020 U.S. Open, 2023 LIV Greenbrier and 2023 LIV Chicago.

✅ New UK customers: Bet £10 Get £50 in free bets for new customers using code BETFRED50 and this qualifying link
✅ For further details read our Betfred promo code> page
✅ Odds compiler takes a different view of many events meaning value can be found
✅ Flexible each-way terms available with 5, 7, 8 and 10 place options to choose from

Betfred New Customer Offer: New customers only. Register (excl 05/04/25), deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. #Ad

Jon Rahm 3pts EW 12/1 (8EW, 1/5) with Betfred

If any players in this field are going to stand up and go toe-to-toe with Scottie Scheffler, right now the 2 most likely are Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. Of the big names on the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy has gone into the standard post-Green Jacket winning slump, Xander Schauffele is nowhere near the player we saw in the summer of 2024, and Collin Morikawa is just as likely to finish 50th as he is to contend for the full 72 holes. Ludvig Aberg hardly inspires either, throwing in one quad and 4 double bogeys in his last 8 rounds – hardly ideal for Oakmont. The fact that Scheffler’s nearest challenger when he won at the Memorial Tournament was Ben Griffin highlights how badly many of the best on the PGA Tour are playing currently.

Rahm though seems to be on the up. 7th at the 2024 Open Championship, 14th at The Masters and 8th at the PGA Championship across his past 3 Majors is positive. The PGA Championship is actually a great point to raise as Rahm at the start of the back-9 got to within a shot of Scheffler and was the only player putting the Texan under pressure. When Scottie birdied 14 and 15, Rahm showed his elite mentality by not settling for runner-up, instead going for broke – the win was all important to the 30 year-old Spaniard. Yes he undoubtedly ‘bust’ on the final 3 holes, but you have to admire the fact that he went for the win. Hidden away on LIV – yes it was his decision – I get the feeling he wants to prove a point at the moment and that could be the difference this week.

A month down the road and I genuinely think that Oakmont will suit the Datagolf Ranked Number 4 far more than Quail Hollow. A glance at my Poa Annua and Bentgrass/Poa Annua PGA Tour victors in the field list (in the article above) highlights that Rahm has 5. Only Dustin Johnson has more (11) and he wasn’t too bad around Oakmont in 2016!

8th last week at LIV Virginia played on Robert Trent Jones Golf Club which featured Poa Annua within the greens. Jon ranked 6th for Driving Distance, 16th for Driving Accuracy, 3rd for Greens in Regulation, 4th for Total Driving, 8th for Total Accuracy and 2nd for Ball Striking.

He was also the low amateur here at Oakmont in 2016 – finishing 23rd. Starting with a Thursday 76, Rahm proceeded to shoot 69-72-70 for a +1/211 final 54-hole total, which was T9 in the field and just 2 shots behind Dustin Johnson.

✅ New UK customers: Bet £10 Get £50 in free bets for new customers using code BETFRED50 and this qualifying link
✅ For further details read our Betfred promo code> page
✅ Odds compiler takes a different view of many events meaning value can be found
✅ Flexible each-way terms available with 5, 7, 8 and 10 place options to choose from

Betfred New Customer Offer: New customers only. Register (excl 05/04/25), deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. #Ad

Joaquin Niemann 2pts EW 30/1 (8EW, 1/5) with bet365

In the 8-15 spot in the betting market I like Joaquin Niemann. The winner last week at LIV Virginia played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, he played some super golf. With both Jon Rahm and latterly Bryson DeChambeau more than present in contention on Sunday afternoon, Niemann shot a superb -8/63 to take the title. It’s easy to overlook LIV Golf League victories, but this was his 6th in total and interestingly his first in the United States.

Joaquin knows how to win – indeed this was his 8th professional title in his last 35 starts (23% success rate). Take a shorter snapshot and the 26 year-old Chilean has won 5 of his last 12 starts (42% success rate) going back to the Saudi International in December 2024. Yes it’s undoubtedly at a lower level, but Niemann is a super-elite talent – no question.

It’s also more than clear to see that Joaquin is starting to feel more comfortable in Majors. 29th at The Masters and a breakthrough 8th at the Quail Hollow hosted PGA Championship highlight real progress at the top level.

The location and make-up of some of his victories also supports the fact that Oakmont could suit. Pennsylvania borders West Virginia, where Niemann landed his maiden PGA Tour title at the 2019 A Military Tribute at Greenbrier played at TPC Old White. 2007 Oakmont winner Angel Cabrera won the same tournament in 2014. Joaquin then pulled off a huge victory at the loaded 2022 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. 2016 Oakmont winner Dustin Johnson has a superb record around “Hogan’s Alley” – a stretching, difficult, classical course that features Bentgrass/Poa Annua greens. It’s also noticeable that the Chilean’s most recent wins on the LIV Golf League have come on a couple of courses in Chapultepec (Mexico City) and RTJGC (Virginia) that feature Poa Annua grassed-greens.

Ranking 4th in my published Predictor Model, he’s undoubtedly long enough and consistent enough with his iron play to contend in a U.S. Open and Niemann ticks the box when it comes to the fact that 5 of the last 6 U.S. Open winners (excludes Wyndham Clark) finished in the top 8 at the previous PGA Championship.

