Golf’s elite will assemble at Pinehurst in North Carolina for the US Open and Scottie Scheffler is the hot favourite to capture the third Major of the year.
The world number one claimed the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village last week and the Masters champion looks set to take all the beating.
Rory McIlroy and recently crowned US PGA champion Xander Schauffele come next in the betting at 12/1 before battle commences on a tough course where accuracy and top-quality iron play tend to be of great importance.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £30 in free bets* (app only)
Scheffler look in unstoppable form
Not since Tiger Woods was at the height of his powers has a golfer dominated the game as much as Scottie Scheffler is right now and it is impossible to ignore his claims for a third Major title at Pinehurst this week.
The world number one held his nerve to claim a one-shot victory in last week’s Memorial in a tournament where only 11 players finished under par, and that was a great prep run for the demands he will face this week.
The calm Texan has already claimed five tournament successes since the beginning of March, including the Players Championship and the Masters, and his former weakness on the greens looks to have been ironed out.
The quality of his tee-to-green play is second to none and, even though there does not seem to be much juice in the price available on him this week, he still offers good value to add another big prize to his collection.
Pinehurst test should suit Morikawa
No one pushed Scheffler closer at Muirfield Village than Collin Morikawa and the two-time Major winner should be confident he can get right in the mix again this week.
He has been knocking on the door for weeks having finished third at the Masters and also fourth at the US PGA, and this is a course that will suit his skillset.
His iron play is superb and this is one week where his lack of great distance off the tee should not be a handicap.
Bezuidenhout can put up another bold show
A player to keep an eye on further down the list is South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
The Pinehurst layout should suit his dogged style and he has had plenty to be pleased about lately, having failed to finish in the top 30 in just one of his last nine events.
His fourth at Memorial will have been a big confidence boost and two successive 13th spots at tough Sawgrass in the Players Championship are also a cause for encouragement, so he looks a strong bet to finish in the top ten.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £30 in free bets* (app only)
*18+ New customers only. Opt in via app & bet £10 on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 3x £10 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
