U.S. Open 2023: First-Round Leader (FRL) Bets

The U.S. Open will begin Thursday, June 15 at Los Angeles Country Club, which will host a golf major for the first time.

The course hasn’t hosted a PGA Tour event since the 1940s, but it did host the 2017 Walker Cup, so a few players have seen the course before. One of those players is Max Homa, who shot a course record 61 in the 2013 Pac-12 Championship.

It is a par-70 and plays to 7,421 yards. It has five par-3s, all with varying yardages. One can play close to 290 yards, and another can play as short as 75 yards. 

While it may seem like a long course, elevation changes make it play shorter, so longer hitters don’t necessarily have a big advantage.

Who could post the best score in Thursday’s first round? Below are my first-round leader bets for the week.

U.S. Open: First-Round Leader (FRL) Bets

Scottie Scheffler +1600 First-Round Leader

This is purely based on value. Scheffler is +650 to win the entire tournament, but +1600 to be the leader after the first round. As the best player in the field, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he led after the first round.

Scheffler has the best first-round scoring average on the PGA Tour this year at 68.38.

Viktor Hovland +2800 First-Round Leader

Fresh off his win at The Memorial, Hovland comes into the tournament with plenty of confidence. He’s another player who seems to play his best at the hardest courses, which will come into play this week.

Hovland ranks third on Tour this year with a 68.47 first-round scoring average.

Cameron Young +4500 First-Round Leader

Young hasn’t had as strong of a season as a year ago, but his game is best suited for majors. He’s one of the best drivers on Tour, and that will certainly help him this week. 

The 26-year-old may not have the game at the moment to contend for all four rounds, but given his talent and value, this bet makes sense.