Steve Palmer's US Open first-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 3.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Justin Suh to win threeball
4pts 7-5 bet365

Jason Kokrak to win threeball
3pts 6-4 Betfair, Power

Taylor Pendrith to win threeball
3pts 11-8 Betfred

Jhonattan Vegas to win threeball
3pts Evens general

Threeballs preview

The USGA failed to yield to popular demand and have separated Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in the US Open threeballs draw with the feuding Americans nowhere near each other over the first two rounds at Torrey Pines.

Koepka is among the early wave of starters, teeing off alongside Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas at 3.29pm UK and Ireland time, while DeChambeau has Hideki Matsuyama and Tyler Strafaci for company at 9.14pm.

US Open favourite, Jon Rahm, subject of sustained support for this event ever since starring for three rounds in the Memorial, does not enter the stage in California until 9.36pm, with Marc Leishman and Patrick Reed completing his group. Rahm, who led the Memorial by six shots before testing positive for Covid-19, is a best-price 9-1 for outright glory and 11-10 for his threeball.

Four comparatively low-key threeballs appear to represent the best day-one value, with Justin Suh perhaps the best of the quartet. Punters will have to be patient to watch Suh - he is in the second-from-last group going off the tenth tee at 10.31pm - but the Californian has the potential to put on a good show in his home state.

Suh qualified at a different California course - Rolling Hills - and he will be teeing up at a track he knows well. The San Jose lad played his college golf at the University of Southern California and got plenty of spins under his belt at Torrey. He also competed on a sponsors invite in the Farmers Insurance Open there in January and finished a respectable 37th.

Suh is a former world number one amateur, who was held in the same regard as peers Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff. Suh's professional career has not taken off like his pals - a wrist injury early on has not helped - but the talent remains and he can showcase it at Torrey Pines this week.

Suh can defeat Spencer Ralston and Dylan Wu, while Jason Kokrak can be fancied for his 4.02pm meeting with Cameron Champ and Corey Conners. Kokrak tops the PGA Tour first-round scoring averages and should make a fast start again this week.

A powerhouse who has improved his putting to a remarkable degree this season, Kokrak put a new set of PXG irons into his bag at Colonial last time out and finished second for greens in regulation as he took home the title. Champ carded an 82 in the Memorial before withdrawing last time out.

Taylor Pendrith, a big-hitting Canadian who has finished runner-up four times on the Korn Ferry Tour, may boss his 8.30pm contest against Dave Coupland and Wade Ormsby. Pendrith has an immense length advantage over his opponents at a track where long drivers have traditionally prospered.

Jhonattan Vegas can be trusted against Yosuke Asaji and Marcus Armitage in their 2.56pm meeting. Vegas, a three-time PGA Tour champion who tied for third in the 2011 Farmers at Torrey and second in last week's Palmetto Championship, has a huge edge in experience. Asaji and Armitage have never played in a Stateside Major.

Not got a bet365 account? Sign up today and get up to £100 in bet credits

Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport