5 Dark Horses who could win the US Open in 2024

For the first time since 2014, the US Open returns to Pinehurst No.2 for the 124th playing of America's national championship. The Donald Ross gem in Pinehurst, North Carolina, is widely considered one of the most significant locales in American golf history. Pinehurst No.2 has hosted a multitude of USGA events throughout its illustrious history including three US Opens (2014, 2005, 1999), a PGA Championship (1936), and a Ryder Cup (1951). It will host its fourth US Open this week and has been named as a staple in the US Open rota for years to come.

The stunning venue is prepped and ready to host the year's third major championship, ten years on from Martin Kaymer's colossal win at Pinehurst No.2 in 2014. The stage is set as one of the strongest fields of the year will come together and vie for America's Open.

Defending US Open champion Wyndham Clark will seek to defend the title he won last year when he shocked the world at Los Angeles Country Club. Clark will attempt to become just the 23rd player in the history of the US Open to have won on multiple occasions, and the most recent to accomplish the feat since Brooks Koepka became a multiple winner of the famous championship back in 2018 when he won in back-to-back years.

World No.1 and five-time winner this season, Scottie Scheffler, is the undisputed man to beat at the 124th US Open. The two-time major champion heads to Pinehurst seeking the second leg of a potential career grand slam and his second major of 2024 having won the Masters in April. Other favorites heading into this year's US Open will have the daunting task of denying Scheffler on the road to glory.

Amongst them, 2024 PGA Champion Xander Schauffele, who will attempt to win back-to-back majors following his long-awaited major breakthrough at Valhalla last month. Schauffele has an astonishing six Top 5 finishes in 2024 including his triumph at last month's PGA Championship.

Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy comes into the year's third major still seeking that elusive fifth major as the ten-year drought since his last win at the 2014 PGA Championship goes on. Last month's Wells Fargo Championship winner has won two times in 2024, including on the DP World Tour in January, and comes into the US Open having recorded finishes of Top 15 or better in each of his last four starts. The 2011 US Open champion can join that elite list of players to have won multiple US Opens with a long-anticipated win at Pinehurst No.2 this week.

With two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, last month's PGA Championship runner-up Bryson DeChambeau, and serial major winner Brooks Koepka not even amongst the top three favorites heading into the US Open, potential Dark Horse winners certainly have their work cut out for them.

With the exception of Wyndham Clark last year and Gary Woodland at the 2019 US Open, eight of the last ten winners of the US Open came into the week with odds of around +5000 or shorter. While the task at hand may seem increasingly daunting for any surprise winner this week, especially with Scottie Scheffler at the top, it's not impossible. Clark and last year's Open Championship winner Brian Harman are a testament to that.

Improbable? Sure. But not impossible. With that being said, here are five potential Dark Horses who could spring a shock at the 124th US Open.

Note: All listed odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. For more betting content and picks for all sports check out BetSided. All plays are for 0.5 units unless otherwise noted. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

2024 US Open Favorites

• Scottie Scheffler +300

• Xander Schauffele +1100

• Rory McIlroy +1100

• Collin Morikawa +1400

• Bryson DeChambeau +1800

• Viktor Hovland +2000

• Brooks Koepka +2000

• Ludvig Aberg +2200

• Jon Rahm +2800

5. Adam Scott (+13000) has US Open experience at Pinehurst No.2

Adam Scott is one of only a handful of players in this year's field to have experienced Pinehurst No.2 at a US Open on two previous occasions. Thankfully for the 2013 Masters champion, he will get to tee it up this week after a dramatic week of narrowly missing out at US Open qualifying and a lengthy wait to see if he got into the field. Scott, who is ranked 61st in the Official World Golf Ranking, received the news that the USGA had added him to this year's field. The result ensured that his incredible major appearances streak of 91 consecutive would continue.

The Australian will make his third US Open appearance at Pinehurst No.2 this week following finishes of T28 in 2005 and T9 in 2014. Last year, Scott missed his first cut in a US Open since 2018, in that same span, however, he has finished T14 or better on two occasions, including a T7 finish at the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach.

This year, the 43-year-old has seven finishes of T22 or better in thirteen starts, including a T22 finish at the Masters in April. Over the last 20 rounds amongst everyone in this year's US Open field, Scott ranks nineteenth in driving distance and 30th in Stokes Gained: Off the Tee. Additionally, Scott ranks 21st on the PGA Tour in Total Driving this season. His prowess with the driver is certainly there but he has been uncharacteristically inconsistent from around the greens this season. If he can straighten that out he could very well find himself in contention again at Pinehurst No.2.

4. This could be the perfect US Open for Min Woo Lee (+6500)

In 2014, two Australians found themselves inside the Top 10 on the leaderboard at the US Open at Pinehurst No.2. In 2005, Australian Mark Hensby finished inside of the Top 5. Coincidence? Perhaps. Either way, Min Woo Lee is another extremely talented Australian who could spring a surprise at the 124th US Open.

Min Woo Lee has had mixed results thus far on the PGA Tour this season but he did spike at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches earlier in the year with a T2 finish. Since making his US Open debut in 2022, the 25-year-old has impressed with a T-27 result at The Country Club and a T-5 finish last year at Los Angeles Country Club.

Like fellow countryman Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee is exceptional with the driver ranking 6th in both distance and SG: Off the Tee over the last 20 rounds amongst this year's US Open field. When he gets hot with the irons and on the greens, he's as dangerous as anyone as he displayed at the 2023 PLAYERS Championship where he was in contention before eventually settling for a T6 finish. The Australian is still searching for his first PGA Tour win but has a handful of victories worldwide including at the 2023 Australian PGA Championship. He is the perfect Dark Horse pick and someone who could certainly surprise this week.

3. Keegan Bradley (+7500) is trending coming into the 2024 US Open

Keegan Bradley is bound to be a popular Dark Horse pick this week; and justifiably so. Outside of a rough finish at last week's Memorial Tournament, Keegan has been playing exceptionally well of late with four Top 22 finishes in his last six starts dating back to April's Masters, and two runner-up finishes on the season, one of which came a couple of weeks ago at Charles Schwab Challenge.

The 2011 PGA Champion has had mixed results at the US Open throughout his career but he finished T-7 at the US Open two years ago at The Country Club and notably produced his best showing in a US Open at Pinehurst No.2 in 2014 when he finished tied for fourth. Statistically, Keegan ranks 12th in Total Driving on the PGA Tour this season and sits 22nd in SG: Approach over his past twenty rounds amongst this year's US Open field.

Bradley put an end to a substantial winless run on the PGA Tour back in 2022 when he won the ZOZO Championship for his first victory in four years. He would follow that with an exceptional win at the Travelers Championship last summer.

Since then, Bradley has continued to play great golf and could count himself a bit unfortunate to have been left off last Autumn's US Ryder Cup team. He has continued that run of great golf into 2024 and has now notably gained strokes with his putter in his last four consecutive events, an area of the game that isn't normally one of Keegan's strong suits. If he can blend that with his usually superb ball striking prowess, he just might collect a second career major.

2. Jason Day (+9000) could surprise at the US Open

Jason Day completes a trio of Aussie Dark Horse picks for the 124th US Open. While recent results don't particularly stand out, Day was quietly T4 at the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina a few weeks ago and put together a nice run of results earlier in the year at the Sentry (T10), AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (T6), and Genesis Invitational (9th).

The 2015 PGA Champion has come close to adding the US Open to his major collection before, having finished runner-up on two occasions in 2011 and 2013. While he hasn't found himself in contention at either of this year's two previous majors, the 36-year-old did finish tied for second at last year's Open Championship demonstrating that he still has the skills to compete in the biggest of events.

The Australian has excelled on Donald Ross designs previously, most notably at the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst No.2 where he finished T4. Additionally, Day finished T8 at the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill on another Donald Ross design. Jason's elite short game skills could be on full display once again at a US Open venue that should suit his skill set. These are nice odds on a Dark Horse pick who could pose a real threat this week.

1. Tyrrell Hatton (+5500) is perfectly suited for non-traditional US Open

If you were to envision a US Open where Tyrrell Hatton could win, Pinehurst No.2 would have to be right up there. The Englishman doesn't have a great track record at US Opens but he did finish tied for 27th at Los Angeles Country Club last year. His best finish of T6 in a US Open came at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.

Hatton joined the LIV Tour earlier this year and has had some decent results since the move without winning as of yet. The 32-year-old has two Top 5 finishes in his last four starts on LIV and was T9 at the Masters in April. He struggled at the PGA Championship last month but could find Pinehurst No.2 right up his alley. Tyrrell, who made a furious charge up the leaderboard at the PLAYERS Championship last year en route to a T2 finish, has a handful of wins at long and challenging venues throughout his career and is an exceptional links golf player demonstrating that he has the creative skill set required to succeed at venues that ask some questions of golfers.

On the season, the Englishman ranks 3rd in putting average and 10th in scrambling on LIV, he also ranks 13th in SG: Around the green and 11th in SG: Off the Tee over the last 20 rounds amongst this year's US Open field. Tyrrell could follow in Kaymer's footsteps at Pinehurst No.2 and become the next player to win the US Open at similar odds.

Dark Horse betting record in 2024 through last month's PGA Championship: 0-15 on outright winners (-7.5 units)