Xander Schauffele finally captured his elusive first major at Valhalla Golf Club during the PGA Championship. He will be among those looking to pick up another major win at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course for the 2024 U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open is notorious for being the toughest major played in America. The winning score is sometimes an over-par number, and the USGA will do everything in its power to make the course a difficult test for players.

Schauffele will be ready for that test, as he has been one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour this year. Scottie Scheffler will also be in the mix, as he has won five of his past eight events with his worst finish coming at the PGA Championship — an event at which he was arrested while trying to get to the golf course.

Scheffler figures to occupy a better headspace this tournament, and that could launch him back into contention. Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa are among the PGA Tour’s other top talents who might be able to tame Pinehurst.

As far as LIV Golfers are concerned, Jon Rahm may not be the best bet to win this week. He’s dealing with a foot infection that could ultimately keep him out of action. That will leave Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Cameron Smith as the top LIV players in the field.

As usual, longer hitters will have an advantage at this major course. Pinehurst also puts a premium on accuracy, as it has sandy, shrubby roughs and a whopping 117 bunkers that players must avoid.

How exactly do the players in the 2024 U.S. Open stack up against one another? Sporting News ranked the 30 top golfers participating in the tournament and broke down their chances of winning.

MORE: Who will win the U.S. Open in 2024?

Ranking the U.S. Open field 2024

The U.S. Open will be played in Pinehurst, N.C. at the Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 golf course. Pinehurst No. 2 is consistently rated as one of the best and toughest courses in the country, making it an ideal choice to host the U.S. Open.

Pinehurst No. 2 was originally designed by former golfer and course architect Donald J. Ross. It has been renovated twice — most recently in 2010 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw — and currently plays to a length of 7,540 yards. The course is typically a par-72 layout, but it will be a par-70 layout for the 2024 U.S. Open, as two Par-5 holes have been converted into Par 4s for the tournament.

Naturally, the length of Pinehurst will make bettors gravitate toward the tour’s best drivers and ball strikers. That will make strokes gained off the tee (SG:OTT) particularly important to monitor, as those who consistently hit the fairway and get distance will have an advantage on this course.

Accuracy and shot control will also be important, as Pinehurst doesn’t have typical rough lining its sides. Instead, it has dry, sandy patches dotted with collections of native plants that create uniquely difficult shots for those who miss the fairway. That means driving accuracy and good drive percentage will be stats worth watching.

As always, strokes gained on approach (SG:APP) will be critical, as players who consistently hit greens in regulation (GIR) will have an advantage over those who have to scramble or make sand saves on a course with 117 bunkers. That will make sand save percentage almost as important as strokes gained around the green (SG:ARG) given the prevalence of those bunkers.

Finally, it’s always important to keep an eye on strokes gained putting (SG:Putting). Players who enter majors doing well with the short stick tend to have a better chance to compete on tough golf courses than those struggling on the green. That often is the make-or-break difference between a major winner and a top-10 finisher.

Below is a breakdown of Sporting News’ top 30 golfers participating in the 2024 U.S. Open. All odds to win the event are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

1. Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler is on the mother of all heaters during the 2024 PGA Tour season and enters the U.S. Open coming off a win at The Memorial Tournament. He has won five of his last eight starts and can join Tiger Woods and Nick Price as the only men to win six-plus times in a PGA Tour season.

Scheffler’s ability to tame The Memorial Tournament’s tough, Jack Nicklaus-designed course and emerge as a near wire-to-wire winner should inspire confidence. Pinehurst is a different challenge than Muirfield Village — Pinehurst relies more on sand than water to create issues for golfers — but Scheffler’s top-ranked tee-to-green game will play on any course.

As long as Scheffler ranks No. 1 in SG:APP and continues to improve his SG:Putting marks (now 71st on tour), he should be considered a top-10 lock at minimum. He hasn’t finished worse than a tie for 17th this season, so there is no reason to be apprehensive about backing him on any course.

MORE: Louisville police release video detailing Scottie Scheffler’s arrest

2. Xander Schauffele

Can Schauffele win his first two majors back-to-back? It’s a tall task, but the World No. 2 golfer has enjoyed a hot streak over his past seven starts, earning six top-10 finishes and winning his first major by a stroke at the PGA Championship.

Scheffler’s performance has overshadowed Schauffele’s, but Xander doesn’t have a weakness in his game. He ranks second on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained behind only Scheffler, and the 30-year-old golfer’s strong performance is buoyed by his top-10 mark in SG:OTT and SG:APP.

Given how important shot control will be at Pinehurst, backing Schauffele again seems like a good proposition. There are few ball-strikers better than him in the field this week.

3. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy hasn’t won a major in nearly a decade. The 2024 U.S. Open represents his penultimate chance to avoid a 10-year major drought, and his status as the longest driver in the field — and second-longest on tour behind only Cameron Champ — should put him in play for a victory at Pinehurst.

The rest of McIlroy’s game is well-rounded enough to match his driving distance, but improving upon his merely solid GIR percentage of 66.08 (66th on tour) would go a long way toward keeping him atop the leaderboard. He ranks just 66th in SG:ARG — easily his worst strokes gained category — so, as always, staying accurate will be the key to Rory finally breaking through with another major win.

MORE: Rory McIlroy & Erica Stoll timeline, from dating to wedding to divorce

4. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa had an up-and-down start to his PGA Tour season but has sustained a high level of play since the Masters. He has five top-10 finishes in six events since Augusta and has finished no worse than tied for 16th in any of his starts.

Morikawa ranks No. 1 in driving accuracy thanks to his consistent, power fade and his shot control should help him avoid bouncing too far off Pinehurst’s fast fairways and firm greens. Morikawa’s putter remains his weakest spot, but he has trended up with that club during his hot streak and raised his SG:Putting mark to 96th on tour. Comparatively, he ranked 164th on tour entering the Masters.

If you’re avoiding the top-three golfers this week in search of a little more value, Morikawa can provide you with that. He has a chance to win at Pinehurst and he seems poised to earn his first win of 2024 soon either way.

5. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau is the LIV Golfer you want to back this week. He hasn’t fared particularly well on the LIV circuit this year, but he finished second at the PGA Championship and tied for sixth at the Masters. He seems to be turning into a big game hunter and his elite driving distance will help him shorten Pinehurst in a way few other golfers can.

Data Golf estimates DeChambeu has gained 2.19 strokes over his last 20 rounds. That’s the best among LIV Golfers, and it ranks sixth overall among PGA Tour players behind only Scheffler, Schauffele, McIlroy, Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg. Don’t be afraid to back him at Pinehurst even though he’s without an LIV Golf top 10 finish since early April.

6. Viktor Hovland

Hovland started the PGA Tour season slowly, playing in just six events before missing the cut at the Masters. He was tinkering with his swing, which may have caused the reigning FedEx Cup champion to struggle more out of the gate than most anticipated.

In recent weeks, Hovland has started to look more like himself, finishing third at the PGA Championship and finishing in the top 24 in each of his past three starts. Hovland ranks 10th in SG:OTT and 28th in SG:APP, giving him a high ceiling on this course. His floor is low, however, as his 173rd-ranked SG:ARG game puts heavy reliance on his approach game to carry him on difficult courses.

7. Brooks Koepka

Koepka can never be counted out at majors, but he hasn’t peaked quite as much at the Masters and PGA Championship as he has in seasons past. He finished tied for 45th and tied for 26th at the events, so he will seek to improve upon that at Pinehurst.

That may not be easy for Koepka, who seems to be plateauing with a mark of 0.84 true strokes gained over his last 20 rounds, per Data Golf, which ranks 14th on LIV Golf’s tour and much lower when combined with the PGA Tour’s numbers. Still, he has the well-rounded game with the power and accuracy needed to play well at the U.S. Open, so he can’t be counted out.

MORE: Breaking down Brooks Koepka’s history at majors

8. Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama’s hasn’t finished better than 35th at a major this season but in five, non-major events since The Genesis Invitational, he has five top-12 finishes and a win (which came at the Genesis). The 32-year-old could finally break through at the U.S. Open, especially if he is feeling better after dealing with a nagging back injury that forced him to pull out of some events.

Matsuyama ranks third on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee-to-green (SG:T2G) and is No. 1 in SG:ARG. With even an average putter, Matsuyama would be a contender each week; he ranks just 133rd in SG:Putting, so he will need to get hot with the short stick to emerge victoriously.

We’ve seen Matsuyama do that before. That makes trusting him on a course where around-the-green play could make or break a player’s day easier to do. 

9. Wyndham Clark

Clark won the U.S. Open last year. Can he repeat as champion? If he regains his early-season form, it’s possible. However, Clark has missed the cut at three of his past five events. That includes the Masters and PGA Championship, so backing Clark won’t be for the faint of heart.

Still, Clark shot a 60 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and finished second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in February and March respectively. We’ve seen him go head-to-head with Scheffler, and he can get hot in an instant thanks to his power off the tee (17th in SG:OTT) and putting prowess (27th in SG:Putting).

The big question with Clark is his approach game, as he ranks just a slightly above average 73rd in SG:APP. He would be a more compelling bet were he better around the green (92nd in SG:ARG) but, as it stands, he’s a fringe top-10 guy who is a true boom-or-bust candidate.

10. Ludvig Aberg

Aberg seems primed to break through eventually, but he is nursing a knee injury that seems to be impacting him ever so slightly. He has a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, and while he is playing through it, it could eventually hinder him from competing.

It hasn’t so far. Aberg has top-10 finishes in three of his past four starts. That includes a solo second-place at the Masters. That said, he also missed the cut at the PGA Championship in that window, so his performance may be tied to how well his knee holds up rather than his usual combination of power and accuracy on his first two shots.

11. Jon Rahm

It’s hard to trust Rahm at the U.S. Open this year. He’s a talented ball striker whose length and well-rounded skill set would normally make him a top-five play at Pinehurst, but his recent form and injury issues are concerning.

Regarding the injury, Rahm withdrew from LIV Golf Houston because of an infected cut on his foot. That could prevent him from participating in the U.S. Open, but if he tries to play, he may be at less than 100 percent. Any amount of walking could also aggravate the wound, so it’s hard to trust he would make it through all 72 holes.

If that wasn’t enough, Rahm didn’t fare well at the Masters, where he finished 45th, or the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut, so he was already a slightly risky option to back. He has a lot of top-10 finishes on the LIV Tour, but he hasn’t won yet.

As such, it’s hard to imagine backing Rahm on such a difficult course while he’s not at his best. It’s probably better to avoid him and see if he can get back on track for the Open Championships in July.

12. Cameron Smith

Smith’s recent results — tied for 63rd at the PGA Championship and tied for 48th at LIV Golf Houston — may not look impressive, but he has averaged 1.36 true strokes gained over his last 20 rounds, per Data Golf. That makes him primed to break out eventually, as we saw flashes of during his tie for second at LIV Golf Singapore.

Smith is great on and around the green, so his combination of those skills will give him a leg up if he can remain accurate off the tee and set himself up with high-quality looks on approach.

13. Justin Thomas

Thomas earned a top 10 at the PGA Championship and is one of the tour’s best on approach (seventh in SG:APP) and around the green (10th in SG:ARG). That makes him a nice fit for this course, especially considering his rank of 38th overall in total driving, which measures distance and accuracy.

The issue with Thomas? He has struggled immensely at times with his putter, as he ranks 159th in SG:Putting among 178 qualified PGA Tour golfers. If he has even one bad day putting, that could prevent him from winning, but he should still have an outside shot at the top 10 given his strength in other areas.

14. Tony Finau

Much like Thomas, Finau struggles with his putter but does most everything else well. Below, you can see exactly how the two stack up across key strokes-gained categories.

Thomas and Finau even rank 22nd and 24th in driving distance, respectively. Each can bomb it, but their measured approaches could be exactly what is needed to take advantage of Pinehurst. If Finau can control his shot — which was the ultimate goal of his decision to take some speed off his tee shots — that should help him remain in the mix at the U.S. Open.  

15. Sahith Theegala

Theegala is having a roller-coaster season during which he seems to perform well one week and fall flat the next. Need proof? Here’s a look at his results dating back to the Masters:

Granted, Theegala has often been consistent from round to round at each tournament — with the lone exception being his swing from a second-round 65 to a third-round 82 at the Wells Fargo — but suffice it to say, his performance varies wildly from week to week.

If Theegala keeps to his pattern, he may not have a great U.S. Open. Still, he ranks top-22 in SG:OTT, SG:APP, and SG:Putting, so if he can hit the green in regulation consistently, he should work his way into the top 20 for this tournament.

16. Corey Conners

Conners may not seem like your typical major contender, but he’s as steady as they come. He hasn’t missed a cut in 15 starts and has nine top-30 finishes. He hasn’t won this year and has just one top-10 finish, which came at the Canadian Open, but he seems to be in good form now, having finished 26th or better in four straight starts.

Conners ranks second on the tour in SG:APP behind only Scottie Scheffler. His top-10 tee-to-green skills should allow him to continue his made-cuts streak, and he profiles as a top-20 candidate at the U.S. Open. He will need to do better on and around the green to win, but perhaps he can heat up in at least one area while maintaining his tee-to-green strength.

That could be enough to shape Conners into a contender and make him a valuable sleeper at Pinehurst.

17. Shane Lowry

Lowry has the accuracy needed to make an impact at the U.S. Open. He ranks 16th in SG:T2G and ranks as the third most accurate driver on the PGA Tour, so he should be able to avoid trouble at Pinehurst if he’s at his best.

Lowry’s issues this year have been with the putter though, which could cap his ceiling. He ranks 125th in SG:Putting, and that’s part of the reason he has just four top-20 finishes despite making the cut in 11 of his 12 PGA Tour starts this year.

Eventually, Lowry should heat up again with the putter, and at a minimum, his accuracy should put him in contention for a top-20 finish at a tricky course.

18. Russell Henley

Henley is one of the best sleeper options to win the 2024 U.S. Open. The uber-accurate ball striker is in good form, having made six straight cuts and logging three top-12 finishes in those events. He finished tied for 38th at the Masters and tied for 23rd at the PGA Championship, so he has shown an ability to handle major courses with solid results.

The length of Pinehurst will test Henley, who ranks 166th in driving distance, but he ranks 36th or better in SG:APP, SG:ARG, and SG:Putting. As long as he can continue to be accurate — he ranks fifth overall in driving accuracy — Henley should be able to stay within striking distance. There aren’t many golfers with 80-1 odds with as good of a chance as Henley to compete for a spot in the top 10.

19. Sam Burns

Burns had a bit of a midseason lull around the Masters as he awaited the birth of his son, but he’s been back on track in recent weeks. He has logged top-15 finishes at three of his past four starts with his lone missed cut coming in the PGA Championship.

Burns missing the cut at the first two majors of the season may not inspire much confidence, but he ranks 23rd in total strokes gained, so he’s steady enough to battle for a top-20 finish. He may not fully work his way into the championship mix without seeing his 60th-ranked approach game improve, but he’s still worth considering as a decent value pick.

20. Tyrrell Hatton

Hatton remains in good form despite a disappointing finish at the PGA Championship. He is averaging 1.54 true strokes gained over his past 20 rounds of golf, which is helping him to return to the excellent form he demonstrated on the PGA Tour last year.

Hatton hasn’t finished better than a tie for 21st at the U.S. Open since 2019, so expecting him to win outright may not be in the cards. Can he break into the top 20 at major for the fourth time in his past six majors? That’s a far more reasonable ask.

21. Matt Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Open in 2022, so we know he can handle the tough courses like Pinehurst. He also finished tied for fifth at The Memorial Tournament and was one of just 11 golfers under par for the event.

The key for Fitzpatrick will be hitting good iron shots to challenge the leaders of the pack. He was once one of the best approach players in the field but has been less consistent with his clubs in 2024. Perhaps his recent performance at Muirfield Village will inspire him to return to the form he showcased in his dominant 2022 display.

22. Max Homa

Homa has enjoyed a solid PGA Tour season, including a tie for third place at the Masters and two other top-10 finishes at signature events. Why does the World No. 10 golfer check in at 22 in these field rankings? It’s all about his off-the-tee and on-the-green abilities.

Homa ranks just 125th in SG:OTT because he is merely average in both driving distance and driving accuracy. That puts him either out of position or further back than other players in the field, so that can put him behind the 8-ball on certain courses. Add in that Homa ranks just 79th in SG:Putting, and it’s hard to find ways for him to win consistently.

That said, if Homa can either remain accurate or putt well any given week, he can work his way into contention. He may have some issues, but never count a talented golfer like him completely out of it.

23. Keegan Bradley

Since missing the cut at the Valspar Championship, Bradley has made six consecutive cuts and performed well. He has three top-22 finishes and finished tied for second at the Charles Schwab Challenge at the end of May.

Bradley’s weakest asset this season has been his 122nd-ranked putting, but his recent performance indicates he could have a solid showing at Pinehurst. He remains a solid tee-to-green player, and his accuracy should come in handy on the sandy course.

24. Jordan Spieth

Spieth is one of the best golfers in the world when things are clicking, but things haven’t quite come together in 2024. He has made just nine-of-15 cuts this season — he missed five cuts and was disqualified from The Genesis Invitational — and hasn’t logged a top-10 finish since the Texas Open in early April.

Spieth’s biggest issue is that his approach game has been below average. He ranks just 126th in SG:APP, and until he can start hitting greens in regulation consistently, it will be hard to trust him. Perhaps a top-20 bet could be in the cards for those who believe in Spieth, but that is no gimme for an erratic player at a difficult course.

25. Alex Noren

Noren is the best bet among the 100-1 sleepers to take home a major title. The 41-year-old Swede ranks fourth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained and is a particularly good scrambler, ranking ninth overall in SG:ARG. He has missed just one cut and hasn’t finished 26th or better in 11 of the 13 events where he has made the cut.

Perhaps Noren’s below-average driving distance will hurt him at Pinehurst, but his tie for 12th at the PGA Championship showcased that he can handle longer courses. Feel free to bet him if you’re looking for an entertaining long shot.

26. Tommy Fleetwood

Usually, Fleetwood is noted for his accuracy and putting prowess, but this year, the middle portion of his game just hasn’t been there. Despite ranking third in driving accuracy, “Fairway Jesus” ranks shockingly low in SG:APP with a mark of just 131st overall.

That may prevent him from contending at Pinehurst, though he has made the cut in eight straight events with two top-10 finishes mixed in.

27. Cameron Young

The good news: Young has a good tee-to-green game, ranking 42nd in SG:T2G, so he always has a chance to shorten courses a compete thanks to that.

The bad news: Young ranks 135th in SG:ARG and 113th in SG:Putting, so once he gets near or on the green, things aren’t easy for him.

Young has finished no better than tied for 34th in his past five events and missed the cut at the Canadian Open during that time. That said, he finished ninth at the Masters, so there remains a chance he could get back on track even at a difficult course. It just might not be overly likely.

28. Aaron Rai

Among the mega long shots, Rai is a worthwhile dart throw. He has two top-10 finishes this season at the Houston Open and CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and he ranks 12th overall in strokes gained. That includes a ranking of eighth overall in SG:T2G.

Why, then, is Rai such a long shot? The 29-year-old has never won on the PGA Tour and ranks 132nd in SG:Putting, so he might lack the finishing ability needed to earn a major victory, at least at this stage in his career.

Still, you could do worse than Rai as a mega sleeper. At the very least, betting him to make the cut should be in consideration — and a top-40 bet could even be in the cards.

29. Si Woo Kim

Kim’s game is very similar to Rai’s. The 28-year-old ranks fourth overall in SG:T2G but struggles on the green, ranking just 162nd overall in SG:Putting.

The major difference? Kim has four wins to his credit on the PGA Tour. He also has eight top-20 finishes this season, so he can perform well any week. He could be a solid long shot to trust, though his putter may put a damper on his chances of making a top-10 run.

30. Dustin Johnson

Johnson is mired in a slump and is averaging just 0.14 true strokes gained per round, according to Data Golf. That makes it hard to trust him at the U.S. Open, especially considering that he missed the cut at the Masters and finished in just 43rd place at an easier PGA Championship venue.

That said, Johnson finished fourth at the 2014 U.S. Open which was held at Pinehurst. Perhaps he can recapture some of that magic and push for a top-30 finish. All told, though, it’s best not to expect too much from DJ this week.

Honorable mention: Tiger Woods

Yes, Tiger is in the field for the U.S. Open and is looking to play the full, four-day tournament. Still, backing him doesn’t seem like a great move.

Woods has played in three events this year. In the first two, he withdrew from The Genesis Invitational in the second round and shot his worse score to par over a 72-hole tournament at the Masters. His most recent start saw him miss the cut at the PGA Championship, shooting a 7-over despite it being played at the easier Valhalla Golf Club.

Woods simply isn’t the player he once was, as he lacks the stamina, power, and consistency needed to succeed in majors. His presence still provides a boost for those majors, but unless Tiger has one last surprise up his sleeve, it seems more likely he will be fighting to make the cut than to contend for a title.

Honorable mention: Phil Mickelson

Mickelson has a bit more in the tank than Woods, as he’s been able to play more, who has been dogged by injury issues related to his February 2021 car accident that nearly cost him his life.

Still, Mickelson doesn’t seem like a serious contender either. He has finished no better than tied for 22nd in his past seven events dating back to March and he also failed to make the cut at the PGA Championship.

Mickelson may be able to get near the top of the leaderboard briefly at Pinehurst, but expecting him to do much more wouldn’t be wise. After all, he hasn’t won a U.S. Open yet. Why should we expect him to break that decades-long streak now?

Full U.S. Open field 2024

Below is a look at all of the golfers participating in the U.S. Open, listed alphabetically by first name.