Rory McIlroy did backers a 33/1 favour when leading the US PGA last month, but Ben Coley is keen to be more speculative in the US Open.
Golf betting tips: US Open round one
3pts Seamus Power to win his first-round three-ball at 5/4 (General)
0.5pt treble Power, Scheffler & Lowry to win their three-balls at 10.25/1 (Sky Bet)
1pt e.w. Keegan Bradley to lead after round one at 70/1 (Sky Bet, William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
0.5pt e.w. Scott Stallings to lead after round one at 150/1 (BoyleSports 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
Boston tee party
A late tee-time on day one proved a severe handicap at last year's PGA Championship, and it's not out of the question that something similar could unfold on Thursday. That's good news for Rory McIlroy, out early just as he was at Southern Hills, and there will be those happy enough to back him at 22/1 to make it back-to-back first-round leads.
His playing partner Xander Schauffele should be of equal interest, as he's a proper US Open specialist yet to miss the cut in this event. In fact, he's yet to finish outside the top 10, and this extraordinary record has been built on strong foundations, four times placing in the first-round leader market and twice beaten by just a single player.
He's seriously tempting along with Aaron Wise and Davis Riley, who have been in excellent form of late, but I can't resist the local angle here with both KEEGAN BRADLEY and SCOTT STALLINGS worth chancing.
Both of these players were desperate to qualify for the US Open, as Stallings himself explained during the Charles Schwab Challenge recently.
"That was a huge goal, probably the biggest goal I had of the year, is to play the (US) Open up there," Stallings said Friday. "Probably the only time in my career I’ll have an opportunity to play a major championship in New England where at least half my family lives. My sister lives just down the road."
I followed Scott Stallings around today for @MetroWestSports and @USATODAY. The Worcester-born, 3-time PGA tour winner looks to win the U.S. Open in his old “backyard.” Here’s Stallings with his Boston sports-themed yardage book @Patriots. He’ll be at the @RedSox game tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/0RdqFpbkkb
— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) June 13, 2022
Bradley, who hails from Vermont, was similarly motivated by a home game. He is a huge Boston sports fan and first fell in love with golf when attending the 1999 Ryder Cup here at Brookline. There's no doubt where he's from is a big part of who he is.
"It’s the thing I’m most proud of," he told the PGA Tour's Cameron Morfit. "When you’re from New England, it becomes who you are. But I’ve sort of had to block this out in my brain and try to minimise it. I knew it was a big deal because no one in my family was talking about it, and then I qualified, and here come the texts."
Bradley did go on to admit to the potential pitfalls of caring so much about something and both he and Stallings will feel a degree of pressure on Thursday, but from early tee-times and with raucous local crowds sure to be following their every move, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if either or both thrived. Bradley in particular is a big-time performer, and the fact Stallings took his one chance to qualify bodes well.
We can also categorise both as fast starters. Bradley hasn't been quite up to his usual standards this year but still has a reputation for being something of a Thursday star, demonstrated this time last year when his round one finishing positions read 5-1-2-2, culminating at the US PGA.
He's placed in this market in three of the four majors and with his putting confidence increased thanks to the help of Phil Kenyon, insists he's in the form of his life.
Stallings has placed in this market six times this season meanwhile, and played some of his best stuff in a long time when leading at halfway two starts back. Clearly, he lacks major form and isn't a top-class player, but he has won at US Open venue Torrey Pines and once upon a time was known for standing tall under intense pressure.
That quality will stand him in good stead here and he can overshadow Riley just as Bradley gets the better of Wise.
Who rates the best three-ball bet?
Three-ball opportunities aren't easy to pin down, with most of them stacked in a way that those of the PGA are not. As such I'll stick to one main wager, with SEAMUS POWER tipped to get the better of Joohyung Kim and Min Woo Lee.
Kim played well at the Byron Nelson not so long ago but shot 78-76 in the US PGA, a tournament in which he's missed both cuts so far. The young Korean has a bright future, but for a now a big, tough, USGA set-up is likely to expose him.
Lee's power is always handy in a US Open but his approach play has been poor lately and he's missed all three cuts since the Masters. That hopefully paves the way for Power to justify selection at odds-against.
Power, who ought to have plenty of Irish support here, has played well in both majors so far this year, including when ninth in the US PGA.
He's churning out greens in regulation, has been excellent off the tee over the last year, boasts solid first-round scoring stats, and catches the eye at fourth in bogey avoidance – a category which often points towards major contenders and did last month at Southern Hills.
🕟 The clock is ticking until the 2022 #USOpen begins
— Betfair Exchange (@BetfairExchange) June 14, 2022
🏌️ But still plenty of time to listen to Our Golf...Only Bettor US Open special
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Those looking for something more speculative should add SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER and SHANE LOWRY for a 10/1 treble on Thursday afternoon.
Scheffler is in with Cam Smith and Brooks Koepka, the latter having been very disappointing at the PGA, and Smith having been poor in this event since a debut top-five in 2015. That came on a wide-open course and I suspect his wayward driving will catch him out.
Lowry meanwhile finds himself in with two of the LIV rogues, Louis Oosthuizen and Phil Mickelson. It's never wise to oppose Oosthuizen with real confidence in any major, let alone this one, but he's had a pretty dire year so far and this is a difficult place to get competitive for the first time in 2022.
Mickelson, who was poor at Centurion, faced more difficult questions on Monday and does not look to be enjoying himself at the moment. He's also struggling, particularly with putter in hand, and hopes of a career grand slam might be gone by the time he finishes his first round.
Posted at 1650 BST on 14/06/22
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