BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Despite a wacky first part of the week at the 2022 U.S. Open, a golf tournament will in fact be played starting Thursday. Despite almost no chatter of strategy and style in the early part of the week at The Country Club, a champion will still be crowned Sunday afternoon and history will be altered in ways the LIV Golf vs. PGA Tour scuttlebutt cannot affect.
It has been one of the strangest weeks in recent major championship history, and we have no idea who is going to stand alone at the end of such an historical moment in golf. But it's time to start narrowing down who that player could possibly be come the weekend here at Brookline.
This golf course is seemingly going to play different than past U.S. Opens, and that could bring more styles than just the "hit it and go get it" type of player that seems to often win this tournament in the modern era. Don't miss a moment of the action by checking out our U.S. Open TV schedule and coverage guide.
With all of this in mind and current form as our guide, here's a look at the nine golfers who can win the 122nd U.S. Open, and don't forget to check out a full slate of U.S. Open expert picks and predictions from our CBS Sports staff. Odds via Caesars Sportsbook.
Who will win the U.S. Open, and which long shots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that's nailed eight golf majors and is up over $9,500 since the restart.
| 1 | |
| His short game has been pure magic so far this year, and he's displayed enough creativity to make you believe he can win a U.S. Open at a sometimes-wonky track like Brookline. Scheffler's major career is underrated, and his Masters win validated all the top 20s that came before it. His game is built for the biggest tournaments in the world, and he's proven himself as someone to be feared at the major championships. Plus, he has the best cumulative score to par in majors since 2020 at 30 under, nine shots better than Collin Morikawa and Jon Rahm. Odds: 12-1 | |
| 2 | |
| Not sure if he would say this, but you could argue that J.T. is playing the best golf of his life. We've seen players take advantage of these kinds of heaters in the past and rip off multiple majors over a one- or two-year stretch, and that might be the middle of what we're in with Thomas. He'll almost certainly give himself enough looks with his iron play to win the tournament. The question is whether he'll take advantage of them. Odds: 11-1 | |
| 3 | |
| This is his best chance to win a major in a long time. He displayed world-class touch with his irons last week and is playing at nearly the same clip he was playing at in 2019 when he won The Players Championship. Underrated short game, generationally great at driving the golf ball and seemingly in a place mentally where he can add major No. 5 to the mantle. It will all come down to how he hits his irons and wedges. If he's locked, it could be -- like the rest of his major wins -- curtains early in the week. Odds: 10-1 | |
| 4 | |
| He's having an all-time driving year (even by his wild standards) and is gaining 1.22 strokes off the tee per round on average. That should continue this week, which means his attempt to become just the fourth player since World War II to go back to back at this tournament will likely depend on his distance control into greens the size of soup bowls. Odds: 14-1 | |
| 5 | |
| It's tough to ignore that Koepka went into last year's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines having missed three of four cuts, yet he nearly took down Rahm, McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday to win his third U.S. Open. When he was asked on Tuesday what it takes to win a U.S. Open, he responded, "Discipline." For everything you might think about Koepka, he's proven that he has loads of it as it relates to this specific championship and knows how to deploy it throughout the week. Odds: 40-1 | |
| 6 | |
| Has a 25-year-old with two major wins in his first 11 starts ever come into a major champoinship with less fanfare than Morikawa this week? I don't think he can win a U.S. Open at a place like Torrey Pines or perhaps even Winged Foot, but if The Country Club plays the way it seems like it's going to play, he can absolutely add major No. 3. Odds: 25-1 | |
| 7 | |
| The best ball-striker in the world since Jan. 1 and somebody who has played major championships as well as anyone over the last two years. His number seems a bit higher than it should be considering he's one swing from coming in off his first major win (if he'd taken the PGA Championship, he'd be closer to 15-1). Odds: 25-1 | |
| 8 | |
| If this turns into an Open Championship-like competition, there's nobody better positioned than Spieth. His driving accuracy this year has been much closer to his 2015 and 2017 numbers, which portends well for one of the better iron players in the world. He's the player I'm perhaps most curious to see play this golf course. Odds: 25-1 | |
| 9 | |
| Perhaps the most underrated iron player in the game. He contended at brawny Oakmont back in 2016 when Dustin Johnson went on to win, and if a player this year "deserves" a win like this, it's Lowry. He has the best numbers of anyone who has yet to win a tournament so far in 2022. He ranks eighth in the world in ball-striking. Odds: 25-1 | |
| BONUS | |
| These numbers from Jamie Kennedy on Davis Riley are eye-opening. Riley absolutely has the game to contend to win a major, and the U.S. Open would fit his statistical profile -- great iron player and fairly accurate off the tee -- perfectly. Odds: 60-1 | |
