This week marks the second major of the season on golf’s calendar, as the U.S. Open will be contested starting Thursday from Erin Hills Golf Course, about 45 minutes from Milwaukee, Wis.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s championship.
Are there any Canadians to watch?
There are two Canadians in the field this week, Adam Hadwin and Corey Conners.
Hadwin has had a spectacular 2016-17 PGA Tour campaign, ascending into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and easily qualifying for this week’s event. This will be his fourth major and third U.S. Open.
The Abbotsford, B.C., native shot a 59 earlier this year and captured the Valspar Championship in March, his first-ever PGA Tour victory. He said he enjoys the challenge of the U.S. Open and tweeted that he thought the course “is great.”
At the Masters earlier this year – his debut at Augusta National – Hadwin was the low Canadian, finishing tied for 36th. Don’t be surprised if his steady play continues at Erin Hills and he contends for a fine finish.
Joining Hadwin is Conners, who earned a spot in the field thanks to winning his U.S. Open sectional qualifying site on June 5.
The native of Listowel, Ont., has a degree in actuarial mathematics (the study of risk), so it should be no surprise that the full-time Web.com Tour member told PGATOUR.com that he feels his game suits the U.S. Open, where one has to think their way around.
Conners finished runner-up at the U.S. Amateur in 2014 and played the Masters in 2015 thanks to that result. He sits 33rd on the Web.com Tour money list with two top-10 finishes in 2017.
Who’s having a ‘rough’ go of it?
First it was PGA Tour-winner Kevin Na, who took to Instagram to show how robust the fescue is, about four yards off the fairway, dubbing it “almost unplayable.”
But the United States Golf Association (USGA), in an almost unprecedented move, decided Tuesday to cut back some of the fescue and give the players more room off the tee, pointing at the wet weather that has blown through the Wisconsin area as the reason to give players a bit of break, calling it “unnecessarily penal.”
The fairways themselves are the widest of any U.S. Open set up in recent memory, so the fescue actually gave the course a bit of a defence mechanism, and Rory McIlroy was shocked in his press conference Tuesday at some of the other players’ comments.
“You’ve got 156 of the best players in the world here,” he said. “If we can’t hit within that avenue, you might as well pack your bags and go home. These are the widest fairways we’ve ever played in an U.S. Open. Even the first and second cut is another 10 yards on top of that. I get that it’s thick and whatever, but it’s a hazard. It’s a U.S. Open, it’s supposed to be a tough test.”
David Duval, a major champion himself and now commentator with Golf Channel said it best Wednesday morning: “It isn’t the U.S. Open if players aren’t complaining.”
Will Mother Nature make an impact?
Mother Nature has already played a role in the U.S. Open and the tournament hasn’t even started, as Erin Hills was hit with aggressive storms earlier in the week that caused the USGA to trim down some of the rough, as mentioned above.
People are constantly checking Thursday’s weather forecast not just for the tournament’s sake, but also for Phil Mickelson.
The 46-year-old is attending his daughter’s high school graduation and hasn’t yet officially withdrawn, leading to speculation that Mickelson may still fly in for his 3:20 p.m. ET tee time after the ceremony in the morning. He’ll need a little help from the weather, because if there is a delay he may be able to make it. However, it’s looking like a sunny day Thursday.
The forecast is calling for rain Friday, a chance of thunderstorms Saturday, and then a sunny conclusion on Sunday. The course is already set to be the longest U.S. Open layout in history, and two days of rain will only make it feel that much longer.
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What kind of game suits Erin Hills?
A course with a unique background – it’s only been open since 2006, bucking the trend that courses need to have a lengthy history to be considered a U.S. Open venue – Erin Hills has been a USGA testing ground since 2008 when it hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. It also hosted the 2011 U.S. Amateur prior to this year’s U.S. Open.
The owner, a Wisconsin businessman named Bob Lang, was adamant about bringing the U.S. Open to Erin Hills, and made many changes to satisfy USGA conditions. The course, unlike almost all that were built in the early 2000s, is walking only.
The course is playing at 7,741 yards – the longest course in U.S. Open and major championship history – and although 7,741 yards is not the maximum it can play (it can be pushed to over 8,000), it still clips Chambers Bay (2015 host and previous longest) by 50 yards.
There are 138 bunkers and almost none of flat bottoms (in the past, Tour players wouldn’t mind being in bunkers near greens at the U.S. Open because they would rather hit out of a bunker versus the thick rough), and as Mike Davis, USGA executive director, said, “they are really hazards.”
The greens aren’t as contoured as other U.S. Open sites, and are slightly larger than what the players are used to as well.
Someone who hits the ball long, notches a couple birdies when needed, and makes few mistakes should come out on top.
Who are the favourites to keep in mind?
Rickie Fowler (15/1): Fowler is No. 1 on the Tour in total driving (the combined rank of driving distance plus driving accuracy). Fowler won The Honda Classic earlier this year, and also sits seventh in strokes gained via putting, a key figure on the greens.
Sergio Garcia (25/1): It’s weird to think the reigning Masters Champion is flying a bit under the radar heading into this week, but considering the other stories around Mickelson, the rough, and McIlroy’s return from injury, Garcia hasn’t made much noise. But with the major monkey off his back (plus the facts that he’s No. 2 in total driving and is long-known as one of the Tour’s best ball strikers), he should be considered a threat.
Justin Rose (20/1): Rose lost in a playoff to Garcia at the Masters and has a U.S. Open title under his belt already. He’s played steady, if unspectacular, golf this year and always seems to have an extra gear when it comes to major championships.
Dustin Johnson (7/1): How can you ignore the world No. 1? Johnson, who missed the Masters after falling down a flight of stairs prior to the tournament, is back with a vengeance. The defending U.S. Open champion has a game that is tailor-made for this championship. He’s one of the longest guys on the planet and has worked hard on his game from 100 yards and in.
Stephan Jaeger (300/1): He’s a big dark-horse pick for pools, but Jaeger is probably the hottest golfer on the planet. He’s a member of the Web.com Tour and has won two of the last three events on that tour’s schedule. He was also the medallist at his qualifying site for the U.S. Open and does just about everything right on the golf course. If he manages to ride the wave of his momentum this week, watch out.
Other names to watch: Jordan Spieth (should be considered a major threat from now until forever, 12/1), McIlory (returning from injury, but loves long and wet major setups, 12/1), Jon Rahm (has the most top-10s of anyone on Tour and isn’t playing like the first-year player he is, 15/1).
Odds via GolfOdds.com.