Scottie Scheffler remains the man to beat (Picture: Getty Images)
Xander Schauffele’s victory at the US PGA begs the question: who is the greatest active golfer yet to win a major?
There’s a rich crop of candidates seeking to rid themselves of the unwanted tag at the conclusion of Sunday’s US Open at Pinehurst.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood has been in the conversation since finishing second at the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York. The following year he was second again in the Open at Royal Portrush, then tied fifth at the 2022 US PGA and he will be buoyed by a T3 in the Masters in April.
Victor Hovland’s best effort in a major was a T2 at last year’s US PGA and he was T4 in the 2022 Open at St Andrews before a T7 at Augusta last year.
Next up is a relative newcomer to the debate, with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg bursting into consideration with a solo second at this year’s Masters while the final candidate on the shortlist is Will Zalatoris, runner-up at the 2021 Masters and at the US PGA and US Open the following year.
All will have to combat a challenging course which will cut the wheat from the chaff but the biggest obstacle in their path to a first major triumph is the outstanding Scottie Scheffler. He’s miles clear of the rest of the field and Sunday’s victory at the Memorial was his fifth PGA Tour success of the year, an amazing run during which he won a second green jacket in April.
Ludvig Aberg was second at this year’s Masters (Picture: Getty Images)
Scheffler proved he’s human when failing to win last month’s US PGA but even then he went out on his shield, finishing T8 at Valhalla amid the birth of his son and more infamous off-course distractions.
Scheff, though, is no better than 10/3 with BetUK and Unibet and we’ll pray he has an off week by taking him on with an each-way fourball.
In his last three starts Collin Morikawa has been second at the Memorial, fourth at the Charles Schwab and T4 at the US PGA and he’s 16/1 with SpreadEx, Unibet and BetUk while Aberg, 20/1 with Betfred, is in decent shape with a T5 at Muirfield Village at the weekend following a T20 at the Heritage.
Matt Fitzpatrick saves his best golf for this tournament, winning two years ago with three other top 20 finishes to his credit, and he’s 40/1 with Betfair while in-form Adam Hadwin is worth a roll of the dice at 110/1 with the same firm.
• Royal Ascot starts on Tuesday and Inspiral is 3/1 with William Hill for the Queen Anne Stakes while Big Evs is 7/2 across the board for the King Charles III. City of Troy, who reversed his poor form in the 2,000 Guineas when storming to victory in the Epsom Derby appeals at 11/2 with Unibet to claim the Irish Derby at the end of the month.
• Bury’s Adam Yates has a fine record in the Tour de France, finishing third last year, ninth in 2022 and 2020 and fourth in 2016. He was recently 13th in defence of his Tour de Romandie crown and last year’s runner-up in the Criterium du Dauphine is worth an each-way flutter at 28/1 with Betfred to be on the podium in Nice next month at the end of the greatest show on wheels.
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