Xander Schauffele is the new man atop sportsbooks’ boards to win the U.S. Open after his historic round of 62 on Thursday.
The second-shortest odds, meanwhile, belong not to co-leader Rickie Fowler but Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.
Schauffele’s odds to win at BetMGM moved from +1800 at the start of Round 1 to +333 Friday morning after his bogey-free, 8-under round of 62. It was a similar story at DraftKings Sportsbook: Schauffele is now the +320 favorite to win after standing at +1800 before the championship began.
Fowler’s 62 beat him to the punch by about 20 minutes. Fowler also set a single-round U.S. Open record with 10 birdies on Thursday as he and Schauffele became the first two players to shoot 62 at a U.S. Open, taking full advantage of the soft conditions at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Both co-leaders call Southern California home and neither has won a major to this point, but the sportsbooks like Schauffele’s chances to close it out better than Fowler’s.
Schauffele has contended at all six U.S. Opens he has played prior to 2023, five times finishing in the top seven and thrice in the top five.
Fowler shot way up from +5000 to +650 at BetMGM, and from +4500 to +650 at DraftKings. But it’s World No. 3 and four-time major champion McIlroy in the second spot on the board — +550 at BetMGM and +500 at DraftKings.
McIlroy is three strokes off the pace entering Friday after a bogey-free round was spoiled on his final hole. His attempt to chip onto the green out of the tall greenside fescue saw him miss the ball completely.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, five behind at 3-under 67 after Round 1, is tied with Fowler for the third-shortest odds at DraftKings (+650). He is fourth (+700) on the board at BetMGM. He opened as the +600 favorite at both books.
Two-time major champ Dustin Johnson also saw some major line movement after a 6-under 64. He went from +4000 to +800 at BetMGM and +3500 to +850 at DraftKings. He has the fifth-shortest odds at both outlets.
–Field Level Media
