2011 U.S. Open Betting Preview- Congressional Country Club
The 2011 US Open kicks-off this Thursday morning with the start of the first of four rounds from Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. This second Major of the season is often thought of as the most difficult and demanding test of the four. The USGA, which runs this event, is notorious for setting up the course so even par would be considered a good score. The fairways are trimmed tight and surrounded by deep rough and the greens are cut and rolled to remain lightning-fast no matter what the weather conditions are. These factors combine to put a premium on both distance and accuracy as well as a perfect putting stroke to have any chance to win this event.
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Tiger Woods has been the perennial odds-on-favorite for the US Open over the past decade or so, but with him out of the tournament this season due to a leg injury, that honor this year goes to Lee Westwood at 11/1. Westwood is the No.2 ranked player in the world and quickly comes to minds as one of the best, if not the best golfer today to have never won a Major. Hailing from England, he plays primarily on the European Tour, but has appeared in six US events so far this year. Westwood recorded an 11th-place finish in both the Masters in April and the St. Jude Classic this past week. His best effort in this event was a third-place finish at Torrey Pines in 2008.
Luke Donald, another Englishman and the No.1 ranked player in the world will be paired with Westwood for the first two rounds; He is the second favorite to win this week at 14/1. He also spends the majority off his time on the European Tour but has played in nine events in the U.S. this season. Donald started the year off on a strong note with a victory in the Accenture Match Play Championship. He also finished fourth in this year’s Masters and Players Championship and was runner-up in The Heritage. His best career finish in a US Open was a tie for 12th at Winged Foot in 2006. He is listed dead even with Westwood in Bovada’s head-to- head odds between the two at -115 each.
The third favorite to finally break through a string of five second-place finishes at the US Open is Phil Mickelson at 14/1. He is currently ranked fifth in the world and eighth on the PGA Tour’s money list. He won the Shell Houston Open earlier this year, but finished a disappointing 27th in the Masters and ended- up 33rd in the Players Championship. Mickelson remains a legitimate threat to win every time a Major rolls around and still has the utmost determination in this one after suffering so many close-calls. The last time he seriously contended for a US Open title was in 2009 at Bethpage, when he finished second.
Rory McIlroy is back on the Major horse as the fourth favorite this week at 16/1. The Northern Ireland product is looking to bounce back from a final round meltdown on the second nine at Augusta after leading the Masters for the first three rounds. Youth is still very much on the side of this 21-year old phenon, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the spotlight if he is high on the leader board this time around.
The third member of Westwood and Donald’s threesome for the first two rounds is the third-ranked player in the world, Martin Kaymer. The German won his first career Major in last year’s PGA Championship. He started off this season with a loss to Donald in the finals of the Accenture Match Play Championship, but recent form is not in his favor after failing to make the cut at the Masters and finishing 19th in the Players Championship. This is obviously reflected in his odds at 25/1 to win this week.
Finally, you cannot forget about last year’s US Open winner at Pebble Beach, Graeme McDowell. Another product of Northern Ireland, he is currently listed at 45/1 to repeat as champion this year. This is partially due to his current form which includes three missed cuts in his last five U.S. events including the Masters and a 33rd-place finish in the Players Championship. Also, given the fact the last time someone won back-to-back US Open titles was Curtis Strange in 1988 and 1989, it is hard to draw a ton of confidence that McDowell has what it takes to match this feat.
US Open Betting Lines:
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