US Open 2024 Top 5 and Top 10 Tips: Make it Morikawa

• Morikawa picked to record another Top 5

• Aberg can build on his Masters runner-up with a Top 10

• Check out all our US Open content here

---

Scottie Scheffler - World No.1 on a winning spree

It's easy to think the Top 5 and Top 10 markets are no longer relevant to Scheffler. Why back him in these when he keeps winning?! Back the World No.1 on the nose instead.

Scheffler's numbers since the start of March show five wins in eight starts, the latest by a single shot at The Memorial on Sunday. He's also finished runner-up twice and eighth once so perhaps 1.9520/21 for a Top 5 when it's happened seven times in the last eight is a smart play after all.

In the US Open, Scheffler missed the cut in two of his first three (2016 and 2019). But he was Low Amateur (27th) at Erin Hills in 2017 and has finished seventh, tied second and third in the last three. After winning April's Masters, a second major of 2024 here on a course that suits is very much on the cards.

Last four events: 1-2-8-1
US Open form: 3-2-7-MC-27-MC
Last 50 starts - Win: 18%, Top 5: 54%, Top 10: 66%

---

Rory McIlroy - Money to be made despite drought

Just about every golf fan knows now that Rory's last Major came way back in 2014. Numbers three and four arrived in quick succession that summer as the Northern Irishman won the Open and US PGA soon after finishing 23rd here at Pinehurst.

But while backing Rory to win another major is proving maddening, punters playing him in the Top 5/10 markets are counting up the profits. McIlroy was runner-up at LA CC last year, tied fifth in 2021 and has cracked the top 10 in each of the last five US Opens. He's 2.526/4 for another and 4.3100/30 for top five.

McIlroy won back-to-back at the Zurich Classic pairs event and Wells Fargo Championship before taking 12th in the US PGA. He's since finished fourth in Canada and 15th at Memorial so there's plenty of evidence to suggest the Top 5/10 markets could be a profitable way to play him. Perhaps even more so after the revelation on Tuesday that he's reconciled with wife Erica and called off the divorce he'd filed for last month.

Last four events: 15-4-12-1
US Open form: 2-5-7-8-9-MC-MC-MC-9-23-41-MC-1-MC-10
Last 50 starts - Win: 16%, Top 5: 44%, Top 10: 60%

---

Xander Schauffele - US PGA champ has awesome record

It always seemed the US Open would provide Schauffele with his first major championship. And understandably so. He was fifth on debut at Erin Hills in 2017 and reeled of a run of 6-3-5-7 in his next four. With 14th and 10th in the last two, he's now made the top 10 in six of his seven Open starts.

This year he'll tee it up with a major in the bag at last. That came at last month's US PGA at Valhalla where he held his nerve down the stretch to hold off Bryson DeChambeau by a shot.

Schauffele shot 21-under there and this is a far, far harder test. That said, he's flourished on a range of different courses this year and it would hardly be a surprise to see him on page one of the leaderboard once more.

Last four events: 8-1-2-23
US Open form: 10-14-7-5-36-5
Last 50 starts - Win: 10%, Top 5: 34%, Top 10: 54%

---

Collin Morikawa - Californian a majors specialist

Morikawa hit the ground running in majors, winning on just his third start when landing the 2020 US PGA. He added another five majors later when capturing the 2021 Open Championship.

A pair of top fives in 2022 enhanced his reputation at the very highest level and he's delivered again in 2024 with tied third at the US Masters and tied fourth in the US PGA. Stripping it down to just the US Open, Morikawa was fourth in 2021, fifth in 2022 and 14th last year.

He heads to Pinehurst in excellent form having followed that fourth at the US PGA with another fourth in the Charles Schwab Challenge and a second place to Scheffler at Memorial last week.

Last four events: 2-4-4-16
US Open form: 14-5-4-MC-35
Last 50 starts - Win: 2%, Top 5: 24%, Top 10: 30%

---

Viktor Hovland - Mixed signals from Norwegian

Is Viktor back in top form or not? After a poor run which culminated in a missed cut at Augusta National, the Norwegian bounced back to form with a third place in the US PGA at Valhalla.

Hovland was also going nicely at last week's Memorial Tournament after a pair of opening 69s but then he slumped on the weekend, firing 77-75 to drop back to 15th. On a tough course like Pinehurst, do we trust him to find the giddy heights he showed at the end of 2023.

Looking through a wider lens, Hovland has definitely turned himself into a strong player at this level. After no top 10s in his first 11 majors, he's managed a second, a third, a fourth and a seventh in his last seven.

