OAKMONT, Pa. — Round 1 of the 125th U.S. Open Championship is in the books and J.J. Spaun is the leader after a dazzling bogey-free 4-under 66, but it’s Oakmont Country Club which was the winner for the day, as just 10 players in the 156-man field finished in red figures.
Let’s get to some live options as we head toward the final 54 holes.
OUTRIGHTS
Jon Rahm (+550)
I really liked the 2021 U.S. Open champion before the week began and I like him even more after an opening 69. I believed Oakmont was going to be a first-shot golf course this week — meaning performance off the tee would be a predictive and determining factor in results — and while that hasn’t quite played out so far, I do have confidence in the player who led the field in driving statistics on Thursday. If there’s a reason to dislike Rahm, it’s only that short price next to his name, as he’s usurped Scottie Scheffler as the live favorite, but +550 is better than most post-R1 odds we usually see on superstar players near the top of the board.
Jordan Spieth (+2800)
Call me crazy, but I loved what I saw from Spieth during his even-par 70. The approach game was through the roof, as he gained more than 3.5 strokes with his irons, and he was better than field average in the other three major categories, as well. If you’re not convinced Spieth is ready to win a major after three years without a victory, I don’t mind a conservative top-10 play, either.
Robert MacIntyre (+4000)
From Jack Nicklaus to Ernie Els to Angel Cabrera to Dustin Johnson, the one distinguishing quality of winners at Oakmont is that they all have big, uh… guts. Each was a guy who wasn’t scared of the moment and while Bobby Mac hasn’t yet showed it on this stage, there’s reason to believe he won’t back down. If the course remains fast and firm, which it will until (or if) it rains, he should continue to hang in there.
TOP-10
Denny McCarthy
Maybe it’s because he’s not one of the big, brawny dudes, maybe it’s because he’s known more for his putting than his ball-striking, but McCarthy is regularly undervalued, especially on bigger ballparks. This comes despite his repeated success on longer tracks, from Muirfield Village to Torrey Pines to Quail Hollow. Currently sitting T-11 after posting 70, expect him to remain on the board throughout the weekend.
Bryson DeChambeau
OK, maybe this one isn’t much of a surprise, but the guy who was a favorite play of many bettors entering the week stands at T-49 after shooting 73 — and a plus-money play to finish in the top-10. If there are a few things we know about Bryson, it’s that he can light some fireworks in a hurry and he’ll never stop grinding.
TOP-20
Keegan Bradley
He was going backwards from the first hole early Thursday morning when so many others were posting birdies, but the final tally of 3-over 73 ended up just fine. After leading the field in SG: Around the greens, I expect the rest of his game to catch up over the next three days.
Tommy Fleetwood and Patrick Cantlay
If this combo looks familiar, it’s because I listed them together as high-end floor plays for top-10s in my pre-tournament preview. Those floors apparently had a sinkhole on Thursday, as they shot 74 and 76, respectively. It might be wishful thinking to believe they’ll creep back into the top-10, but for a pair of players who tend to do their best work when the spotlight is off and winning is a pipe dream, don’t be surprised to see them bounce back with strong scores on Friday.
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