2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills – Predictions
It’s just a couple of days away. Shinnecock Hills in New York will take center stage and once again play host the U.S. Open, shining in the spotlight for golf fans around the world.
There have been quite a few recent restorations at Shinnecock Hills GC. Golfers playing in the 2018 U.S. Open will experience new levels of difficulty. The course has changed significantly since 2004. Seven acres of fairway space has been converted to rough, and the Par 70 course has been lengthened to just under seven-and-a-half thousand yards (7,500). The layout now plays around 500 yards longer.
For the sake of the Tournament, the association tried to strike a balance to create the ultimate test for the best golfers in the world, yet still stay true to the course’s design. So they tightened it up even more and added extra rough but stated that it would be the widest U.S. Open played at Shinnecock Hills.
Who’s Favored to Win?
It Shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Dustin Johnson is the favorite to win at Shinnecock Hills. But what is a little surprising is that he has moved up from a 10 to 1 favorite to an 8 to 1 favorite. After checking this 5dimes review to make sure that we were going to get the most up-to-date golf odds, we found Johnson currently sitting at +800 despite media sources still telling us that he was the +1000 favorite.
Next in line is Rory McIlroy at +1300 to win. McIlroy had an opinion about all of the fussings with the course … He feels like the PGA shouldn’t be so focused on making this such an exact science, “Add some rough. Put the pins in some difficult locations and let us play.” — McIlroy paraphrased. So, it will be interesting to see if his contempt for the handling of the US Open will result in a spiteful win or a crash and burn.
Justin Thomas is tied with Justin Rose for 3rd on the boards at +1380 or just under 14 to 1. Followed by Day, Spieth, Fowler, Rahm, Woods, and Koepka to round out the top ten.
If I Were a Betting Man…
Although Jason Day is one of the men on top of the odds boards, I don’t think he’ll have a great showing in Shinnecock Hills. He has been a bit too hit and miss with his driving and the way they have reshaped this course, accuracy will prove critical.
Dustin Johnson is playing with confidence. He has also stated that he has a lot of confidence right now. He also says he has high control of his golf ball at the moment. And although this is something that a pro golfer wants any weekend, it is absolutely necessary going into the reinvention of this U.S. Open course.
If I were a betting man, I would take Dustin Johnson or Rory McIlroy to win at +490 ( just under 5 to 1) with a small sidecar of Tiger Woods at +2300 (23 to 1) and Bubba Watson at 50 to 1. The At right around 5-1 for either Johnson or McIlroy to win … it’s hard to pass up. Then you can add qualified longshot odds on Woods and Watson, whom the predictive models seem to like for this tournament.
I have an odd feeling that Tiger is going to show up to play this weekend. Woods finished 17th back in the 2004 edition of the Shinnecock U.S. Open. But he has the experience, even if it has been a while since his last Open win in 2008 at Torrey Pines. We have to remember that Woods has 14 Majors under his belt.