5 outsiders worth backing for the 2015 US Open

With the bookies offering very short odds on the likes of Rory McIlroy (7/1) and Jordan Spieth (8/1), we take a look at some longshots who could come in on Sunday

This US Open betting guide will focus on the outsiders who we think have a chance of competing at Chambers Bay, but let us be honest from the start, with no previous professional events to act as yardsticks, and a course style that is more Open Championship than US Open, it could be somewhat of a lottery.

The players who have tackled Chambers Bay's 18 holes seem to agree.

Phil Mickelson, who is looking to complete his career Grand Slam, said: “It’s a very interesting golf course. I thought it was a modern-day links course and everything about it was a British Open to me.”

Tiger Woods spent seven hours on the course on his first day there, and said: “It’s very challenging as there are so many options. There are so many different numbers that you have to know off the tees and how that’s going to play. They could make it to where it’s just brutal or they can make it to where it’s pretty easy and give us a combination of both, and then switch it up on every other hole.”

With those comments in mind, our outsiders guide is favouring certain scoring factors alongside current form, including accuracy, scrambling success, and a history of doing well on links courses.

Without further ado, here are our contenders:

Jim Furyk (40/1)

Since winning the US Open in 2003, Furyk has been runner-up twice and led on the 71st tee in 2012. The 45-year-old defied the ageing process to win the RBC Heritage earlier this year at Harbour Town in a performance that further demonstrated his credentials for seaside golf. Last year he also secured his fifth top-five in The Open, proving he loves links golf. Having finished T5 at Memorial recently, his form could be peaking at just the right time.

Lee Westwood (66/1)

A major title still eludes the 42-year-old after numerous near misses. Nevertheless, he has a superb majors record and will go off at bigger odds than we've seen in at least a decade. As we all know, Westwood's fared better in The Open than any other major, and his accuracy could be enough to put him in pole position around Chambers Bay.

Brandt Snedeker (66/1)

In the US Opens since 2009, Snedeker has racked up a T9, T8, T11, T17 and T9. He also finished T3 at The Open in 2012, so shouldn't fall short on his links ability. A T2 at the Colonial and a T6 at the Byron Nelson in his last two events also puts the American in red hot form.

Francesco Molinari (125/1)

The Italian finished T3 at Memorial and fifth in the BMW PGA Championship, so is hotting up nicely in the run up to this year's event at Chambers Bay. With 78.51%, he currently leads the driving accuracy statistic on the PGA Tour, and sits sixth in the greens in regulation category, so has all the attributes that should prove important.

Ernie Els (200/1)

A former winner of both the US Open and The Open, Els is arguably the best links player of his generation, and could use his experience to devastating affect at Chambers Bay if the wind blows. While his form now comes in peaks and troughs, his top-25 at The Masters this year shows he can still turn up when it matters. His record at the US Open, where he's contended on three of the last five Sundays, is also something that can't be ignored.