U.S. Open Golf 2021 Preview and Predictions

Overview

The 2021 United States Open Championship returns to Torrey Pines for the second time in the 121st playing of the U.S. Open. Players will tee it up June 17th-20th at the famed California track.

Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion after a six-stroke victory at Winged Foot Golf Club last September. The tournament was postponed from its June spot due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The winner of the 2021 U.S. Open will gain 600 FedEx Cup points, 100 World Rankings points, and $2,250,000 million of the $12,500,000 million purse. Additionally, winners gain exemption into the next 10 U.S. Open tournaments, five years of Tour status, plus five-year exemptions into the other three major championships.

The Course

Torrey Pines is a 36-hole golf track owned and operated by the city of San Diego, CA. The municipal golf course will host the 2021 U.S. Open on its South Course. Torrey Pines also an annual Tour stop for the Farmers Insurance Open in January.

The South Course stretches a staggering 7,689 yards, making it one of the longest courses on the PGA Tour. It was designed by William F. Bell and plays as a par-72 and opened in 1957.

Last Season

Winged Foot presented a difficult challenge to most golfers not named DeChambeau in September. DeChambeau was the only player to finish the tournament under par at 6-under.

Matthew Wolff was your 56-hole leader after round three, taking a 2-shot lead into Sunday’s final round before stumbling with a 5-over. Veteran Louis Oosthuizen concluded his four days with a solo third finish at 3-over, and Harris English logged his best finish in a major championship in fourth place with a 4-over tournament.

The Field

One of the best qualification processes, the U.S. Open, is open to any professional or amateur that meets the handicap requirements set by the USGA. The field is 156 players, with roughly half the field made up of players already fully exempt.

Notable exemptions include those players ranked in the top 60 in the Official World Golf Rankings two weeks before the tournament and as of the tournament date. Winners of the U.S. Open over the last ten years and other major winners in the previous five.

Predictions

The U.S. Open is one of the easier majors to cap because the field has so many players qualifying and playing in their first major. With any tournament, history on the course and the player’s current form are key indicators to look for before placing your bets.

Tournament venues vary, so course history statistics might not be available, but typically all U.S. Open’s have been set up the same in recent years. The courses are long with penal rough and challenging greens, truly testing the skillset of the golfer.

The winning golfer will be someone who avoids trouble or can get out of trouble quickly. In recent U.S. Opens, par is a player’s friend, and you can bet that participants will have the same mindset.

Target golfers who are near the top of the statistics in driving distance, driving accuracy, par saves, and strokes gained putting.