Adam Hadwin went through qualifying to get into the US Open field, and even then only managed to do so as an alternate. The Canadian proved he belonged on Thursday, as he shot a 66 to take a one-shot lead at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Despite his hot start, Hadwin isn’t a favorite to win the US Open, with DraftKings Sportsbook still posting him at +2500 odds following Round 1.
Hadwin having fun at US Open
That won’t bother Hadwin, who qualified after Paul Casey withdrew due to back issues. Hadwin is now the first Canadian to hold the lead (or a share of it) after the first round since 2009, when Mike Weir accomplished that feat.
“It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?” Hadwin said after his round. “It was a lot of fun, and you don’t get to say that a lot at the US Open.”
Hadwin isn’t a complete unknown. He did win the 2017 Valspar Championship, his only PGA Tour title. But he currently ranks No. 105 in the world, despite four top-10 finishes this year.
Pours in another one! @ahadwingolf moves back to -4 and a shot clear of the field. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/1eebF2eV15
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2022
Still, while Hadwin can certainly compete at any level, he will have to contend with a host of players within two shots of his score. Five players are tied for second place at three-under, including Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy looking to end major drought
DraftKings currently lists McIlroy as the +450 favorite to win the US Open. He stood at four-under-par heading into his final hole of the day, but bogeyed the ninth to finish with a 67.
A man on a mission. @McIlroyRory saves par at the 5th. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/6SMjcYqGnD
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2022
“It’s been eight years since I won a major, and I just want to get my hands on one again,” McIlroy told reporters. “I’m going into [the second round] with the mindset of let’s keep it going, rather than where is the cut line or whatever. If you don’t get off to a great start, those thoughts start to creep in. It’s certainly a different mindset when you get off to a good start, and yeah, I’ve just got to keep it going.”
| US Open Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook) | ||
| Odds | Score | |
| Rory McIlroy | +450 | -3 |
| Justin Thomas | +1000 | -1 |
| Jon Rahm | +1100 | -1 |
| Matthew Fitzpatrick | +1100 | -2 |
| Scottie Scheffler | +1600 | E |
| Dustin Johnson | +1800 | -2 |
| Collin Morikawa | +2000 | -1 |
| Justin Rose | +2200 | -2 |
| Will Zalatoris | +2200 | -1 |
McIlroy is coming off a victory at the Canadian Open last weekend. He now shares second place with four players who all came through qualifying to make the US Open field: MJ Daffue, Joel Dahmen, David Lingmerth, and Callum Tarren.
None of those players find themselves near the top of the DraftKings odds board. But many other notables did enough to keep themselves in the hunt for a US Open title this weekend.
Justin Thomas (+1000) is the second choice after shooting one-under-par for the day on Thursday, the same score as Jon Rahm (+1100) and Collin Morikawa (+1800). Matt Fitzpatrick (+1100) and Dustin Johnson (+1800) are even closer, both carding a two-under 68 in the first round. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler shot even par, and is now a +1600 pick to win the US Open.