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Steeped in storied golf tradition, the US Open Golf Tournament is the third of the four major golf tournaments, bringing nail-biting finishes and star-making moments. For over 120 years, the US Open has crowned legends and champions, showcased memorable comebacks, and delivered on its status as one of the great golf events. Across 72-holes of the pinnacle of professional play, golf’s best compete each June for their share of a prize fund of millions.
Golf fans and bettors alike also partake in this tournament's spectacle, with various exciting betting options.
While it is an open tournament, only the world’s most skilled golfers qualify for the US Open. The US Open is open to any professional golfer with a USGA handicap better than 1.4. Approximately half of the US Open field consists of golfers considered fully exempt—meaning they have performed well enough to have met a series of conditions.
Qualifying conditions include: winners of past major tournaments (including past US Open winners), winners and runners-up of the previous year’s US Amateur tournament, winners of the previous year’s PGA Championship and Senior Open, and players who win multiple tournaments throughout the year. Qualification is automatically granted to the top 10 finishers in the previous year’s US Open and the top 60 on the Official World Golf Ranking list.
The United States Golf Association also grants special exemptions to players who have previously shown greatness but might not have met other qualifying conditions. These exemptions are typically granted to top PGA and other worldwide golf tour money-winners. A recent development, golfers from the newly-formed LIV league are now eligible to qualify and be granted exemptions to participate in the US Open.
Spread bets place a margin by which a given player will need to finish ahead of another competitor. A negative spread indicates a golfer is the favorite, while a positive spread indicates an underdog. For example:
| Team | Spread |
| Rory McIlroy | -4 |
| John Rahm | +4 |
In this instance, a bet on McIlroy to cover the spread would mean he would need to finish at least 4 strokes ahead of Rahm to win the bet.
Moneyline bets are as simple as choosing a victor—however, the payout is based upon the odds for the tournament winner. First, you need to look for the ( + ) or ( – ) symbols. The ( + ) represents the underdog and means a winning bet of $100 will return that amount. For example, a $100 bet on Matt Fitzpatrick at +100 odds would return you $200 ($100 plus your original $100 bet) if Fitzpatrick won the tournament.
Over/Under bets are wagers made that project a given golfer will perform above or below a specified round score. If Rory McIlroy is projected to score 72 in round 1, and you believe he will do better, you would bet the under. If you feel like McIlroy will underperform or struggle in round 1, you would bet the over.
Prop bets can be placed on specific outcomes throughout the tournament. Will there be an eagle on hole 13? Will round 2 have a hole-in-one? Will the tournament be won by 3 strokes or less? These prop bets add a layer of fun to the US Open experience.
A parlay bet on the US Open is a bet on multiple outcomes but requires each of those outcomes to occur for a payout. For example, if you bet $100 for Rory McIlroy to beat Justin Thomas and for Max Homa to beat Matt Fitzpatrick, both events would need to occur for a payout. For parlay bets, you can include a variety of bets on one ticket—spreads, moneyline bets, and props can all be pulled together into a parlay bet.
Learn more about popular ways to bet on the PGA Championship, The Masters, Ryder Cup, and other golf events on the DraftKings Golf Betting Guide.