US Open preview: Johnson leads McIlroy and Rose for second major

The second major of the year gets underway from Shinnecock Hills on Thursday as the world’s best converge on Long Island for the US Open.

It’s only the fifth time the second major of the year has been held at the course. It first staged the event in 1896 and most recently in 2004, when Retief Goosen beat Phil Mickelson to the title.

This year it’s Dustin Johnson who heads into the tournament as the 8/1 favourite. The American has played his way into some lovely form as he bids to follow up his 2016 US Open victory.

Johnson has finished outside of the top-20 just once in his last 12 tournament appearances. He landed top honours at the FedEx St. Jude Classic last time out too.

That’s an intimidating sequence for a player who has finished T4, T2 and won the US Open in three of its last four iterations.

However, it won’t be plain sailing for the 33-year-old in New York – far from it in fact.

Justin Rose leads a trio of players of players looking to make headway at 14/1.

The Englishman won the US Open in 2012 but has since twice failed to make the cut at the event.

His build-up, though, has been good. Victory in the Fort Worth Invitational was followed up by a T6 finish in the Memorial Tournament last week.

That’s some way better than fellow Briton Rory McIlroy, who has failed to make the cut in three of his last ten outings.

He’s only ever finished inside the top-10 three times at the US Open. He’ll need to start strongly if he’s to improve on that record this weekend.

Justin Thomas is consistently there or thereabouts and enjoyed a real purple patch through February and March. The 25-year-old was second at the Mexico Championships, fourth at the Dell Technologies Matchplay and won The Honda Classic. He’s 14/1 to land a second major here.

Jason Day has finished second, T2, T4, T9 and T8 in five of his last seven US Open appearances. He could be an each-way player at 16/1.

Likewise Jordan Spieth, who finished third in the Masters earlier this year and has three major titles to his name.

Of the rest, Tiger Woods is available at 20/1, while Memorial Tournament winner Bryson DeChambeau can be backed at 40/1.

Tommy Fleetwood finished fourth last year and is also priced at 40/1.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing