2022 U.S. Open picks, predictions, odds: Five sleepers who may surprise as winners at The Country Club
Despite what the odds may suggest, this year's U.S. Open is wide open
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3 min read
The 2022 U.S. Open is set to get underway later this week at The Country Club at Brookline. Long considered to be the most demanding test in golf, the national championship has a way of exposing any weakness a player may possess. Because of this sentiment, it is often difficult to look past some of the top names in the game when trying to identify possible champions.
However, there have been a number of players to buck this trend in recent memory namely Lucas Glover, Graeme McDowell, Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland. While these players have since gone on to be featured in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cup, each of their individual triumphs in the U.S Open came as a bit of a surprise at the time.
With the talent level in the game of golf having never been so deep and given the torrid stretches of play by Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy, other players have been granted favorable prices down the odds board. These competitors consist of multiple-time PGA Tour victors, previous FedEx Cup champions and even past major winners.
Here is a look at five sleepers you should consider with their 2022 U.S. Open odds listed via Caesars Sportsbook. Check out our CBS Sports staff's full slate of U.S. Open expert picks and predictions.
2022 U.S. Open sleepers
| Twice a winner this season, Homa thrives when conditions are at their hardest. Finishing in a tie for fifth at the Memorial, he got some good preparation under his belt as he gained strokes in every aspect of his game at Muirfield Village. He ranks 12th in strokes gained total in 2022 and has begun to turn a corner in his biggest problem area: around the green. Having tasted contention in a major championship for the first time at the 2022 PGA Championship, Homa should be able to put this experience to good use at the U.S. Open. Odds: 40-1 | |
| Horschel thrives on momentum and having won the Memorial, it is safe to say the wind is at his back. He was simply flawless at Muirfield Village as he gained over four strokes in each statistical category while consistently splitting fairways. The 35-year-old will need to continue to drive the ball accurately as he has done all season as he remains one of the best short-game wizards in the world. If his irons choose cooperate as they did in Ohio, Horschel could become a major champion in Massachusetts. Odds: 40-1 | |
| Im is in the midst of a quiet string of consistency as he has not missed a cut on the PGA Tour since the end of February. During this time, he has finished in a tie for eighth at the Masters and inside the top 10 in his last outing at the Memorial Tournament. Recent renditions of the U.S. Open have had a way of rewarding strong drivers of the golf ball (i.e., Rahm, DeChambeau, Koepka, Johnson), and the South Korean certainly fits that criteria. Odds: 45-1 | |
| There will be plenty of discussion surrounding Matt Fitzpatrick's 2013 U.S. Amateur championship and rightfully so. However, the man the Englishman defeated in the semifinals that week at The Country Club was actually Conners. The Canadian arrives at the U.S. Open off a scorching final-round 62 at the RBC Canadian Open and remains one of the premier ball-strikers on the PGA Tour. Conners appears to have found something in his short game over the last few months, and if true, has the game conducive for a major championship test. Odds: 50-1 | |
| Bogeys on two of his final three holes saw Rose round out his RBC Canadian Open with a disappointing final-round 60. Finishing in a tie for fourth, the Englishman has begun to find his stride having connected on top-15 efforts at the Zurich Classic and the PGA Championship as well. The Country Club hasn't been seen in competition in quite some time, but I am inclined to believe there will be parallels to another U.S. Open venue and that would be Merion, the site of Rose's major victory in 2013. Odds: 60-1 | |
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