For our third major championship of the season, we head to the infamous Pinehurst No. 2 (par 70, 7,543 yards, Bermuda greens) in Pinehurst, North Carolina, for the 2024 U.S. Open. This will be the fourth time this Donald Ross designed track has hosted the U.S. Open, most recently in 2014—when Martin Kaymer won at -9, which was eight shots clear of the rest of the field. This week’s U.S. Open features a full field of 156 golfers with a slightly limited cut, with the top-60 and ties advancing after the first two rounds.
Pinehurst No. 2 is regarded as one of Ross’ greatest designs and one of the most challenging courses in America. While Kaymer finished at -9 when he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014, he was one of only three players to finish under par that week—and, the cut was a notably five strokes over par. Furthermore, 23 of the 67 players who made the cut finished at +10 or worse. This track is extremely long for a par 70. While the fairways are wide and there is no rough on the grounds, the fairways are bordered by sand waste areas that all have vegetation that can cause major problems. Overall, there are 40 sandscape areas and 117 bunkers at Pinehurst No. 2. When Kaymer won here in 2014, he finished the major top-10 in both driving distance and accuracy, and we need to be prioritizing elite drivers this week. As for the greens at this track, the putting surfaces are very difficult to hold, which is a common characteristic of a Ross designed venue. Given this, we not only need to be seeking players in convincing form with their irons, but golfers who are crafty around the greens, as missing these putting surfaces is inevitable. Plus, with Pinehurst being a classic par 70 with 12 par fours and only two par fives, excellent par-four scorers need to be our main targets. During Kaymer’s dominating victory at Pinehurst No. 2 a decade ago, he led the major in par-four efficiency.
Below, I break down four of my favorite DraftKings bargain plays for the U.S. Open, that all cost less than $7.5K.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA $600K DRIVE THE GREEN [$100K TO 1ST]
Dustin Johnson ($7,400) – Johnson’s game is simply built for U.S. Open setups. He must be rostered at this salary, which is notably the cheapest he has ever been on DraftKings. In 16 starts at this major, Johnson has made 14 cuts and recorded 10 top-25 finishes—four of which have in the past four years. Additionally, the former world No. 1 won the 2016 U.S. Open and he finished T4th at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014. As for his current form, Johnson has finished seventh and 13th in his last two starts on the LIV Golf Tour. For the season on the circuit, the 39-year-old ranks top-10 in birdies, greens in regulation, and driving distance.
Johnson brings top-25 upside this weekend, and him being a LIV Golf member should translate into low ownership.
Tom Kim ($7,300) – Kim has finished T23rd and T8th at the last two U.S. Opens and is currently riding an eight-made cut streak. The 21-year-old has carded five top-30 finishes during this run—two of which came at majors—and Kim has been sensational with his driver, gaining over 2.0 strokes OTT in four consecutive starts. Kim’s first career PGA TOUR win came at another Ross designed par 70 in Sedgefield CC in 2022 and he is an awesome target at this affordable salary.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Kim carries +6000 odds to win the U.S. Open, which are the best odds among all players priced under $7,500 for DFS. To further put into perspective how strong of odds these are relative to his salary, Tony Finau presents the same +6000 odds as Kim, but is far more expensive for DFS at $8,100.
Sungjae Im ($7,100) – Im travels to Pinehurst in tremendous form, with three top-12 finishes in his last four starts. The veteran has only made 2-of-5 cuts the U.S. Open, but Im ranks eight in SG OTT and 30th in SG ARG, making him a strong match for Pinehurst No. 2 where you need to be efficient with your driver and around the greens.
Im has contend at Ross designed venues in the past—he ranks seventh in total strokes gained when we compare this field’s past 50 rounds at Ross courses—and is laughably underpriced for his talent. Notably, Im hasn’t been this cheap on DraftKings in over five years.
Russell Henley ($6,900) – Henley is extremely tough to avoid at this low salary, which is a huge $1,100 decrease from last week and the cheapest he has been on DraftKings in almost four years. Henley has been one of the most consistent players on the PGA TOUR this season, making 12-of-13 cuts, with eight of those finishes being top-30 results. The 35-year-old ranks inside the top-15 in SGT2G, SG: Approach and SG ARG when we compare this field’s last 50 rounds. Plus, he has made four of his last five cuts at the U.S. Open, with all four of those finishes coming inside the top-30.
To top it all off, Henley has a knack for Ross designs, ranking eighth in total strokes gained when we analyze this field’s last 50 rounds at courses created by the famous architect, and he is always at his best at tracks that present Bermuda greens. Three of Henley’s four PGA TOUR wins have come at venues with Bermuda putting surfaces. At Sedgefield CC, which—like Pinehurst No. 2—is a Ross’ designed par 70 that features Bermuda greens, Henley has produced four consecutive top-10 finishes.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA $600K DRIVE THE GREEN [$100K TO 1ST]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
