2015 US OPEN
Where: Chambers Bay, Washington, USA
When: Friday 19th June 2015
Purse: $9,000,000
If you drive an hours south of Seattle and follow the signs that say ‘Old Rock Mine’ you’ll now find Chambers Bay golf course. Chambers Bay was the vision of John Ladenburg - a quirky ambitious project. Construction only begun in 2006 on what others thought as a useless piece of land.
Ladenburg’s vision was a “Bethpage” of the northwest and from what I’ve seen, it looks like he has created something very unique. Originally a $13 million budget blew out to $21 million, however Ladenburg issued a blank check as he knew it would take something special to get the attention of the USGA. His persistence paid off and this is the first time the Pacific north-west has ever held a national championship. Although that $21 million didn’t pay for much of a clubhouse.
#Quirky
This is a buzz word you may hear a lot this week. Chambers Bay consists of rolling fairways, massive dunes, undulating greens and coastal winds that will no doubt play a role. I have also heard that this is the first time ‘drones’ will be used in TV coverage - making viewing even more, dare I say it, “quirky”.
With so many unknowns this will be a very entertaining major to watch although making an informed betting decision will be much harder at a golf course with no history. At 7,769 yards, it’s long but still not the longest Open we have seen.
I believe creativity and sheer grit and determination will be bigger factors than just length off the tee. There has been a lot said about Jordan Spieth’s caddy Michael Greller having a leg up on the field as he is one of the very few with Chambers Bay experience. Greller caddied here at the 2010 US amateur championship. Will that give Spieth the edge? Maybe, and golf is all about small edges. It does help that he is one of the hottest golfers in the world at the moment.
I will be getting a little something on Spieth, while I also like the look of Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose to make strong showings. The best odds for these players are at Betfair, but you should maybe consider utilising one of the specials listed at the bottom of this article.
- BET ON: Jordan Spieth - $10.50 at Betfair
- BET ON: Phil Mickelson - $21 at Betfair
- BET ON: Justin Rose - $20 at Betfair
+ Justin Rose Top 10 - $3.15 at Betfair
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
