It’s regarded as the most difficult golf tournament on the planet, defined by long courses with lots of trouble areas and rough that rises above the ankles. Call it a bear, call it a monster, call it a slog—the U.S. Open has been all of that, as well as a showcase for those players who can overcome everything and hoist a large silver cup in the end.
That test arrives again this week, when the 122nd U.S. Open begins Thursday June 16 at The Country Club, a historic 7,264-yard layout in Brookline, Mass., outside Boston. The 156 players in the field will tee off on a course that’s hosted three previous U.S. Opens, although none since 1988. And as one of the biggest tournaments on the calendar, the U.S. Open attracts wagering attention from diehard golf punters and casual sports betting fans alike.
As a true “open,” the tournament reserved 67 spots for players who made it through two qualifying rounds, a number which this year includes several PGA Tour pros. The other 89 players get in via one of 20 different exemptions, which run the gamut from recent major champions and those in the top 60 in the World Golf Rankings to the top finishers on the Asian and South African tours.
USA sports betting sites and international betting sites set betting odds for the U.S. Open based on which players they think are more likely to win, with favorites carrying shorter odds and potentially smaller payouts, while long shots bring more favorable odds and the chance of bigger winnings. But odds can differ depending on the book, so it’s in a bettor’s best interest to shop around and find the most favorable odds and betting offers for the wager they want to make.
Here are the top contenders in this year’s U.S Open, featuring their odds to win:
Big events like the U.S Open brings lots of betting welcome offers for sports bettors in the form of that can add to your bankroll, remove some of the risk involved or enhance your chances of winning. Those promotions, often unlocked by betting promo codes that can be found at Bookmakers.com, can provide a deposit match bonus up to a certain amount, offer a free bet or even provide odds boosts that amp up your potential winnings.
Some online sports betting sites will even make available U.S. Open promos that provide free bet no deposit bonuses. Risk-free bets can be up to amounts like $1,000, while deposits may be matched 100% at monetary levels like $250. U.S. Open odds boosts can provide much more favorable odds even on popular wagers or pay out for additional places on an each-way bet. As always, it pays to shop around given that promos differ by website.
As you would expect at any golf major, bet365 are paying extra places on the US Open. They're paying out on 8 places before the first tee off on Thursday and have a great selection of price boosts available too.
BetVictor's standard 1/4 the odds, 5 places on the US Open might seem a little strange given the amount of extra places available at other betting sites. However, paying less each way places means their odds stand out, as they're very competitively priced on all of the contenders.
William Hill are paying 9 places on the US Open up until the tournament starts. They also have a selection of enhanced prices available, including McIlroy & Scheffler both to finish in the top 10 at 5/1.
On top of their excellent welcome offer for new customers, 888sport have extra each way places on the 2022 US Open. They're paying 8 places until the tournament begins.
Famous for their golf major promotion where they pay out if you lead after the first round, Betway are focusing on extra places in the US Open. All pre-tournament each way bets will be settled on 8 places. There's also a huge selection of their #betyourway bets available.
Golf has long been a favorite choice among sports bettors—it has worldwide appeal, a tremendous volume of regular tournaments and a pace that lends itself splendidly to live wagering. That all expands during major championships like the U.S. Open, which typically offer a more extensive selection of betting opportunities than your standard week-to-week events.
That span of options begins with the most straightforward, which is backing one player to win. But in a field of 156 participants, wining that “outright” wager is easier said than done, despite the tempting odds involved. Thankfully, major golf championships also offer several other wagers that provide bettors with better chances of cashing out.
In events like the U.S. Open, bettors can also wager on players to finish in the top five, top 10, top 20 or just to make or miss the cut following the tournament’s second round. Although the potential payoff drops as the scope of the wager gets larger, the chances of winning increase. Golf also offers an “each-way” wager, which splits the bet into one to win and another to finish within a specified number of players (usually the top five), covering the bettors in either case. This is the type of wager where free bets could come in handy.
Major championships like the U.S. Open also offer group betting options, in which you back a player to finish with the best score in a group of four or five players, either for the round or for the tournament. There are also “two-ball” and “three-ball” options, where bettors can pick someone to finish with the lowest score among a group of two or three players. The more players involved in the group bet, the better the potential payoff, and scores relative to the other players in the group are all that matter.
Also be on the lookout for markets based on age, country of origin or some other similar factor, which are commonly offered by sportsbooks during majors. It could be highest-finishing player from the United States, Great Britain, Spain or some other nation. It could be highest-finishing player over 50, the highest-finishing past champion or the top amateur.
And expect to find fun prop bets that have little to do with the tournament at large at some of the best golf betting sites. These include whether the winner will come from the final group on Sunday, and whether there will be a playoff (which last occurred at the U.S. Open in 2008). There will also likely be props specific to the course: will there be a hole-in-one at The Country Club’s notorious 220-yard par-3 second hole, a hole-in-one in the tournament at all or a double-eagle at one of the layout’s par-5? Those are the types of wagers usually only found during golf’s biggest events.
Once you’ve determined the type of wager you want to make, the next step is easy: head to Bookmakers.com, which scours the globe for the best legal and licensed online sports betting sites—most of which offer a wealth of markets on big events like the U.S. Open. Betting is as simple as exploring the various online platforms available, weighing offers and odds, then registering for an account and placing your bets. When registering you will likely be able to obtain a number of new customer betting offers.
Bets placed in the days prior to the tournament are known as “futures,” and in some cases they can provide more favorable odds depending on the player. Once the U.S. Open begins, the majority of the best golf betting sites offer in-play or live wagering, in which odds change based on the action unfolding on the course. Golf with its long lag time between shots is ideal for in-play betting, giving bettors several minutes to scrutinize odd changes and make smart bets.
Jon Rahm won the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, and he did it in dramatic fashion. The Spaniard birdied his final two holes to claim his first major title by one stroke over Louis Oosthuizen, who had a two-shot lead with eight holes remaining but went one-over par the rest of the way and opened the door for Rahm’s triumph.
It added another chapter to the U.S. Open’s notable history. There was Tom Watson, chipping in from deep rough at Pebble Beach’s 17th hole in 1982, the spark that lifted him over Jack Nicklaus. There was Johnny Miller, shooting the first 63 in major championship history on Sunday at Oakmont to win in 1973. There was Payne Stewart’s dramatic final-hole birdie to edge a young Phil Mickelson by a stroke at Pinehurst in 1999. There was Tiger Woods, dominating by 15 strokes at Pebble Beach in 2000, and then gutting out a 19-hole playoff on a badly injured knee to beat Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines in 2008.
But the U.S. Open can offer its share of surprises, too. This is, after all, is a tournament initially made famous by Francis Ouimet’s out-of-nowhere victory at Brookline in 1913. It’s where Geoff Ogilvy won at Winged Foot in 2006 after Phil Mickelson let a sure thing get away, where Mickelson bogeyed two of his final four holes to open the door for Lucas Glover at Bethpage Black in 2009 and where Michael Campbell rallied from four shots back to somehow hold off Woods at Pinehurst in 2005. All this makes the potentially for promotional offers from betting bonus codes all the more valuable if you can pluck a long-shot winner from nowhere.
In the United States, NBC holds the broadcast rights to the U.S. Open and will broadcast the tournament along with its sister station USA and streaming service Peacock. Thursday and Friday both begin with Peacock airing live coverage from 06:45-09:30 ET, with USA picking up coverage from 09:30-14:00, NBC following from 14:00-17:00 and Peacock closing it out from 19:00-20:00. Saturday, Peacock opens coverage from 10:00-12:00, with NBC following from 12:00-20:00. Sunday, Peacock airs the final round from 09:00-10:00, followed by USA from 10:00-12:00, followed by NBC from 12:00-19:00.
In addition, the U.S. Golf Association will offer streaming options on all four days at usopen.com and on the U.S. Open app, making available featured groups (beginning at 07:45 Thursday and Friday, 11:00 Saturday and 10:00 Sunday), featured holes (beginning 09:00 each day) and radio coverage (beginning 8:00 on Thursday and Friday and 10:00 Saturday and Sunday). While live streams not associated with broadcast partners can be hard to find for major golf events, check your favorite sports betting sites or streaming services to see what might be offered.
In Great Britain, the U.S. Open will be televised by Sky Sports. In Canada, the tournament will be broadcast by TSN, with additional coverage at TSN.ca and on the TSN app. In Australia, the U.S. Open will be available through Kayo and Foxtel.