US Open betting guide: what is the US Open?

The US Open is a major golf tournament and is a big priority in the golf calendar for many players. The tournament takes place in June each year, with the final round usually played on the third Sunday of the month, tying in with Father’s Day in the US. As the name suggests, this tournament is open to both amateur and professional golfers, is a key event on the PGA Tour, and forms part of the European and Asian professional tours. Below, we look at the history of the tournament and provide some top US Open golf betting tips.

US Open history

The US Open has a long and rich history, first played in 1895. The tournament has been played annually ever since, except for a few years during both the First and Second World Wars. Since 1898, the event has consisted of 72 holes of stroke play, meaning that the player with the lowest total number of strokes after four 18-hole rounds is the winner of the tournament. While the tournament has remained a truly open event, meaning that anyone can theoretically earn a place in it, steps have been taken to keep the number of players in the US Open to a manageable level. Since 1924, regional qualifying tournaments have been held to determine who can play in the tournament.

US Open betting tips: who are the previous winners?

England’s Horace Rawlins was the first golfer to ever win the US Open in 1895, and since then, many of the major names in golf have had the honour of winning the tournament, some of them multiple times. Previous winners include Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

While the tournament is open to amateur golfers, the odds of an amateur win these days are slim. The event tends to be dominated by the top names in professional golf. In fact, the last amateur win was in 1933, and the only amateur to win more than once was Bobby Jones, who claimed the trophy a few times in the 1920s, with his last win in 1930. Modern-day bettors might want to concentrate on the professionals in this one, especially when placing an outright winner bet.

Betting tips for US Open: which countries have the most winners?

It won’t come as any great surprise that players from the US tend to dominate the US Open winners list. The US has more winners than any other country. Those looking for US Open betting tips should consider that since 1950, players from only seven non-US countries have won the tournament, with South Africa having secured five wins in that time. Other countries that have produced US Open winners include England, Northern Ireland, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.

It’s rare for a defending champion to win the Open, but when it happens, it’s likely to be a US player. Curtis Strange won for the US in 1988 and 1989, and Brooks Koepka did it again in 2017 and 2018. Tiger Woods secured a win in 2000, briefly lost the title to South Africa’s Retief Goosen in 2001, and then regained it in 2002.

How do players qualify for the US Open?

Since 1924, regional qualifying tournaments have been held to determine who gets to play in the tournament, and even these are not open to every golfer. Amateur players must have a Handicap Index of 0.4 or better to enter the qualifying rounds. Then there’s an 18-hole local qualifier, followed by a 36-hole final qualifier. In 2023, a record number of 10,187 players entered the qualifying rounds, competing for one of the 156 starting places.

There are, of course, exemptions, with spots available for anyone who has won the US Open in the last ten years, as well as those who have won the Masters, British Open or PGA Tournament in the last five years. Finishing in the top 30 of the PGA Money List or the top 15 of the European tour in the previous year will also get you a place in the tournament, as will ranking in the top 50 of the official world golf rankings in the two weeks leading up to the event.

US Open golf betting tips

In terms of betting tips, US Open bettors should know that there are plenty of markets to consider.

Outright winner

This bet is just what it sounds like – a straightforward bet on which golfer will win the tournament.

Each way betting

This is when you bet on a player to either win or place in the tournament. Make sure that you know exactly what your sportsbook considers as a place. In golf, it’s generally the top five, but it could be the top four or eight.

Finish in the top 10

Again, this is straightforward. You are simply betting that your chosen golfer will finish in the top 10 overall.

Make the cut for the first round

The US Open cut rules state that the top 60 players (and ties) after the first two rounds will make the cut and get to play the next two rounds. You can place a bet on any golfer to make the cut.

Betting tips for US Open

When it comes to betting tips, US Open bettors have a lot to think about. The type of bet you want to make will depend on what you’re aiming for. We advise you to study the form of the players in the run-up to the tournament and consider some of the stats we’ve already mentioned.

As we’ve established, a US golfer wins the Open most of the time, but it’s not unusual for a US player to win more than once, and the only time a defending champion has won, it has been a US player.

Non-US wins do happen though, and non-US players placing happens even more regularly. Remember, you can place different bet types if you want. Many punters want to back their favourite player for outright winner, but picking a winner in a tournament such as this is never simple. Consider playing it a little safer with an each way or a top 10 bet instead of an outright winner.

US Master betting tips: FAQs

Where can I bet on the US Open?

You can place online bets on the US Open right here at LeoVegas. It’s straightforward to register and fund your account.

How to bet on the US Open?

Once you’ve registered for an online betting account and decided which bets to place, placing your bet is straightforward. Just choose your bet type, enter the amount you would like to bet, and add the bet you want to make to your online betting slip. You can also make multiple bets if you wish.

Which nations will be seen at the US Open?

At the time of writing, qualifying for the 2024 US Open hasn’t yet started, so we don’t know exactly who we’ll see competing. Based on exemptions, however, we can expect to see players from England, Spain, Germany, Northern Ireland, South Korea and Japan competing in the prestigious tournament in 2024.