✅ Bet £10 get £30 in free bets for new customers
✅ Bonus code SPORT30 can be used, but does not change the offer amount in any way
✅ For further details read our bet365 new customer offer page
✅ Early odds available each week on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour
✅ ‘Each Way Extra’ promotion where you can choose between 3, 8, 10 or 12 places each way

bet365 New Customer Offer: Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. The bonus code SPORT30 can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way. #Ad

Sepp Straka 1.5pts EW 35/1 (8EW, 1/5) with bet365

Go all the way back to Graeme McDowell in 2010 and the U.S. Open has seen winners between the 40/1 to 80/1 mark pretty often. G-Mac was 80/1, Simpson (2012) was 80/1, Kaymer (2014) was 40/1, Koepka (2017) was 45/1 and Gary Woodland as recently as 2019 was an 80/1 chance backed at the time by my Golf Betting System podcast colleague Barry O’Hanrahan. 2023 also saw Wyndham Clark win at 66/1. I know in this world of Scottie Scheffler it feels remote, but longer mid-prices can and do win the U.S. Open.

In Sepp Straka we have a player who has really stepped up to world elite level in 2025. A winner of The American Express in January, the University of Georgia graduate, who moved from Austria to Georgia when he was 14, has already become a lynchpin of Luke Donald’s Team Europe Ryder Cup squad, with his consistent high-level of play on the PGA Tour. 7th at Pebble Beach, 5th at Bay Hill, 14th at TPC Sawgrass and 1st at Philadelphia Cricket Club highlights a player who has been more than comfortable at Signature event level on the PGA Tour. Naturally his Truist Championship win was the biggest of his career to date.

This preceded 3rd on his last outing at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament. Naturally Scottie Scheffler took all the plaudits, as did Ben Griffin who was the World Number 1’s biggest threat throughout. But 32 year-old Straka played very nicely. His -8/136 Final 36 Hole total was best in the field and 2 shots better than Scheffler. His -7/209 Final 54 Hole total was second – by a single shot – to Scottie and 2 shots clear of anybody else in the field.

1st for Driving Accuracy, 10th for Greens in Regulation, 9th for Total Driving, 8th for Ball Striking and 1st for All-Round in old money equated in Strokes Gained parlance to 1st for Off the Tee, 15th for Approach, 7th for Tee to Green, and intriguingly 3rd for Putting, given Oakmont’s fearsome greens.

7th at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill in New York State and 2nd at the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, I think Sepp has a super chance of mixing it at Oakmont this week.

✅ Bet £10 get £30 in free bets for new customers
✅ Bonus code SPORT30 can be used, but does not change the offer amount in any way
✅ For further details read our bet365 new customer offer page
✅ Early odds available each week on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour
✅ ‘Each Way Extra’ promotion where you can choose between 3, 8, 10 or 12 places each way

bet365 New Customer Offer: Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. The bonus code SPORT30 can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way. #Ad

Harris English 1pt EW 66/1 (10EW, 1/5) with Boylesports

Harris English is a fascinating bet for me this week. He’s no superstar we know that, but the sort who resides outside of the glare of the golf media who can really play. A U.S. Open Average Score of 71.81 ranks him above the likes of Justin Thomas, Joaquin Niemann, Shane Lowry, Russell Henley, Jordan Spieth, Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Corey Conners and Keegan Bradley – many of whom are way shorter in this week’s betting market. 4th at Winged Foot (2020) which is a superb comp course, 3rd at Torrey Pines (2021) and 8th at Los Angeles Country Club (2023), Harris has undoubtedly mixed it on recent U.S. Open assignments. For reference English was 37th here in 2016.

He also mixes it at Majors finishing in the top 22 across 5 of the last 6 United States Major Championships, which includes a career-best 12th this April at The Masters.

If you like a trend – 5 of the last 6 U.S. Open winners (excludes Wyndham Clark) had finished in the top 8 at the previous PGA Championship – so with English finishing a backdoor T2 at Quail Hollow, he sits in pretty short list alongside Scheffler, DeChambeau, Rahm, Niemann, Ben Griffin, Davis Riley, Ryan Gerard and Joe Highsmith.

A 2025 winner on the Poa Annua greens of Torrey Pines South at the Farmers Insurance Open, English also has other correlating course form (Angel Cabrera/Dustin Johnson/Jim Furyk result traces) that I like across Kapalua: 1st (2021); Riviera: 7th (2024); TPC River Highlands: 1st (2021); TPC Boston: 2nd (2020) and Olympia Fields: 10th (2023).

Top 45 for Driving Accuracy, top 40 for Bogey Avoidance, top 30 for Scrambling Outside of 30 Yards and top 20 for 3 Putt Avoidance on the PGA Tour so far this season are stats that work very nicely for me at Oakmont, plus Harris was 6th for Total Driving and 5th for Ball Striking last time out at the Memorial Tournament when a creditable 12th – his best ever finish at ‘Jack’s Place.’

✅ Bet £10 Get £30 Free Bets & £10 Casino Bonus for new customers using this qualifying link
✅ Regularly extending full-field PGA Tour events on their Main Outright market to 8 places each-way
✅ ‘Pick Your Place’ promotion where you choose between 6, 10 or 12 places each way

Boylesports UK New Customer Offer: New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. £40 in FREE Bets (FB) as £30 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. 18+. T&Cs apply. #Ad

Odds and bookmaker offers correct at 11:55BST 9.6.25 but are naturally subject to fluctuation.