Expert Picks: 124th U.S. Open

With a new season comes a new evolution for PGA TOUR Expert Picks. Fans of PGA TOUR betting can now see tips and picks for specific markets that the Golfbet team will be riding with each week. The traditional format for lineups and rosters will remain with Experts looking to come out on top in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf.

How it works: Each week, our experts from PGATOUR.COM will make their selections in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Each lineup consists of four starters and two bench players that can be rotated after each round. Adding to the challenge is that every golfer can be used only three times per each of four Segments.

Aside from the experts below, Golfbet Insider Rob Bolton breaks down the field at the U.S. Open in this week's edition of Power Rankings.

Betting picks

WILL GRAY (Lead, Fantasy & Betting)

• Winner: Tommy Fleetwood (+3300) – He’s been in the mix before, and this could be the week. Fleetwood has finished T26 or better in each of his last four starts, has plenty of positive experience in the majors and can control his ball off the tee, which will be paramount this week.
• Top 10: Sepp Straka (+600) – The Austrian was on my radar last week at the Memorial and continues to thrive. Straka is among the straightest drivers on TOUR and now boasts six top-16 finishes in seven starts since the Masters.
• Longshot: J.T. Poston (+20000) – Taking a flier with the North Carolina native here in the Sand Hills. Poston is ninth on TOUR in driving accuracy and enters off a pair of top-25 finishes.
• H2H: Xander Schauffele (-120) over Rory McIlroy – Schauffele was a beast in this event even before he got that breakthrough major title. I expect another strong week out of the Valhalla winner, while McIlroy still presents more questions than answers for me.

BEN EVERILL (Senior writer, Fantasy & Betting)

• Winner: Collin Morikawa (+1400) – If you like Morikawa, like I do, the better play is taking him in the “Without Scheffler” market at +1200 just to take the dominant world No. 1 out of the mix. His ball-striking has been great of late and his desire palpable. I sensed a hunger at Muirfield Village to prove this isn’t just the Scottie Scheffler show.
• Top 10: Tommy Fleetwood (+320) – You need a combination of driving accuracy and scrambling ability to play well at Pinehurst and Fleetwood has a great combo of both going this season. Is a proven U.S. Open performer and could give the title a real shake.
• Longshot: Min Woo Lee (+6600) – The first feeling I got when stepping back on Pinehurst was that of homesickness for Australian sandbelt golf. While not exactly like those back home, Pinehurst has a Mornington Peninsula feel about it which should give imaginative Aussies a sense of familiarity. Needs to lift his short game to truly contend.
• H2H: Cameron Smith (+120) over Matt Fitzpatrick – This is a dangerous selection as Fitzpatrick is not only a recent U.S. Open winner but he also played himself into some sneaky form last week on a baked-out Muirfield Village. But I’m choosing to think the Australian’s sensational short game and imagination make him a value choice here.

CHRIS BREECE (Senior content manager, Golfbet)

• Winner: Collin Morikawa (+1400) – Call it stubborn. I’m calling it conviction. Collin Morikawa is going to get a big win at some point. Every metric points to his game doing well at U.S. Opens and this course in specific. His game has been too consistent lately for me to get off this horse now.
• Top 10: Sepp Straka (+600) – His recent form is on point. Since the Masters he’s gone T16, T5, T8, MC, T5, T5. He’s second on TOUR in Driving Accuracy, one of our key stats this week.
• Longshot: Max Homa (+5000) – This almost hit for me at the Masters, so I’ll try it again. Homa has the exact pedigree that fits the mold of first-time major winner you didn’t think was going to happen. He has two top 10s in his last three majors. Perhaps the narrative is coming to an end.
• H2H: Russell Henley (-110) over Sungjae Im – Henley is near the top of our board for the combination of Driving Accuracy and Scrambling. The players also love his game. The U.S. Open has been a struggle for Im.

MATT DELVECCHIO (Social content manager, Fantasy & Betting)

• Winner: Rory McIlroy (+1200) – Scheffler will most likely win this week, and after saying I think he will win three majors this year after the Masters, I stand by that. With that being said, I don’t ever support +333 odds in a 156-man field. This may be the last season McIlroy’s game will be third in the world. McIlroy needs to take advantage of the form he’s in with another major on his resume. I think we see some unbelievable scrambling and dialed driver/iron play to push him towards a win.
• Top 10: Sungjae Im (+600) – Outside of Scheffler and Schauffele, Sungjae Im could make a case for one of the hottest players on TOUR since the Masters. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship but has played the RBC Canadian, Wells Fargo Championship, Charles Schwab Challenge and the Memorial and has no worse than a T12 finish. His SG: Around the Green and SG: Putting is what I like the most from him and should be on display this week at Pinehurst.
• Longshot: Sepp Straka (+8000) – Straka’s proving to be a big game hunter (T16 at THE PLAYERS, T16 at the Masters, T5 at RBC, T8 at Wells Fargo, T5 last week at the Memorial). Watch out for him.
• H2H: Corey Conners (-125) over Keegan Bradley – Both have been playing great as of late, but like I said with Conners last week, he is more reliable. Trust the Canadian to finish high this week.

Odds were sourced on Tuesday, June 11. For live odds, visit BetMGM.

THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN OUR EXPERTS? The PGA TOUR Experts league is once again open to the public. You can play our free fantasy game and see how you measure up against our experts.

Joining the league is simple. Just click here to sign up or log in. Once you create a team, click the "LEAGUES" tab. Then click on "FEATURED," and then on the PGA TOUR Experts league that populates.

RESULTS

*Brett Jungles joined the Expert Picks league at the beginning of Segment 1 and did not accumulate any points from the FedExCup Fall.

Golfbet experts longshot: 0-18

For resources to overcome a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER today.