PGA Betting Guide to Specials and Props: U.S. Open
Picking winners for a golf tournament is incredibly difficult and requires -- we hate to say it -- tons of luck to get it right.
One wayward drive, one plugged bunker shot, or one shanked approach is all it takes to turn your magical big money payout into a stone-cold zero. Fortunately, we can play the prop market on Golf odds for the U.S. Open and find a few othergolf betting opportunities to wager on this week's tournament without that all-or-nothing downside.
Whereas outright bets only pay out if the golfer wins the event, specials and props can keep bettors interested all the way through the end of the tournament. So let's focus on some of those opportunities: finishing position, leader after round one, and our favorite of the new Tourney Specials offered by FanDuel.
Finishing Position
Brooks Koepka Top 5 Finish (+650) and Top 10 Finish (+360) - Koepka always shows up for the majors, and his last four appearances at the U.S. Open have resulted in finishes of 4th, 2nd, 1st, and 1st. He's not the dominant force he was for the early part of that stretch, but last year's result came despite injury and form concerns that have followed him recently. He still got it done here and will be a name to watch as long as he's in the field.
Tyrrell Hatton Top 10 Finish (+800) - Hatton is perhaps a bit too impatient for USGA setups with consecutive missed cuts in the last two editions. But he was 21st and 6th in 2019 and 2018, respectively, and he arrives primed for regression after a horrid iron performance at the RBC Canadian Open last week. He lost 4.8 strokes on approaches and 1.2 on the greens, according to stats from Fantasy National Golf Club. It was the first time he's lost strokes putting in his last six measured events, and the second he's lost on approach in that span. He's been solid otherwise, and if he does both well this week, he could be within striking distance.
Cameron Smith Top 20 Finish (+100) - Smith has ascended into elite status this season with multiple wins and solid showings in the year's first two majors. He was 3rd at The Masters and 13th at the PGA Championship. Even when he's not his best he still has flashes, including one of Friday's best rounds at the RBC Canadian Open to sneak in under the cut line after a disastrous opening 76.
Shane Lowry Top 20 Finish (+100) - Lowry has been arguably the best iron player in the world this year, and with so many qualifiers taking up spots in this field, his advantage is even greater than at a normal event. He may well win this thing, but if not he still has one of the highest floors in the field.
Corey Conners Top 20 Finish (+180) - Aside from a missed cut at the PGA Championship, Conners has been very consistent over the past three months. Since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March, he's gained at least 4.3 strokes tee to green in every measured event except the PGA. He is coming off his two best approach weeks of the season, having gained 8.1 strokes with his irons at the Memorial and 5.7 at the RBC Canadian Open.
3-Leg Top 20 Parlay Odds: +1020
Leader After Round 1
Corey Conners (+5000) - Conners, as laid out above, has a good case for a strong showing, but he also can be targeted for a first-round leader bet. Conners ranks third in this field among golfers in first-round strokes gained: tee to green over the past 50 rounds on Tour, according to FantasyNational. He trails only Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas in that department.
Tourney Specials
Golf Specials 1
Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, and Louis Oosthuizen all top 20 finish (Inc. Ties) (+3000) - These three in the top 20 market can be parlayed to +2031, a market that includes dead heat markdowns which almost always affect finishes as far back as top 20. Getting these three, all of whom have multiple top 10 finishes in the past five years, as enhanced odds for top 20 with no dead heat markdowns makes this an attractive option in the specials section on FanDuel.
