U.S. Open 2020: 5 dark horse golfers who could win at Winged Foot

U.S. Open sleeper No. 4: Rasmus Hojgaard (+16000)

At just 19 years old, Rasmus Hojgaard out of Denmark might be one of the youngest players competing at Winged Foot this week. When you couple that with the fact that he has +16000 odds to win the tournament, he might seem like someone that shouldn’t even be on your radar, especially considering the fact that he’s an unknown on the PGA Tour.

On the European Tour, however, Hojgaard has been a monster. From July 24 to Aug. 29, the Dane reeled off four-straight top-10 finishes, a stretch that included three top-three showings and a victory at the ISPS Handa UK Championship. Moreover, he’s been showing out with his irons and his ability to kill the ball down the fairway.

Hojgaard ranks fifth on the European Tour in driving distance on the season and, while his accuracy may be somewhat of a concern, the fact that he can hit shorter clubs into the green if he’s in the rough could be to his advantage. Furthermore, he’s been fourth on the European Tour in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, showing his overall prowess.

There is something to be said for a young player who has never experienced an event like the U.S. Open before when the environment is going to be exceptionally tough. He doesn’t know any better and could be fearless while also having the game to back it up. At these long odds, you could look to Hojgaard as a deep, deep sleeper with the goods to possibly pay off hugely.