U.S. Open: SB Nation workers predicts winners for Pinehurst No. 2

The U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst No. 2 for the primary time since 2014, when Martin Kaymer obliterated the sphere en path to his second main title. The German gained by eight strokes that 12 months, as solely three gamers completed under-par for the week.

This golf course doesn’t characteristic the gnarly, deep, and luscious tough that normally characterizes a U.S. Open. As a substitute, sandy waste areas with crabgrass line Pinehurst’s fairways, thus reminding all who play it that they’re within the coronary heart of the Carolinas.

However what makes Pinehurst No. 2 so difficult are its placing surfaces.

“The greens are simply treacherous. They’re all turtleback,” defined former PGA Tour professional turned Golf Channel broadcaster Peter Jacobsen to Taking part in By means of.

“You must purpose for the center of the greens once you play Pinehurst No. 2 and hope it stays on the inexperienced. It’s a wide-open course off the tee. It’s not a precision driving course however an exacting iron method course.”

Photograph by David Cannon/Getty Photos

With this in thoughts, we like gamers with cast-iron play and artful brief video games to do nicely on the 2024 U.S. Open. So let’s get to our Employees Picks, with Matt Warren from SB Nation’s NFL website filling in as our visitor picker for the third main of the 12 months:

Jack Milko — Employees Author, Golf

In my three daring predictions, I famous that a global participant will win the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 for the third straight time.

As such, I’m going with Ludvig Åberg to win his first main championship on considered one of golf’s hallowed grounds.

The sweet-swinging Swedish phenom is an outstanding ball striker, a necessity for this course. He ranks third on the PGA Tour in proximity to the opening, a statistic that demonstrates his beautiful accuracy. He additionally finds loads of greens, doing so at roughly a 69% clip, good for twentieth on tour.

However his brief sport additionally impresses me. Though his strokes gained numbers don’t leap off the web page, he ranks thirteenth on the PGA Tour this season in scrambling proportion at 66.38%. He additionally simply completed the Memorial Match, held on a difficult Muirfield Village, rating [6th] in strokes gained: across the inexperienced.

His placing numbers will not be spectacular both. But, in his main debut at Augusta Nationwide this previous April, he gained two strokes on the greens, per DataGolf. That ranked first within the subject, and Augusta’s greens are infamous for his or her wild undulations.

Though Augusta and Pinehurst don’t share many comparisons, their greens characteristic loads of slopes and bumps. Plus, like this 12 months’s Masters, gamers will face a agency and quick No. 2, and contemplating Åberg thrived at Augusta this 12 months, I consider he does that and them some this week.

His knee appears wholesome, too, as evidenced by his robust week on the Memorial. So, give me Åberg to win his first main at Pinehurst No. 2.

DraftKings Odds: +2000

Photograph by Patrick Smith/Getty Photos

Matt Warren — Affiliate Director, SB Nation NFL

Within the thrice Pinehurst No. 2 has hosted the U.S. Open, solely 4 gamers mixed have completed underneath par, with the 2005 winner—Michael Campbell—ending at even.

Scottie Scheffler is dominating in so many accuracy statistics—together with driving proportion, greens in regulation, and method—that I believe correct photographs off the tee and into these doubtlessly loopy greens are what will get him over the hump to win his first U.S. Open.

I do know it’s the protected choose and really boring, however he solely has one end exterior the highest 10 all 12 months, and it was 5 months in the past at The American Categorical. His historic season continues in North Carolina as he’ll win his second main of 2024.

DraftKings Odds: +300

Photograph by Richard Heathcote/Getty Photos

Savannah Richardson — Employees Author, Golf

Bryson DeChambeau is my choose.

I by no means thought I might make this alternative. If anybody is aware of my historical past with Bryson, it’s a shocker.

Nonetheless, he performed nicely on the PGA Championship, which I noticed firsthand. And but, this previous week, DeChambeau admitted he didn’t have his greatest stuff at Valhalla regardless of ending one stroke behind Xander Schauffele at 20 underneath par.

If he retains his mustache, he’ll win the U.S. Open trophy for a second time. I like his sport for Pinehurst, so I’m going with my intestine on this one and choosing DeChambeau.

DraftKings Odds: +1600

Photograph by David Cannon/Getty Photos

For all different sports activities betting content material, take a look at SB Nation’s DraftKings website.

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Make sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.