Which Jordan Spieth will we see at the U.S. Open? Flickr
Which Jordan Spieth will we see at the U.S. Open? Flickr

There’s a lot of golf to be played before the next major, but there’s no reason not to take a quick peek at the best bets for June’s U.S. Open.

Oddsmakers and the betting public are placing their hope in a familiar face, despite the massive collapse at the Masters.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth is the odds-on favorite to repeat at this year’s tournament at Oakmont Country Club. Spieth is going off at +550, followed closely by Rory McIlroy at +600.

It’s interesting to see McIlroy at such high odds considering he hasn’t been the factor in these tournaments recently. One of his biggest issues his accuracy with his driver.

He ranks 109th on the PGA Tour in fairways hit from the tee, going for a 59.89 percent mark. Meanwhile, Spieth his hitting almost 65 percent of fairways.

That’s important at the U.S. Open, where missing the fairway becomes a critical mistake. The biggest question mark with Spieth is how he can come back from the disaster at the Masters.

Past history tells us we can expect a multitude of different responses. McIlroy had a similar collapse at a Masters and came back to pound the competition at the U.S. Open. We’ve also seen it work in the reverse, with golfers continually finding trouble on the final day, similar to Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson earlier in his career.

Spieth is the best bet for my money heading into the next major, even with several golfers behind him capable of making a run at the title. Dustin Johnson is an interesting gamble at +1600, thanks to his performance at last year’s Open. He also collapsed and missed a short putt to give Spieth the title.

He hits the ball long, which can help in the U.S. Open that tends to favor the big hitters. However, can he putt well enough to stay in contention throughout the four-day tournament?

Other notable golfers with solid odds are Jason Day at +800, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott at +1600, and Mickelson at +2500.

Mickelson also offers some intrigue, thanks to his unique ability to navigate the terrain at the U.S. Open well throughout his career. He’s finished second in the U.S. Open five times, with his last runner-up in 2013.

If you’re looking for out-of-nowhere value, check out J.B. Holmes at +8000. He hammers the ball, ranking third on the Tour in driving distance at 310 yards per drive, and he tallies a solid number of birdies in a round, which is necessary to offset bogeys at the U.S. Open.

If he can putt, which is a big IF, hence the big odds, he could compete.

Also included in the long-shots is Masters champion Danny Willett. Oddsmakers have him listed at +3000, which is a far better number than when he played the Masters at +7000.

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