US Open Round 2 Odds and Betting Preview

• Justin Thomas (-5) holds the solo lead after the first round at the 120th U.S. Open at Winged Foot
• Patrick Reed, Thomas Pieters, and Matthew Wolff are just one shot back of the lead in New York after opening round’s of 66
• See updated live odds at Winged Foot for Friday’s Round 2 at the 2020 U.S. Open

Surprisingly enough, there were multiple low rounds at the tough Winged Foot golf course in the first round of the 2020 U.S. Open. Justin Thomas had an outstanding five-under-par 65 in his first round to take the solo lead.

Before the tournament started, Justin Thomas’ odds were at +1400 to win the U.S. Open. After the first round, he has jumped up to favorite status at +400. Patrick Reed’s odds have shortened to +1200 as he is looking to win his second career major.

Analysts and even the players were not expecting the golf course to play this easy. However, there was little to no wind on Thursday and the greens were much softer than anticipated. I doubt the golf course will play as easy in the next few rounds. Look for a few of the players atop the leaderboard now to drop off.

Which players will be able to withstand the rest of the week at Winged Foot?

Live US Open Odds

Odds as of Sept 17 at DraftKings.

The Surprisingly Easy Winged Foot?

In most cases, the word “easy” and Winged Foot don’t go in the same sentence. In the first round of the U.S. Open, Winged Foot has played much easier than year’s past. To put this in perspective, the 2006 U.S. Open was held at Winged Foot and the scoring average for the tournament was 74.99.

Apart from the deep rough, there was not as much difficulty as promised. The USGA had to make the course a little bit easier because they were worried about pace of play. They did not want the afternoon groups stuck in the dark in the latter part of their rounds.

Spotters will play a crucial role this week to deal with the deep, thick rough at Winged Foot… 👀 pic.twitter.com/8KhhnrZRAJ

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) September 14, 2020

Keeping it in the fairway was the key to low scores today. Justin Thomas hit nine out of 14 fairways, but had a magical touch around the greens with his wedges. McIlroy also hit nine out of 14 fairways and Thomas Pieters hit seven drives in the short grass.

Rory McIlroy had a tremendous day on the golf course. He struck the ball really well and did not have too many big misses with his driver, which is a good sign for the Northern Irishman. Other than a few short putts missed, McIlroy had a stellar round.

Big Mo Heading Into Friday

Momentum is huge in tournaments like these where the conditions aren’t predictable. If a player’s ball striking is solid, regardless of the conditions, he has an easier time committing to shots.

Player’s who hit the ball well and have momentum on their side are Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Thomas Pieters, Matt Wolff, and Xander Schauffele.

He stared it down and for good reason! @McIlroyRory with a lovely tee shot at 13. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/RAt722JHcP

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) September 17, 2020

One golfer that was on my radar and a lot of other people’s was Tommy Fleetwood. The Englishman was 4-over par in his first round and will need to make up some ground on Friday to make the cut.

Another player who might not make it to the weekend is Daniel Berger. The 27-year-old has already won in 2020, shot an underwhelming 3-over 73 in his first round.

Bryson DeChambeau’s strategy heading into this tournament was to be aggressive and hit driver almost everywhere. It worked out well in his favor after an opening-round 69. Xander Schauffele was on a lot of people’s watch list and he did not disappoint firing a 2-under par 68 to stay one shot back of the lead.

Live U.S. Open Outright Winner Picks

1. Rory McIlroy (+700): Certainly not eye-popping value, but a great bet nonetheless. McIlroy hit 15-of-18 greens in regulation and will just have to keep his putting in check to make a push. The Northern Irishman has a lot of major championship experience and likes to play at tough golf courses in rigorous conditions.
2. Rickie Fowler (+4000): Fowler has not had his greatest stretch recently, but he sure played great on Thursday. The 31-year-old has one of the best putting strokes on Tour and finished tied-second at the 2014 U.S. Open. Fowler hit 15 of 18 greens in his first round and it looks like this could be the week where he breaks through for his first major victory.