Patrick Reed turned in a confident final day at Augusta to win the 2018 Masters and his first major title. The popular 27-year-old Texan kept fellow countrymen Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler at arm’s length to etch his name on the historic trophy and experts predict it’ll be the first of many.
With the Masters results now in the books for another year, followers of golf turn their attention to the upcoming US Open and the world’s best tee off at Shinnecock Hills, New York between 14th and 17th June. Brooks Koepka won the title last year and recent form would suggest that American dominance of the sport is set to continue.
There’s a host of offers on the year’s biggest events over at Timeform and below you’ll find three players bookmakers expect to challenge for the US Open…
Reed to kick-on from Augusta success
Can Patrick Reed do it again? He waited his entire career to get his hands on that first major (runner-up at the PGA Championship in 2017 was his best effort before Augusta) and, with the monkey off his back, he’ll be confident of driving forward with more success. Reed – nicknamed Captain America – found himself at the business end of the list in this tournament last year before having to settle for 13th.
He is a progressive player with youth on his side and there will be plenty close to the sport who plan to support him in New York. He has already proven his stomach for a fight and steely nerves in that final round at the Masters and is easy to trust at odds of 3300.
Rickie Fowler, the nearly man
Ricky Fowler is always the bridesmaid, never the bride and his silver medal at the Masters stretched the 29-year-old American’s career stats to 2nd in the Masters, US Open and The Open Championship, third in the PGA Championship. Does he have what it takes to finally get over the line in major competition?
Traders are never in a rush to oppose the Californian and, on the back of his near-miss at Augusta, odds-makers have marked him at 1800 to get his nose in front here. That quote makes him fourth favorite in the charts and there will be a fair share of each-way backers happy to take a chance. He will win a major – that much is obvious – will it be this year’s US Open?
Source: ESPN Stats & Info via Twitter
Spieth on the right track for US Open double
An American player has won each of the last three renewals of the US Open – Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth – but the latter is the only one of that trio to bag both the Masters and US Open in the same year, with 2015 the peak of his career so far.
The 24-year-old from Dallas won a third major when claiming The Open Championship last year and he’s the current 1200 second favorite to do the US Open double. The fact he went so close to wrestling the title from Reed in April proves he’s on the right track.