The U.S. Open has an important place in the history of golf. It is considered the toughest challenge in golf and many of the greatest players have won this great tournament and have walked the fairways of the many great courses that hosted the second major of the year. This year’s tournament will be at Merion Golf Club where Ben Hogan made his historic comeback after a horrific car crash that nearly took his life. It is also where arguably one of the most famous pictures in sports history was taken of Ben Hogan swinging from behind the tee box. This was a first and why it became so legendary. This year’s field will be one of the best in years considering the many different winners that have hoisted trophies this year. There have been new players that have won for the first time as well as many familiar faces and this is why Golf Channel ratings continue to rise as they recorded their best May ratings in history. There are many great players to look out for and the winner is up in the air.
There is no real favorite honestly and while people will say Tiger Woods, he was terrible at Memorial, a tournament he’s won six times. Yes it was only one tournament but he hasn’t done much in a major in a while and the fields keep getting tougher and tougher so Woods’ chances are tough considering the other players playing well. Woods’ isn’t back either, if he was back then he would be winning majors like he was in the early 2000’s. One guy to look out for is Kevin Streelman, although he has missed the cut in his last two events, he is one of the most unpredictable players on Tour. He’ll play very well and then some days he’ll be average or below average and despite his bad last two outings, he has finished in the top six three times before that including a strong second place finish at The Players Championship. His stats are also very solid as he ranks 19th in Driving Accuracy and ninth in Scoring Average and those are two huge stats and his accuracy off the tee will be an advantage for him on the Merion fairways. When he’s made the cut, he’s ninth in Scoring Average in the third round and fifth in Scoring Average in the final round. He’s also very good on Par 5’s as he’s ranked 23rd in Birdie Average on Par 5’s despite not being a very long hitter but has a very accurate swing and uses that to his advantage and hits many Greens in Regulation.
He’s also a very solid putter, he’s ranked 25th in Stokes Gained making him pretty much an all-around threat with the exception of his Driving Average and even with his Driving Average, he’s 81st which is still decent being in the top 100. Streelman just needs to be consistent, he’s missed two cuts in a row these last couple of weeks but overall has had a terrific season never finishing outside the top 50 when he’s playing on Saturday and Sunday and he has a win under his belt this year as well at the Tampa Bay Championship so overall, the sky is the limit for Streelman, he just needs to stay consistent and handle the pressure of trying to make the cut in each tournament which can be tough but he’s too good to the point where he should miss less cuts. Streelman has missed five cuts this season including at The Masters but looks to turn around his misfortune at The Masters to regain himself at the U.S. Open. Can’t forget to put Memorial champion Matt Kuchar in the mix after a phenomenal performance all weekend, Kuchar looks to be a threat in the U.S. Open as he’s coming in with tons of confidence.
Kuchar, now the fourth ranked player in the world and the only other American player in the top five besides Woods, is one of the most dangerous putters in the game right now and that’s why his chances at the U.S. Open are extremely high. He has had an incredible season so far, never missing a cut and finishing in the top 10 in six times including two wins and a second place finish at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, which he came close to winning but ended up falling short to very on target Boo Weekley. If anything, Kuchar is the most dangerous player going in to the U.S. Open field considering the confidence he will have. Kuchar isn’t accurate off the tee but his putting is terrific and he’s fifth in Birdie Average on Par 5’s not to mention he’s fifth in Scoring Average and those are key skills to have in order to be in contention at Merion. Kuchar is also outstanding from the bunker which makes him more dangerous because if he hits a shot in a bunker then it will be absolutely no problem for him and it won’t faze him. So look for Kuchar to make a huge impact U.S. Open weekend. Others to look out for are Luke Donald and Justin Rose.
Donald is going to be extremely hungry going into Merion trying to win not only his first major, but his 15th victory which will make him eligible for the World Golf Hall of Fame. He also would love to get another shot at a major title after coming close to winning the British Open Championship last year; he would like nothing better but to redeem himself, this time, at the U.S. Open. Rose also finished strong at a major last year, finishing third at the PGA Championship and he also is very close to becoming hall of fame eligible as he is two wins away from doing so. He has finished in the top 25 or better in each tournament he’s played in except missing the cut at The Players and has had a terrific season so look out for those two to do damage and also keep an eye for 2010 U.S. Open champion Greame Mcdowell who has quietly had a solid season that includes five top 10’s and a win.