2024 U.S. Open Odds: Rory McIlroy Favored After Round 1, Tied for Lead

2024 U.S. Open Odds

Rory McIlroy fired a bogey-free five-under 65 on Thursday afternoon at Pinehurst No. 2 as he holds a share of the first-round lead at the 2024 U.S. Open. McIlroy is the betting favorite at +260 to win his second U.S. Open at bet365.

The four-time major winner was firing on all cylinders today as he gained strokes throughout the bag, ranking among the top 25 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, SG: Approach the Green, SG: Around the Green and SG: Putting.

He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation. He also rolled in 73 feet of putts, including a birdie putt from just outside of 19 feet that he walked in on the 18th hole that got him to five-under par for the round.

The Northern Irishman posted the low round of the afternoon wave and is tied at the top of the leaderboard with Patrick Cantlay, who raced out to a five-under-par 65 in the morning wave. While Cantlay is tied for the lead, he is fifth on the odds board at +900 to win his first major championship. Per PGA Tour Communications on X, the last three times McIlroy opened with a bogey-free round in a major, he won all three tournaments (the 2014 Open Championship, 2012 PGA Championship and 2011 U.S. Open).

Cantlay has had a down year this season as he entered the U.S. Open 77th in Strokes Gained: Total in 2024 after ranking third in the same category in 2023. However, he looked like the Cantlay of old today as he gained strokes throughout the bag. He ranked fourth in the field in SG: Approach the Green and led the field in SG: Around the Green by gaining over 3.8 strokes with his short game by going 7-for-8 scrambling, including this up-and-in from the bunker that got him to red figures early in his round.

Ludvig Åberg also teed off in the morning wave and played a stellar round as the 24-year-old fired a four-under 66 in his U.S. Open debut. The Swede has the third-shortest odds after the first round to win his first major at +700.

Åberg is dealing with a knee injury that caused him to miss the Wells Fargo Championship last month. The following week after that withdrawal, he missed the cut at the PGA Championship in his second major championship appearance.

However, he has shown that he can play through this injury recently with a tie for fifth last week at the Memorial Tournament and a strong showing at Pinehurst No. 2 today. Åberg ranked among the top five in the field both in SG: Off the Tee and SG: Approach the Green as his ball-striking allowed him to hit all 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation.

Bryson DeChambeau unsurprisingly led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee on Thursday as he shot a three-under 67, sitting in a tie for fourth after the first round. His elite length has been a huge asset so far in the two majors this season as he led the field in SG: Off the Tee at the Masters and was second in SG: Off the Tee at the PGA Championship.

He took on some ridiculous lines that other golfers could only dream of, like when he nearly drove the 384-yard par-4 13th hole today and got up-and-down for his first birdie of the round.

He was in control with the big stick as he hit 12 of 14 fairways and was very fortunate to get a generous free drop on the par-5 fifth hole when he missed the fairway by a mile but got a free drop after his line was obstructed by a shotlink tower. He was able to drop in a spot with a line at the green then hit the green under regulation and two-putted for his last birdie of the day.

Per Justin Ray on X, DeChambeau's 6.36 SG: Tee-to-Green are a career-high in a round at the U.S. Open. He is +750 to win his second major championship after the first round.

The most recent major championship winner, Xander Schauffele, somehow managed to keep his round together as he shot even par despite ranking nearly dead last in the field of 156 golfers at 145th in SG: Off the Tee as he lost over 1.5 strokes with his driver.

He hit just six of 14 fairways and eight of 18 greens in regulation but made 99 feet of putts as he made some ridiculous par saves to stop the bleeding and keep himself within shouting distance despite not having his best today. He sits at sixth on the odds board at +1600 to win his second major.

World No. 1 and reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler got off to a surprisingly slow start as he shot one-over par in the first round and is tied for 39th.

Nonetheless, oddsmakers are showing him a ton of respect as he has the second-shortest outright odds after the first round at +650 to win his third major championship. Pinehurst No. 2 is also expected to play tougher later in the weekend, and history has shown that few golfers have finished under par at each of the last few U.S. Opens at Pinehurst No. 2.

Scheffler made a bogey on the third hole and was two over after six holes and remained over par for the entire round. He failed to capitalize on either of the two par-5s at Pinehurst No. 2 and sits six shots behind the lead.

Scheffler led the field by a mile last week in SG: Approach the Green and ranked among the top 10 in the field with his irons today, but he shockingly lost strokes off the tee as his patented fade turned into a draw, and he also lost strokes with his putter.

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