Odds to win the U.S. Open
All eyes will be front and center on Rory McIlroy this weekend when the PGA Tour descends on North Carolina for the 2014 U.S. Open.
McIlroy is seeking his second title at Pinehurst No. 2, but will need to wade through a lengthened course and competitive field to claim a stake in the $8 million purse.
Golf's second major of the year is heavy on storylines, with lefty Phil Mickelson looking to complete the Grand Slam, Bubba Watson seeking a second straight major, and top-ranked Adam Scott chasing his first victory of 2014.
McIlroy, who won the BMW Championship across the pond last month, is the odds-on favorite to win his third career major. The sixth-ranked golfer in the world told the Telegraph he's prepared for the course conditions at Pinehurst, which was restored this past year to its original form, featuring no rough and wide fairways.
"I’m going to adopt a really conservative game plan," said McIlroy, who sits eighth on tour in driving distance. “Middle of the green, middle of the green, middle of the green. I think if your iron game is in really good shape, then you can hit the middle of those greens."
The Northern Irishman will be grouped with Webb Simpson and Graeme McDowell when the tournament tees off Thursday.
Here's a look at the odds for the tournament's outright winner, with the golfer's world ranking in parentheses.
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy (6) | 10/1 |
| Adam Scott (1) | 12/1 |
| Phil Mickelson (11) | 14/1 |
| Bubba Watson (3) | 18/1 |
| Henrik Stenson (2) | 25/1 |
| Jordan Spieth (10) | 25/1 |
| Justin Rose (9) | 25/1 |
| Matt Kuchar (5) | 25/1 |
| Jason Day (7) | 28/1 |
| Dustin Johnson (15) | 33/1 |
| Lee Westwood (30) | 33/1 |
| Luke Donald (18) | 33/1 |
| Sergio Garcia (8) | 33/1 |
| Graeme McDowell (22) | 40/1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama (13) | 40/1 |
| Jason Dufner (16) | 40/1 |
| Jim Furyk (12) | 40/1 |
| Martin Kaymer (28) | 40/1 |
| Charl Schwartzel (21) | 50/1 |
| Zach Johnson (14) | 50/1 |
| Steve Stricker (17) | 50/1 |
| Jimmy Walker (19) | 50/1 |
| Victor Dubuisson (20) | 80/1 |
[Odds courtesy bodog]