US Open second-round golf betting tips and predictions: Four threeball tips for day two at Oakmont

Where to watch the US Open

Second-round coverage begins on Sky Sports Main Event & Golf at 11.30am.

Best bets

Brooks Koepka to win 12.18pm threeball
2pts 7-4 general

Carlos Ortiz to win 1.34pm threeball
2pts 5-6 BoyleSports

Jordan Smith to win 5.41pm threeball
2pts 6-4 BoyleSports

Thriston Lawrence to win 7.20pm threeball
1pt 6-4 BoyleSports, Paddy Power

Story so far

JJ Spaun holds the first-round lead at the 125th US Open after the Californian carded an opening 66 at Oakmont Country Club on Thursday.

Spaun, a 125-1 chance before the start of the tournament, leaned heavily on his putter to shoot a four-under-par round, becoming only the second man in the last three Oakmont US Opens to go bogey-free through 18 holes — the first was 2016 champion Dustin Johnson.

As expected, Oakmont, which is considered the toughest course on the US Open schedule, showed its teeth in round one despite benign weather conditions and minimal wind, with just ten players out of the 156-man field on the right side of par.

Not even world number one Scottie Scheffler could safely negotiate the Pennsylvania layout, carding a three-over 73 to sit seven shots behind first-round leader Spaun.

Scheffler will have work to do over the remaining three days, but, with conditions likely to get more difficult, the 11-4 pre-tournament favourite is still prominent in the betting at 13-2.

He has, however, been replaced as market leader by 2021 US Open champion Jon Rahm, who opened up with a one-under-par 69 to sit three shots off the lead.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, sent off second favourite behind Scheffler, is also three over par, while Rory McIlroy failed to capitalise on a bright start, limping to an opening 74 having made the turn at two under.

US Open leaderboard

-4 JJ Spaun
-3 Thriston Lawrence
-2 Si Woo Kim, Brooks Koepka, Sungjae Im
-1 Ben Griffin, Thomas Detry, Jon Rahm, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, James Nicholas
PAR Adam Scott, Robert MacIntyre, Russell Henley, Denny McCarthy, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Young, Bud Cauley, Ryan McCormick,

Selected others
+2 Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele
+3 Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler
+4 Rory McIlroy
+5 Joaquin Niemann
+6 Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas
+8 Sepp Straka

Best odds for the US Open

11-2 J Rahm, 13-2 S Scheffler, 12 B Koepka, C Morikawa, JJ Spaun, 16 B DeChambeau, 20 S W Kim, 28 L Aberg, 28 B Griffin, 33 R Henley, J Spieth, X Schauffele, 35 R McIlroy, V Hovland, 40 bar.

US Open second-round predictions

The name of Jon Rahm looms ominously on the US Open leaderboard, but second-round threeball punters should concentrate on another Major-winning LIV golfer who is in the mix with 54 holes to play.

Five-time Major champion Brooks Koepka has had a poor LIV season by his high standards, but he once again demonstrated his ability to negotiate a fearsome Major layout as he fired a first-round 68 to sit two shots back at Oakmont.

The 35-year-old has built a career on performances in Major arenas, winning the US Open at Erin Hills in 2017, then successfully defending at Shinnecock Hills 12 months later, while he is also a three-time winner of the US PGA Championship.

His moderate 2025 form can be the only reason he is not favourite in the 12.18pm threeball, which also features two loose drivers in Justin Thomas and Min Woo Lee, who could soon check out of this event having carded opening rounds of 76 and 77.

Brooks Koepka is two shots back heading into the second round at OakmontCredit: Getty Images

Another LIV man, Carlos Ortiz, appeals from the early threeball options (1.24pm).

The Mexican has been excellent in recent weeks, winning on the Asian Tour, then finishing fourth, 16th, seventh, and tenth in the last four LIV tournaments thanks to some metronomic ball-striking.

Ortiz fired a first-round 71 despite ranking last in putting, and his tee-to-green consistency should help him to again outscore Matthew Jordan, who struggled with his long game in round one. The group is completed by tailed-off Japanese player Yuta Sugiura.

From the later threeballs, Jordan Smith catches the eye to beat Jacques Kruyswijk and Eric Cole (5.41pm).

The man from Bath is one of the most capable tee-to-green operators on the DP World Tour, and he's shown the ability to step up in Major championships, finishing ninth at the 2017 US PGA and 20th at the US Open two years ago.

An opening round of 72 was a respectable effort from Smith. He can see off Kruyswijk, who is likely to go backwards on his Major debut, and Cole, who ranked 145th in strokes gained off-the-tee in round one.

It would be a remarkable effort if second-placed Thriston Lawrence is able to maintain his lofty position, but the South African should at least see off Thorbjorn Olesen and Noah Kent in the 7.20pm threeball.

Lawrence putted well in round one, but he was also 14th in strokes gained off-the-tee, and he has shown an ability to plot his way around tough courses — he has won at Crans-sur-Sierre, is a runner-up at Wentworth and the Belfry, and finished fourth in last year's Open Championship.

Olesen shot a 76 on Thursday despite ranking eighth in putting, while Kent is an amateur who failed to break 80 in his opening round.

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