2023 US Open Preview, Picks & Analysis

WITH the world of golf still reeling from the announcement of a merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf, the sport can enjoy a welcome distraction this week.

The US Open is surely the most brutal of golf’s four majors. It is fair to say that the USGA, who run the tournament, do not like to see the world’s best golfers making birdies for fun. In fact, the word “fun” is anathema to the organisers.

There are those who are not fans of the US Open but most purists love it, and I include myself among that number.

Matt Fitzpatrick will defend his title at Los Angeles Country Club, which is hosting the event for the first time.

• Tournament Winners
• Form Guide
• The Course
• Picks to Win
• Players to Watch
• TV Guide

And there are some things he can be absolutely certain of. The fairways will be relatively narrow, the rough will be thick, the greens will be like glass and patience will be the key to doing well in the season’s third major.

In other words, it is a course and conditions that will suit Fitzpatrick down to the ground. But the odds are against him. The only players to successfully defend the title in the modern era are Brooks Koepka (2017 and 2018) and Curtis Strange (1988 and 1989). It proved to be beyond Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Tom Watson, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer couldn’t manage it either.

But the Englishman just might have the game to defy the odds. He won the RBC Heritage earlier this season on a course where pinpoint accuracy is a must. Fitzpatrick is now sneaky long. He is also a wonderful iron player and one of the best putters in the game.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Koepka may have something to say about the outcome too. The American has now won five majors after his success at the US PGA Championship. He also finished joint second at The Masters in April. 

Koepka is, of course, now plying his trade with LIV Golf. He has struggled horribly with injuries in recent times and it seems clear that he is benefitting from the reduced LIV playing schedule. He has recovered from serious knee surgery and is once again demonstrating the form that took him to the top of the world rankings.

Jon Rahm won The Masters but had a week to forget at the US PGA.

It is worth stepping back and looking at what the Spaniard has achieved on the PGA Tour. He has made 147 starts and missed just 14 cuts. His level of consistency is mind-boggling. Rahm has won 11 times on the PGA Tour, finished runner-up nine times, third on 10 occasions, in the top five 46 times and in the top 10 on 71 occasions. It is a mind-boggling level of consistency.

This year there have already been four wins - the Tournament of Champions, American Express, Genesis Invitational and Masters - and he is involved in a yo-yo battle with Scottie Scheffler for the top spot in the world rankings.

Scheffler won The Masters in 2022 during what was a stellar year and he desperately wants a second major. He came close to doing so in finishing second to Koepka at the US PGA. He won the Phoenix Open and The Players Championship and has yet to miss a cut this season. His worst finish was a tie for 45th at the CJ Cup way back in October.

While Rahm tends to rage when the breaks go against him, Scheffler takes everything in his stride. In fact, his temperament may be the strongest club in his bag. If you were drawing up a photofit for a potential US Open champion you would end up with Scheffler or Koepka.

Viktor Hovland may provide the best chance for a European winner. Like Scheffler, he has yet to miss a cut this season. He won the Hero World Challenge, a limited field event, in December, and finished tied third at the Players Championship, tied seventh at The Masters and tied second at the US PGA. And then he won The Memorial, beating a world-class field at Muirfield Village.

Hovland hits lots of fairways and finds plenty of greens in regulation. There is a perception that his short game is a weakness but that is nonsense. He plays tough courses really well and has that happy knack of being able to bring his best game to the biggest tournaments.

The same applies to Cameron Young, last season’s rookie of the year. The 26-year-old has yet to land his maiden PGA Tour title and misses the cut around 25% of the time. But he is a big-time player. He was second at The Open at St Andrews last year and tied third at the US PGA. He has finished second six times but is most certainly a major champion in waiting.

Tournament Winners

It was won in 2015 by Jordan Spieth, in 2016 by Dustin Johnson, in 2017 and 2018 by Brooks Koepka, in 2019 by Gary Woodland, in 2020 by Bryson DeChambeau, in 2021 by Jon Rahm and last year by Matt Fitzpatrick.

Form Guide

Jon Rahm (12/1) and Scottie Scheffler (8.5/1) are having their own private battle for the top spot in the world rankings, winning tournaments for fun and contending almost every time they tee it up. Naturally they are both among the favourites on Betway. Why should this week be any different?

The Course

Los Angeles Country Club's North Course hosts a major for the first time. It was first established in 1911 but redesigned by Herbert Fowler in 1921 and six years later by George C Thomas and William Bell. A major redesign took place at the hands of Gil Hanse. It features hills, ridges, swales and valleys. It is a par 71 measuring 7,236 yards.

To Win:

Viktor Hovland. Won The Memorial on a brutal course (17/1)

Each Way:

Scottie Scheffler. Game is made for the US Open (8.5/1)

Each Way:

Jon Rahm. Needs to show some patience (12/1)

Five to Follow:

Viktor Hovland. Fabulous temperament (17/1)

Scottie Scheffler. Has no weaknesses (8.5/1)

Jon Rahm. Enjoying an incredible season (12/1)

Rory McIlroy. Likely to be there or thereabouts (13/1)

Patrick Cantlay. Has the patience to win here (19/1)

Five Outsiders to Watch

Rickie Fowler. Could be a real contender (67/1)

Victor Perez. Has a wonderful short game (151/1)

Ryan Fox. Big hitter (126/1)

Denny McCarthy. Grinding out top-10 finishes (151/1)

Wilco Nienaber. Nobody hits it further (401/1)

TV Guide:

Thursday, June 15, first round, Sky Sports Golf, 3pm

Friday, June 16, second round, Sky Sports Golf, 3pm

Saturday, June 17, third round, Sky Sports Golf, 6pm

Sunday, June 18, final round, Sky Sports Golf, 5.30pm

This US Open Preview was written in collaboration with Betway