US Open Update: News, Weekend Bets, and stats.

Good Afternoon. Welcome to Shanks, a golf & gambling rag.

Here's what we've got for ya today:

• Update: US Open

• Phil Gets Heckled

• Golf Data

• Pure, so Pure.

• Golf Shots Heard Round The World

• Golf Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Update: US Open

122 years.

That’s how long it’s taken someone to jot down a 62 on their scorecard in a US Open, until Rickie Fowler did it yesterday.

Then Xander Schauffle did it again about 122 seconds later.

Eight-under-par is considered way too low for the US Open, for the whole weekend, but for a single day? Crazy. Unheard of.

Reminder: Brooks Koepka won the 2018 US Open with a final score of +1.

What about the rest of the leaderboard?

Rory McIlroy: The leaders are tied at 8 under, but for most of Rory’s round, it looked like he was going to join them. He was five under after a scorching front nine and then shot even par on the back.

Dustin Johnson: Casually tied his career major low with a 64. He and Rory lead the field in strokes gained off the tee.

Scottie Scheffler: Looks like he switched both his putter and his strategy, he’s now deploying Aimpoint. When asked about it after, he said “Sometimes you gotta bring a new putter around to make the old one scared”.

Wyndham Clark and Bryan Harman: I hate to be that guy, but with all of these heavy hitters in striking distance, they will probably fall down the board throughout the weekend.

💰 Shanks Picks 💰

Winner: Tony Finau was our outright pick. He played well and finished round one -2, but had an absolutely heartbreaking putt that you just cant have in a major. Needed that tap in bird!

Top Five: Viktor Hovland is -1 and T25, he’s got some work to do.

Top Ten: It’s a funky course, and we hoped that it would play well with the chaos that is Jordan Spieth, but he finished +2. Gonna need three straight strong days to crack the top ten.

Top Twenty: Mito Pereira is +1 so top twenty is definitely in the cards.

Long Shots: Sahith Theegala, a california kid who likes to put on a show, was a little too hyped yesterday and shot +4.

WITB US Open Records

If you’re curious like I am, you’re wondering what kinda gear the 2 leaders who both shot 62s have in their bag! Maybe I can get in on it. Will it change my game? Probably not, but like Chase Utley said in that recent episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, “How do you think baseball players get over their slumps? With superstitions. Because what they believe influences their actions.”

Thanks Chase Utley. And I believe that if I buy expensive new clubs meant for pros to hit, I’ll score low just like them. So without futher dudes, let’s check out what Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler have in the bag!

Xander Schauffele

Driver - Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)

3 Wood - Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond High Launch (16.5 degrees)

Hybrid - Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)

Irons - Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW)

Wedges - Callaway Jaws Raw (52), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks

Proto (60)

Putter - Odyssey Toulon Design Seven Prototype

Ball – Callaway Chrome Soft X LS

Rickie Fowler

Driver - Cobra Aerojet LS (9 degrees)

3 Wood - Cobra Aerojet LS (13.5 degrees)

5 Wood - Cobra LTDx LS (17.5 degrees)

Irons - Cobra King Tour (4-PW)

Wedges - Cobra King Forged (54, 56, and 58 degrees)

Putter - Odyssey Versa Jailbird

Ball - TaylorMade TP5x

Phil Gets Heckled

It’s not at all surprising that after all of the drama of the last year, Phil got heckled yesterday.

However, it wasn’t the crowd, but just one man.

That man was wearing a fake mustache and sombrero, and apparently unleashed a 30 second diatribe as Phil stood over his birdie putt on the final hole. Phil made par and gave the crowd his patented thumbs up.

Golf Shots Heard Round The World

It Could Happen: Brooks Koepka talked this week about his performances in majors, noting that when the scores are -20 he doesn’t compete as well, but when the field is struggling to string together pars, that’s where he thrives. Well, this US open is looking like one of those -20 birdie fests.

Golf Twitter: Here are all the complaints about how easy the first round of the US Open was.

Bryson: Dechambeau continues streak of LIV Golfers showing up in majors.

Golf Data & Weekend Bets

Here’s a list of the current players within five shots of the lead and their odds.

Wyndham Clark -6: +1400

Dustin Johnson -6: +800

Brian Harman -5: +6600

Rory McIlroy -5: +550

Bryson Dechambaeu -3: +2500

Scottie Scheffler -3: +700

Si Woo Kim -3: +5000

Paul Barjon -3: +40000

Harris English -3: +10000

Sam Bennett -3: +20000

Mackenzie Hughes -3: +15000

We like DJ +800, Bennett +20000, and Scottie +700.

Pure, So Pure.

A 258yd iron shot to two feet. Wonder what that feels like?

Golf Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Continuing from our last newsletter, HOT US OPEN MERCH!

Srixon is gaining popularity ever so constantly thanks to guys like Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, and Keegan Bradley. Check out this video of Brooksy opening the box containing the Srixon US Open staff bag, don’t you want that??

The only place I can find this thing on the internet currently is off eBay for like $500 which is the cheapest bag I’ve seen from any major.

Alright, screw it, we’re just going to talk about bags I guess. But first, lemme ask you this question, do you want to feel like Rickie Fowler and shoot a cool 62 at LACC? Well it all starts with the Cobra bag.

Now I can’t find this particular bag for purchase on the internet but you can bet it would be over $500.

And it would be worth every $ to pull up to a country club and immediately smash a drive 75 yards right onto a different hole.

That's all folks! Have a great weekend of golf.