Brooks Koepka not among top 3 U.S. Open Favs

Brooks Koepka is fresh off claiming his third PGA Championship, a month after nearly capturing his first Masters title. No one has played the first half of the 2023 majors schedule with as much commanding form as the now five-time major champion.

Yet, the two-time U.S. Open winner is not among the three betting favorites for 123rd playing of the country’s national event next month at The Los Angeles Country Club.

Scottie Scheffler rallied to tie for second at Oak Hill on Sunday, and reclaimed No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking in the process. Three weeks out from the U.S. Open, he is the early betting favorite at most sportsbooks, including +750 at BetRivers, +800 at BetMGM and +850 at DraftKings.

The next-shortest odds belong to the reigning Masters champion and the man Scheffler has been jockeying with for the No. 1 ranking for the past six months. Jon Rahm was never in contention at Oak Hill, but that has been a rarity for the Spaniard.

Rahm is being offered at +800 by BetRivers and +900 by BetMGM and DraftKings. Next is Rory McIlroy, who clawed his way to a T7 at the PGA despite a wildly inconsistent week. The Northern Irishman is +1000 at all three sportsbooks. Then comes Koepka, who is close behind McIlroy at +1100 at BetRivers and BetMGM, while DraftKings is offering slightly longer odds at +1400. Koepka won the first of his five major titles at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills and backed it up by repeating at Shinnecock Hills 12 months later. In addition to a win at the PGA and a T2 at Augusta, Koepka has been in excellent form of late on the LIV Golf League. In addition to his first LIV title in Orlando leading into the Masters, Koepka posted a T11, solo third and T5 in three LIV events ahead of his PGA Championship triumph.

“I’ve always learned more from the four times I finished second (in a major) than the five times I’ve won now,” Koepka said. “I think failure is how you learn. You get better from it. You realize what mistakes you’ve made. Each time I’ve kind of made an adjustment. It’s more mentality than it is anything.” Scheffler, Rahm and McIlroy do occupy the top three spots in the world rankings. Koepka, who does not accrue world rankings points for LIV events, vaulted 31 spots to No. 13 with his PGA title. –Field Level Media