Warren Little/Getty Brooks Koepka was the led the 2023 PGA Championship after the third round.
The third major event of the season, the 124th edition of the U.S. Open, unfolds this week at one of the globe’s foremost golfing venues. Situated in North Carolina between Fayetteville and Charlotte, Pinehurst Resort boasts a remarkable array of ten golf courses, with the renowned “No. 2” course taking center stage.
Course Information
The 2024 U.S. Open, hosted at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, marks the fourth time this iconic course has welcomed the tournament. Spanning 7,588 yards with Bermuda grass fairways and greens, it’s set to challenge 156 of the world’s top players, with only the top 60 and those tied advancing to the weekend rounds. Designed by Donald Ross and restored by Coore and Crenshaw in 2010, Pinehurst No. 2 offers a unique test for golfers, having removed thick, rough in favor of a natural Carolina landscape.
Featuring firm fairways, sandy waste areas, and undulating greens, precision and strategy are paramount on this layout. Despite its length and limited par 5s, scoring is notoriously tough, with past U.S. Opens seeing average round scores surpassing +3. The course’s design allows for various strategies, catering to different playing styles, but success typically favors accuracy off the tee, strong long-iron play, and a deft short game. Pinehurst No. 2 promises an exhilarating and unpredictable challenge for all competitors. All statistical research is from Data Golf.
2024 U.S Open Bets
Cameron Smith To Finish Top 20 (+150, DraftKings)
Cameron Smith’s conventional approach off the tee might not align with the typical expectations for success at a U.S. Open, yet his game seems ideally suited for the challenges presented by Pinehurst No. 2. While his driving distance and accuracy might not be his strongest suits, the unique characteristics of this course, including its manageable length and the firm, fast conditions, mitigate the need for constant reliance on the driver. Opting for a more conservative approach with a 3-wood or iron off the tee, Smith’s ability to consistently find the fairway could significantly bolster his chances of contention.
Pinehurst No. 2 isn’t without its own array of challenges, featuring treacherous sandy waste areas and strategically placed bunkers around the greens. However, these elements play into Smith’s strengths, as evidenced by his leading position in Strokes Gained: Around the Green over his recent major championship rounds. His upbringing in Australia, where navigating such features is a common aspect of golf, provides him with a natural advantage in this regard. Notably, Australian players found success at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014, further underscoring Smith’s potential to excel on this course.
Smith’s performances in recent major championships have been commendable, consistently ranking highly in Strokes Gained: Total over the past two years. His imaginative shot-making and deft touch around the greens make him a formidable contender to tackle the unique demands posed by Pinehurst No. 2.
Having secured an impressive T4 finish at the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, which also presented its own set of unconventional challenges, Smith enters this week’s tournament with optimism. This could potentially offer him his best opportunity yet to clinch a coveted U.S. Open victory, marking a significant milestone in his career.
Brooks Koepka To Finish Top 5 (+380, DraftKings)
Following his stellar performances in the previous year’s opening two majors, securing a second-place finish at Augusta and clinching victory at the PGA Championship hosted at Oak Hill, another masterpiece by Ross, many anticipated Brooks Koepka to be a prominent contender in the initial majors of 2024.
However, the challenge lies in the fact that prior to his remarkable displays last year, he had demonstrated promise in his appearances on the LIV circuit leading up to those majors, whereas this year, he struggled to find form on the circuit before Augusta. This resulted in a lackluster 45th-place finish, marked by subpar performance from tee to green.
Yet, Koepka quickly rebounded from that setback, securing a commendable 9th-place finish at LIV Adelaide, followed by a victory in LIV Singapore. These improved showings set the stage for the PGA Championship, where he notably finished 26th, showcasing significant improvement in his tee-to-green game. With a recent 9th-place finish at LIV Houston, Koepka’s promising form continues, positioning him as a formidable contender for major championship contention.
His credentials in major tournaments speak for themselves, boasting three PGA Championships and two US Opens to his name. His victories have come in diverse conditions, exemplified by his low-scoring triumphs at the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills and the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive, as well as his resilience in challenging conditions, notably winning the 2018 US Open at the notoriously tough Shinnecock Hills with a score of +1.
Koepka’s professional debut in the US Open occurred at this very venue in 2014, where he impressively secured a 4th-place finish behind Martin Kaymer. His strong track record at Augusta, where he has twice finished as runner-up, bodes well for his performance here. With a recent top-5 finish in Houston and a top-10 finish at St Andrews, Koepka appears poised to climb to 12th on the all-time majors list with a potential sixth triumph this week.