Last four events: 15-3-24-MC
US Open form: 19-MC-WD-13-12
Last 50 starts - Win: 6%, Top 5: 22%, Top 10: 28%

---

Bryson DeChambeau - Does Pinehurst No.2 suit monster hitter?

DeChambeau used bomb-and-gouge tactics to brilliant effect in the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot, running away from the field to win by six. His length off the tee was also a big advantage when he finished runner-up at Valhalla last month and also at the US Masters where he was sixth.

That's the good news. The bad is that, apart from his win, he hasn't managed anything better than 15th in his other eight US Opens. And with Pinehurst No.2 requiring accuracy in the mix too, will some of DeChambeau's advantage diminish?

With somewhat modest finishes of 18th, 27th and 26th in his last three LIV events, is Bryson saving himself for the majors? Or has his overall form dropped a notch after four straight LIV top 10s pre-Augusta?

Last four events: 18-2-27-26
US Open form: 17-55-4-2-1-1-13-18-4-MC
Last 50 starts - Win: 4%, Top 5: 16%, Top 10: 34%

---

Brooks Koepka - Double champ has great strike-rate

Koepka has twice lifted the US Open trophy. First at Erin Hills in 2017 and second when defending at Shinnecock. Winning scores of -16 and +1 show that the now five-time major winner can thrive in vastly different conditions.

The American also showed he had the game for Pinehurst in 2014 when, still majorless at the time, he finished fourth. He repeated that result at Torrey Pines in 2021 while he was also runner-up at Pebble Beach in 2019. In summary, Koepka has made the top five in half of his 10 US Opens.

Despite underwhelming in the two 2024 majors - 45th at Augusta and 23rd at Valhalla - he won a LIV event in Singapore at the start of May and tuned up for Pinehurst with a ninth in last week's LIV Golf Houston.

Last four events: 9-26-1-9
US Open form: 1-55-2-29-1-1-13-4-5-15-70
Last 50 starts - Win: 10%, Top 5: 24%, Top 10: 30%

---

Ludvig Aberg - Swede hoping to match Masters display

The Swede had only played a handful of PGA Tour events this time last year. Now, he has wins on both sides of the Atlantic and the thrill of winning a Ryder Cup with Europe.

In no time at all he's become a fixture at the top of the betting in every event he plays, even at this level. Aberg was a superb runner-up at Augusta in his first ever start in a major although he bowed out at halfway in the US PGA.

But that Valhalla missed cut was a blip. In his other 10 starts since late January he has two second places and four other top 10s, the latest a fifth at Memorial last week. He has the all-round game and temperament to thrive at Pinehurst.

Last four events: 5-MC-10-2
US Open form: Debut
Last 50 starts - Win: 9%, Top 5: 25%, Top 10: 36%

---

Tommy Fleetwood - Englishman likes it tough

Fleetwood certainly has the patience to win a US Open and it's the major he's come closest to landing. Fourth at Erin Hills in 2017, he closed with a blistering 63 to finish runner-up to Brooks Koepka at Shinnecock 12 months later. He added fifth in LA last year.

As with McIlroy, backing Fleetwood in the Top 5/10 market looks a very legitimate play. Along with his three top fives in this event, he has a second, a fourth and a 10th in the Open, a fifth in the 2022 US PGA and a third in this year's Masters.

There's also an interesting split in his best finishes. Overall, Fleetwood has eight top 10s in majors but seven of those doubled as top fives. In other words, when he's on, he's on.

Last four events: 20-21-26-13
US PGA form: 5-MC-50-MC-65-2-4-27
Last 50 starts - Win: 4%, Top 5: 26%, Top 10: 38%

---

Note: Jon Rahm, who was ninth in the betting, has now pulled out due to a foot infection.

Summary

We landed the Top 10 cash on Collin Morikawa in the US PGA and he's the one that jumps off the page again here.

The case for another big week in the majors for the Californian looks extremely solid.

He's in great form, loves majors and is playing a course that should suit him down to the ground.

With two top fives in his last three US Opens (14th in the other) and recent form of 2-4-4, this time I'll go Top 5 at 4.84/1.

I'll also return to a past winning bet and take Ludvig Aberg for a Top 10 at 3.613/5.

The Swede delivered profits in this same market at Augusta on his first ever start in a major and he definitely has the calm demeanour to take on a US Open test.

A tied fifth at Memorial last week looks ideal prep and he can show once more how he already deserves his place at golf's top table.

---

Now read Dave's US Open 2024 each-way preview

---