Pebble-proven Si Woo Kim can start strongly in former home state of California

TV: Sky Sports Golf, 3pm Thursday

Si Woo Kim finished fourth in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and will be looking forward to tackling the famous Californian venue in the US Open this week.

Kim, who won the Players Championship at Sawgrass in 2017, has shown he can handle tough layouts and looks a solid investment at 11-8 to end the US Open as the leading Korean. It is a three-runner section, with only Byeong Hun An and Kyoung-Hoon Lee to beat.

Kim, whose lone Web.com Tour triumph came in California at the 2015 Stonebrae Classic, spent his late teens living in the Golden State and enjoys terrain like Pebble Beach. Third place in the Genesis Open in February provided further evidence of his comfort in Cali.

Much of Kim's best golf has come by the sea, including fourth place in the 2016 Sony Open and second spot in the 2018 Heritage, and he has a decent US Open result under his belt too – a share of 13th in the 2017 edition at Erin Hills.

The US Open credentials of Kim are significantly better than those of An, who has missed the cut in 11 of his 19 Majors, including at Pebble in 2010, with a best finish of 23rd, yet they are a similar price. Lee is an inexperienced US Tour rookie.

Viktor Hovland is a frightening talent at the age of 21 and Norwegian powerhouse can follow taking low-amateur honours in the Masters by winning the same section in the US Open. Pebble Beach was the scene of his 2018 US Amateur Championship triumph, a week of domination in which he took the shine off Devon Bling by crushing him 6&5 in the final.

Hovland, 32nd in the Masters with four rounds of par or better, produced a polished performance on his Augusta debut. At Pebble, which he knows better, the amateur sensation could even have designs on the US Open trophy. Bling and Brandon Wu appear Hovland's only serious rivals for top amateur if he plays anywhere near his potential.

The opening morning is set to be calm, with a light breeze in the afternoon, while any moisture in the greens should be sucked out by sunshine from 1pm onwards. There is a slight advantage for morning starters and a pair of big-priced runners appeal each-way for a first-round-leader market where some firms are paying to eight places.

Scottie Scheffler, who can boast seven top-seven finishes from his last 11 starts on the Web.com Tour, including a victory in the Evans Scholars Invitational last month, is in good enough form to ping the lids in his third US Open. He was top amateur when 27th in the 2017 edition and the 22-year-old returns with confidence abound.

Si Woo Kim is also worth chancing in the FRL market, while Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay, the pair who seem most likely to survive a 72-hole Pebble Beach grind of distance control and bogey avoidance, form an attractive outright dual-forecast alliance at 150-1.

Recommendations
S W Kim top Korean
3pts 11-8 general
V Hovland top amateur
2pts 7-2 bet365
S Scheffler first-round leader
1pt each-way 125-1 Betfair, Paddy Power
S W Kim first-round leader
1pt each-way 100-1 general
T Woods-P Cantlay dual forecast
1pt 150-1 Sky Bet

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