Home golfers claimed the US Open title for six successive years before Spain's Jon Rahm and Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick got in on the act.

So, with the competition set to be fierce for the third Major of the year, we are taking a look at who is likely to lead the American charge for glory at Los Angeles Country Club.

Scottie Scheffler @ 6/1

Scottie Scheffler, who is 6/1 to win, stormed to the top of the world rankings last year with three early victories before he claimed his first Major success at the Masters in April.

Many may have thought the Texan would be unable to maintain such a streak of form, but his 2023 has also been impressive as he has claimed success in two of the most prestigious regular PGA Tour competitions - the Phoenix Open and the Players Championship.

What has been so striking this year is his level of consistency. Rarely a Sunday goes by when he is not in the reckoning on the closing stages of a tournament and he has finished in the top-12 in each of his last 16 outings.

Brooks Koepka was the only player who got the better of him at the PGA Championship and he was also tied for second when Fitzpatrick claimed the US Open at Brookline 12 months ago.

If you also consider he is one of the few players who has experience of the demands of the Los Angeles Country Club - he was a member of the successful US Walker Cup team that triumphed there in 2011 - then there is plenty to line about Scheffler’s chances of adding to his Majors tally in California.

Brooks Koepka @ 11/1

Many have suggested that it was not just the prize money but the less strenuous schedule which attracted Brooks Koepka to play on the LIV Tour, and that might just be doing the trick for the newly crowned PGA champion.

Koepka, who can be backed at 11/1 this week, did enough for a two-shot victory at Oak Hill, which looked a lot more comfortable than the final leaderboard suggested and that performance came six weeks after he was tied for second behind Jon Rahm at the Masters.

Koepka has always been a player who tends to save his best performances for the biggest tournaments and that is now five Majors he has on his resume.

His US Open victories of 2017 and 2018 cannot be ignored and it would be a huge surprise if he was unable to make a strong challenge for another of the game’s biggest prizes.

Sam Burns @ 60/1

Jordan Spieth is struggling with inconsistency, Collin Morikawa is dealing with a back injury and Patrick Cantlay does not tend to challenge in the biggest tournaments, so it is difficult to see who else can be considered a home challenger.

However, Sam Burns, who is 60/1, continues to boost his reputation and it is possible he could have a big week at the Los Angeles Country Club.

He is strong enough off the tee to take advantage of some of the widest fairways that will be played all year and he has shown he can deal with the pressure against top opposition following his victory in this year’s WGC World Match Play.

Burns recovered well from missing the cut at the PGA Championship by claiming sixth spot at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a 16th at the Memorial was not bad either.

With four PGA tour titles to go along with his match-play success, the next step is to be a force in the Majors, and we could see him do that this week.

Bryson DeChambeau @ 40/1

The sight of Bryson DeChambeau heading to the LIV Tour may not have bothered many golf fans, but he has come into some decent form and could give punters a good run for their money at 40/1.

DeChambeau missed the cut at Augusta, but brought his A-game to the PGA to finish fourth, a result that punctuated two top-ten finishes in his most recent outings on the breakaway tour.

It should not be forgotten that DeChambeau was the last American winner when he was the only player to get to grips with Winged Foot in 2020 and won by six shots.

And, while confidence has never been an issue for him, he should be determined to demonstrate that he is back among the world’s best players, especially on a course where he can let rip off the tee.

Keegan Bradley @ 100/1

It is 12 years since Keegan Bradley burst on to the scene and won the PGA Championship, but he has got to grips with the changes he has had to make to his putting following the anchoring rule amendments and can give punters a good run at 100/1 this week.

He won the Zozo Championship towards the end of last season, before missing a good opportunity to post a success at the Farmers Insurance Open in the early weeks of this year.

Confidence should come from now being firmly in the top-30 of the rankings and the seventh place he earned at Brookline last year.

bet365 News Team

• Scottie Scheffler
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