U.S. Open Golf Betting Guide

As one of the four majors in professional golf, the U.S. Open has been a staple in the sport for years. In this guide, we’re going to look at the U.S. Open as an event for both fans of the sport and fans of online sports betting.

Betting on U.S. Open golf is one of the biggest markets in the scene. With the explosion of golf betting, it’s no surprise that the prestigious U.S. Open is a marquee event in the sports betting world.

From the early days of the tournament to newly crowned victors, we’re going to look at the U.S. Open and what is has to offer from a betting perspective. This includes looking at the different golf betting markets, bet types, and everything in between.

Without further ado, let’s look at U.S. Open betting so you can be well-informed for the next tournament! 

The second oldest major championship (after the British Open), the U.S. Open is known for its demanding and challenging golf courses. The USGA selects different courses from around the United States based on certain characteristics that make it rather difficult for even the most seasoned pros.

The tournament follows a stroke play format, with golfers competing over 4 rounds. Notable winners from the tournament’s history includes the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau.

Not only is the U.S. Open a phenomenon, it is one of the most wagered upon tournaments of the year. Bettors flock at the opportunity to place bets on the U.S. Open, as anyone can win thanks to its incredible difficulty. 

The 2023 edition of the U.S. Open took place at the Los Angeles Country Club, with Wyndham Clark taking the event on the final day, finishing with a –10 in the tournament. He bested the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith and Rickie Fowler to be crowned victorious.

Bettors looking to wager on golf should look no further than the U.S. Open. Not only is it apart of the four majors of the PGA Tour, it has an appeal like no other. With its unpredictability, the U.S. Open can make golfers become household names with one swing of the club.

Canadians love to bet on golf, especially the U.S. Open. It is one of the most viewed tournaments in Canada and has a deep following thanks to its proximity!

How do you bet on the US Open?

To wager on the U.S. Open, you’re going to need a betting account. To create a betting account, you will need to find an online bookmaker to suit your needs. With thousands of options for Canadian golf bettors, it would take hours to research and conclude which bookmakers are the best golf betting.

Thankfully for you, we compactly broke down what you can look for in a bookmaker and some of the top bookmakers in Canada to help ease any anxieties!

What do you want in a bookmaker?

• Reliability – When looking for an online bookmaker, you want to find one that has a good reputation. While newer sites may offer incredible deals, some may not have the safety and reliability check that we recommend. When joining and depositing with an online betting site, ensure you look up the site and do your research!
• Promotions – Everyone loves promotions! These promotions and bonuses can help you get more for your money. Whether in the form of boosted odds, free plays, bet builders and other site-specific promotions, using these promos can help you as a player! Some sites offer better bonuses and promotions than others and you can usually see what a bookmaker has to offer before signing up.
• Betting Markets – Great, you chose a site and now you want to deposit. But what’s the point in signing up if they don’t offer the proper betting markets? When looking at a bookmaker, ensure they offer the betting markets you want to enjoy as a player.
• Welcome Bonuses – Make that initial deposit go further! Welcome bonuses are great for new users. Usually in the form of 100% matched deposits, welcome bonuses are a great way to entice users to join sites. Remember, always read the terms and conditions of the welcome bonus when joining a new site!
• Perks/VIP Clubs – This goes with promotions but we love to see betting sites that have great perks and VIP Clubs. When long-time users of a site are rewarded, we appreciate that. Research and see what types of perks are available for returning customers.

Betting Markets

• Tournament Winner - This is one of the most wagered upon bets in golf betting. Simply, choosing the tournament winner means you are choosing the right golfer to win the event. It can’t get any more straightforward than that!
• Make the Cut – While no bet is considered easy, we would definitely recommend this wager for beginners in golf betting. Making the cut means the athlete you chose survives the first two rounds of play, making the cut. Chances are, the better and higher ranked players will make the cut more often than not.
• Golfer Nationality – This wagered is saved for the best golfer from a specific nation. If you choose Corey Conners to be the top golfer out of Canada and he has the best score of all Canadians at a specific tournament, then you would win your bet! Adjust based on the nation you are predicting, such as England or the United States.
• Props - Prop bets aren’t tied directly to the tournament winner or final outcome of the event. Instead, prop bets focus on different statistics! These can include bets like the best score through round 1, how many aces are nailed to the number of bogeys made on a specific hole. With prop bets, the possibilities are endless!

Betting strategy

• Look at History - Especially with the U.S. Open, there is a ton of history to look at when betting. Americans dominate the tournament, so that should give insight as to which nation will come out on top. Historically, amateurs and golfers who attend through final qualifiers don’t fare well, so you may want to steer clear of those athletes. When betting on the U.S. Open, make sure you’re looking at the tournament’s history, as well as the course and previous winners!
• Live Betting Is Your Friend - Golfers can get HOT during a tournament. You ever see Tiger Woods nail 30-foot putts like nothing to Collin Morikawa sticking it within 3 feet of the hole from 150 yards out? Some players are red hot during events and live betting can help you get a gauge on how the tournament is unfolding.
• Trust Your Gut - You ever have that gut feeling that a player will do well at a tournament? Then why not trust it! Intuition is huge in sports betting and with golf being unpredictable, you want to trust yourself. Look at the betting odds and assess the situation and when it doubts, trust your gut.

Despite facing a strong field and without the best odds to win the tournament, Wyndham Clark was crowned champion at the 2023 edition of the U.S. Open. Clark entered the U.S. Open with only one victory under his belt, although he did have a number of T5 finishes as well.

Popular names that were chosen by online sports betting sites and considered U.S. Open betting favourites includes the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Smith and Matthew Fitzpatrick. The aforementioned men competed well at the tournament, but it would be Clark outlasting the field to win his first major tournament.

What type of player profile wins the US Open?

When wagering on the U.S. Open, there are some characteristics to look for!

Due to the tournament’s narrow fairways and unforgiving rough, you want a player that will dominate with accuracy. Being able to hit the fairway and avoid any obstacles will be key to winning the tournament.

This is coupled with the above, but the addition of strong iron play is another trait U.S. Open winners of the past have benefitted from. Because greens are not reachable off the tee (for the most part), being able to control iron shots will help remove strokes.

As well, the short game is king when it comes to U.S. Open tournaments. With the challenging lies, the ability to get up and down from impossible angles could be the difference maker in winning the U.S. Open.

Latest winners

Can researching the past help with the future? Looking at former and past winners, we can see which players have fared well at the U.S. Open. England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick won in 2022, with John Rahm winning in 2021. American’s Bryson DeChambeau (2020), Gary Woodland (2019), Brooks Koepka (2018, 2017), Dustin Johnson (2016) and Jordan Spieth (2015) kept the U.S. Open crown in the United States for 6 straight tournaments.

• 2022: Matthew Fitzpatrick
• 2021: John Rahm winning
• 2020: Bryson DeChambeau
• 2019: Gary Woodland
• 2017, 2018: Brooks Koepka
• 2016: Dustin Johnson
• 2015: Jordan Spieth

The Masters – Everyone knows The Masters. Competing and winning the green jacket is on the mind of every professional golfer. The prestige at Augusta is like no other. First played in 1934, The Masters is the first major of the season.  Featuring the smallest field of the major championships, there are no alternate or qualifying tournaments. As an invitational event, the top 50 players in the OWGR are all invited. From there, using special criteria, the rest of the field is built.

The U.S. Open – As of 2023, the U.S. Open features the largest purse of the four major tournaments. The tournament was first dominated by experienced Bristish players but has since been overtaken by American players. The U.S. Open is known for its deep rough, where one mishit could cost you a tournament.

The Open Championship – First played in 1860, the British Open is open to anyone – professional or amateur! However, your talents need to be fine-tuned as you need to qualify for the event. There are certain traditions at The Open, such as the event being held on a coastal links golf course. Qualifying was first introduced in 1907 and throughout most of its history, all players had to go through a qualification process. In modern times, the majority of players receive an exemption.

The PGA Championship – Originally starting as a match play event, the format changed to stroke play in 1958. Since then, we’ve seen some of the greats be crowned victors at this major. Typically played in the eastern half of the United States, the states of New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania have hosted 33 times in total. The season’s final major has seen an American win in 8 straight events. Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen have the most wins with 5 under their belt. The 2023 edition is set to take place at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York.