Start Date: Thursday June 17th 2021

Location: Torrey Pines South Course, San Diego California

Past 5 Champions: Bryson DeChambeau (2020), Gary Woodland (2019), Brooks Koepka (2018), Brooks Koepka (2017), Dustin Johnson (2016)

There are some concerns that Koepka missed the cut at Congaree last week. It’s always ideal to have good momentum going into these big majors. However, with Brooks Koepka specifically, momentum has not been important. Prior to the PGA Championship (where Brooks finished 2nd), he missed two cuts prior to that event. Brooks Koepka has won the U.S. Open 2 of the last 4 years, and he consistently shows up in big events. There should also be some extra motivation to take the throne from last years champion, and current rival Bryson DeChambeau. All that being said, we like a bet on Koepka.

The last time we saw Jon Rahm, he was being pulled off the course with a 6 stroke lead due to a positive Covid-19 test. Rahm has tested negative in consecutive days and has been cleared to return for the U.S. Open. Jon Rahm has a great track record at Torrey Pines, he won here back in 2017. This feels like a spot where Rahm could win his first career major. The entire PGA community knows a big win is coming for Rahm, let's make sure we have a ticket on him when it happens. 

Hovland played extremely well in his last start at Torrey Pines, finishing tied for 2nd place. We were tempted to bet on Hovland to win, but it’s tough to pull the trigger considering he hasn’t been able to break through yet. He has been a top 25 and top 10 machine. We like the odds here at DraftKings for a top 10 finish. 

If you want to place a bet on a wild card with some steam, Cameron Young is your guy. Young won back to back events on the Korn Ferry Tour in late May. He’s had a wild road to qualify for Torrey Pines, but this is a course that he is familiar with. Young played very well at the south course his last time playing here. He played poorly on the north course, but this event will take place on the south course this weekend.

Scottie is one of the SteadyPicks staff’s favorite players on tour. Very few golf fans have done the digging to realize this, but Scottie is the #1 player on tour in terms of total driving. Torrey Pines south plays very long, and that is going to benefit Scottie greatly. Don’t be surprised if he is right in the mix on Sunday, we like this bet a lot!

Morikawa is a very popular bet amongst the public. He is one of the best players on tour at avoiding big numbers on the scorecard. He ranks 1st amongst the PGA tour in strokes gained - tee to green, which is a significant metric at a course where you can get into trouble quickly. If Morikawa can putt well this weekend, he could be in line to win his 2nd major.