The 156-player field for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina is set, with world number one Scottie Scheffler entering as the betting favorite. However, golf expert and analyst Sia Nejad believes another player has a strong chance of lifting the trophy - Collin Morikawa.
Morikawa, currently ranked 12th in the world, will be aiming to add a third major title to his resume after victories at the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship. Despite being priced at +1600 in the betting odds, Nejad believes the 27-year-old American has all the tools to succeed at Pinehurst.
Collin Morikawa / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA
"Collin Morikawa has both the ball-striking ability and short game needed to compete at the highest level," Nejad told SportsLine. "His iron play and wedge game are truly elite. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him in contention come Sunday evening."
Morikawa showed promising form ahead of the season's third major, finishing runner-up to Scheffler at last week's Memorial Tournament. He gained over 13 strokes total on the field and was third in scrambling percentage during the event.
While Nejad thinks Morikawa provides great value at 16/1, he has advised bettors to avoid recent U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm at 25/1. Rahm was forced to withdraw from an event last week due to a foot injury and has played just 28 competitive rounds this year.
As well as backing Morikawa, Nejad is also high on several other potential sleepers who could pull off an upset. He named one player priced at over 45/1 who "has the acumen and short game to surprise people" if finding his best form.
To get Nejad's full list of picks, including his best bets, outright winners, and players to fade, check out his detailed analysis exclusively at SportsLine ahead of Thursday's opening round at Pinehurst. It promises to be another action-packed week at one of golf's true test of champions.
Read more: Padraig Harrington Credits Sacrificing Burgers for Success on the Golf Course
Why is Viktor Hovland considered a Dark Horse this year?
Viktor Hovland has as good a chance as anyone out there to win it all this year. The kid's been playing some really solid golf lately. Just look at his results over the last few months - he cracked the top 5 in one event and averaged under par scoring in three of his last five tournaments.
That kind of consistent, high-level play is exactly what you need heading into a major. But more than just his recent form, I'm really impressed with how well-rounded his entire game seems to be. He can bomb it off the tee when he needs to, but also places it tight when trying to scramble for pars. And his irons! Man, the kid can strip it down the middle with the best of 'em.
However, Hovland's ability to modify his game for each course is what truly grabs my attention. The Opens require versatility, and he consistently demonstrates his ability to grind out a score regardless of setup. I mean, averaging just 1-over in his last five Opens speaks volumes.
When you combine all that with how well he's taking care of business statistically, making cuts week after week, and even coming close to winning majors before, it's easy to see why the experts are high on his chances. Sure, he's still chasing that first big W, but this kid has all the tools and talent to get it done. As long as he keeps playing the way he has been, don't be surprised to see Hovland's name at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.
2024 U.S. Open odds, field
Scottie Scheffler +300
Rory McIlroy +1000
Xander Schauffele +1200
Collin Morikawa +1600
Viktor Hovland +1800
Bryson DeChambeau +1800
Brooks Koepka +2200
Ludvig Aberg +2200
Jon Rahm +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +3500
Justin Thomas +3500
Cameron Smith +4000
Patrick Cantlay +4000
Max Homa +4500
Tyrrell Hatton +5000
Matt Fitzpatrick +5000
Hideki Matsuyama +5000
Tom Kim +5500
Shane Lowry +5500
Jordan Spieth +5500
Wyndham Clark +6000
Tony Finau +6000
Sahith Theegala +6000
Sam Burns +6500
Corey Conners +6500
Will Zalatoris +6500
Min Woo Lee +7000
Keegan Bradley +7000
Sepp Straka +8000
Russell Henley +8000
Jason Day +8000
Dustin Johnson +8000
Cameron Young +8000
Byeong Hun An +8000
Sungjae Im +9000
Si Woo Kim +9000
Justin Rose +9000
Robert MacIntyre +9000
Denny McCarthy +10000
Dean Burmester +10000
Adam Scott +10000
Sergio Garcia +13000
Alex Noren +13000
Brian Harman +13000
Billy Horschel +15000
Harris English +15000
Rickie Fowler +15000
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +15000
Thomas Detry +18000
Tom Hoge +18000
Ryan Fox +18000
Kurt Kitayama +18000
Adam Hadwin +18000
Akshay Bhatia +18000
Aaron Rai +20000
Stephan Jaeger +20000
Erik Van Rooyen +20000
Tiger Woods +25000
Mackenzie Hughes +25000
J.T. Poston +25000
Victor Perez +25000
Nicolai Hojgaard +25000
Lucas Glover +25000
Adrian Meronk +25000
Taylor Moore +30000
Seamus Power +30000
Eric Cole +30000
Daniel Berger +30000
Chris Kirk +30000
Cam Davis +30000
Tom McKibbin +30000
Taylor Pendrith +30000
Richard Mansell +30000
Nick Dunlap +30000
Martin Kaymer +30000
Beau Hossler +30000
Phil Mickelson +35000
Adam Schenk +35000
Austin Eckroat +35000
Webb Simpson +35000
Matthieu Pavon +35000
Mark Hubbard +35000
Jake Knapp +35000
Harry Higgs +35000
Davis Thompson +35000
Brendon Todd +40000
Nick Taylor +40000
Gary Woodland +40000
Emiliano Grillo +40000
S.H. Kim +40000
Matteo Manassero +40000
David Puig +40000
Chesson Hadley +40000
Adam Svensson +40000
Mac Meissner +40000
Greyson Sigg +40000
Matt Kuchar +50000
Tim Widing +50000
Justin Lower +50000
Ryo Ishikawa +60000
Peter Malnati +60000
Takumi Kanaya +80000
Rikuya Hoshino +80000
Max Greyserman +80000
Frankie Capan III +80000
Ben Kohles +80000
Zac Blair +100000
Sam Bennett +100000
Gordon Sargent +100000
Brian Campbell +100000
Benjamin James +100000
Maxwell Moldovan +100000
Brendan Valdes +100000
Sam Bairstow +150000
Rico Hoey +150000
Isaiah Salinda +150000
Grant Forrest +150000
Luke Clanton +150000
Eugenio Chacarra +150000
Brandon Wu +150000
Francesco Molinari +150000
Nico Echavarria +200000
Jason Scrivener +200000
Carter Jenkins +200000
Willie Mack III +250000
Taisei Shimizu +250000
Stewart Hagestad +250000
Santiago De la Fuente +250000
Robert Rock +250000
Riki Kawamoto +250000
Omar Morales +250000
Neal Shipley +250000
Logan McAllister +250000
Jim Herman +250000
Frederik Kjettrup +250000
Christopher Petefish +250000
Chris Naegel +250000
Casey Jarvis +250000
Brandon Robinson Thompson +250000
Ashton McCulloch +250000
Andrew Svoboda +250000
Joey Vrzich +250000
Hiroshi Tai +250000
Bryan Kim +250000
Carson Schaake +250000
Wells Williams +250000
Colin Prater +250000
Jackson Buchanan +250000
Gunnar Broin +250000
Michael McGowan +250000
Parker Bell +250000
Edoardo Molinari +250000
Otto Black +250000
Sung Kang +500000
John Chin +500000
Charles Reiter +500000
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