Jon Rahm won the first major of his career at the US Open in 2021 with a fine performance at Torrey Pines. The Spaniard had come close on several occasions to securing his first major but ultimately fell short before he finally made his breakthrough in the States. The 27-year-old was expected to go from strength to strength after having the burden of expectation lifted from his shoulders, but he could not add further titles to his collection.
Rahm has remained consistent at the top of the world rankings, although the rise of Scottie Scheffler resulted in the Spaniard being ousted from the number one spot.
Rahm will be desperate to respond and he will look to join an elite company of players to win back-to-back titles in the US Open. He is backed at +15 in the US Open golf betting odds to triumph at The Country Club in Brookline and has been in solid form of late.
However, only a select number of players have won the US Open in successive years, including Brooks Koepka, Curtis Strange, and Ben Hogan in the modern era.
Rahm will have to be flawless on the course as he was at Torrey Pines last year when he edged his way to a narrow victory, finishing one stroke ahead of his nearest rival Louis Oosthuizen.
He was cool as a cucumber on the final hole, requiring a birdie to avoid a playoff with the South African, and he duly delivered to take the crown after starting the final day three shots off the pace.
The US Open more than any other tournament requires patience and a clinical edge. It is more about limiting your mistakes than attempting to blast away your rivals. The last two victors have won with a score of six-under for the tournament, far lower than the totals required to win The Masters and PGA Championship.
The United States Golf Association likes to present a challenge to the players on the tour, which has caused issues for even the best. Remarkably, a player of the caliber of Tiger Woods has not been able to win back-to-back US Opens, highlighting the task ahead of Rahm.
Encouragingly for the Spaniard, he has been in good form outside of his performances at the majors. He would have been disappointed to finish down in 27th place at The Masters and 48th place at the PGA Championship.
However, Rahm did triumph at the Mexico Open to notch his first PGA Tour victory of the season and does have a second and third-place finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and Farmer Insurance Open under his belt this term.
The challenge for Rahm will be raising the standard of his game amid the pressure and difficulty of the course at Brookline. Justin Thomas rose to the occasion at the PGA Championship, while Rory McIlroy is in good touch, albeit lacking a clinical edge at the majors.
At his best, Rahm is a match for all of his rivals, and he would send out a message that he is once again a force to be reckoned with on the major stage with a second US Open triumph.
