Barely has the current golf season concluded in the United States, with Dustin Johnson claiming the massive $15 million end of season FedEx Cup cash prize, than the new season is once again upon us and this time, with a major difference.

Golf fans are well used to wrap-around seasons, where players may finish the season one week, but then go on to play in the first event of their new season the next, but this week is something very special as due to the event being postponed earlier in the year, one of the first events of the new season starting on Thursday this week is the first Major of the new year, the US Open.

In what will be one of six Major Championships contested by players across this coming season (the postponed Masters from April will be played at Augusta National in November), the US Open 2020 is going to be one of the most exciting early season events of any golf season and as you would expect, a host of top names from all over the world are ready to take part and compete for the top prize.

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With global interest in the tournament, let’s now preview the event before we take a closer look at the players we think will be starting their rounds late on Sunday with a real chance of winning the second Major of 2020, and the first Major of the new golf season.

US Open 2020 – Preview

The 2020 US Open will be contested at the Winged Foot West Course in New York state. Named by Tiger Woods as one of the three most difficult courses in the world, the venue has also hosted the USPGA Championship as well as the US Open on five prior occasions, the last being in 2006 when Australian Geoff Ogilvy pipped Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson to the title

This year the tournament will have a prize pool of $12,500,000 and the winner will take home $2,250,000 of that pool. Birdies could be at a premium though as at the last US Open contested on the course, Ogilvy claimed the win with a score of +5. Indeed, over-par scores are the norm for tournaments contested at Winged Foot West.

Gary Woodland will be defending the title he won when the tournament was last contested back in June 2019 at Pebble Beach in California. Brooks Koepka, who finished second to Woodland, had won the previous two US Open tournaments at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 and Erin Hills in 2017.

US players have won on each of the last five occasions the tournament has been contested with the last non-US player to win the event being Martin Kaymer, who won at Pinehirst in North Carolina in 2014 a year after Justin Rose had won at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.

The last of Tiger Woods three US Open victories came back in 2008 at La Jolla in California, his other two wins coming in 2000 and 2002.

US Open Betting Odds (courtesy of bet365)

  • Dustin Johnson – 8/1
  • Jon Rahm – 9/1
  • Justin Thomas – 12/1
  • Xander Schauffele – 14/1
  • Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa – 16/1
  • Bryson DeChambeau, Webb Simpson – 25/1
  • Hideki Matsuyama – 28/1
  • Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger – 30/1
  • 33/1 bar

*All odds shown were correct as of 12.20pm on Wednesday 16th September 2020.

Who should I back to win the US Open?

Obviously. After his stellar form over the last few weeks that have seen him win tournaments and claim the FedEx Cup, Dustin Johnson is the pick for most golf punters to win the US Open. Not only is his distance from the tee likely to be a big benefit on what is a long course, his form at the moment is as good, if not better, than the form that had him as the number 1 ranked golfer in the world just a few years back.

The bookmakers are rarely wrong when it comes to naming their favourites to win events and I think they have got the numbers spot on here. Rahm, Thomas, Morikawa and McIlroy are all good shouts too, although only Johnson and McIlroy out of the top six golfers have won the tournament in the past.

My tip to win though will be Xander Schauffele who I think is on the brink of establishing himself as a genuine world star in golf and who I think can follow Gary Woodland and land his first Major at this tournament.

However, if you wanted a decent long odds each way bet then Tyrell Hatton at 45/1 is in great form and has been playing well in the United States for some time now.