U.S. Open 2016: One of these nine golfers will win at Oakmont
The big three are obviously at the top, but some other big names like Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose also have great chances of winning
By
Kyle Porter
•
2 min read
If you followed me during the 2015 Masters and literally picked the opposite of every single thing I predicted, you are currently reading this from an island in Barbados. So maybe I'm not the greatest prognosticator of these things, and the U.S. Open is certainly a tougher pick than Augusta National. But maybe I'm just due.
Maybe the U.S. Open really does come down to who's the most stout mentally and the most steady with the flat stick. I have looked at the entire field and ranked my top 25 most likely to win. Let's whittle that down to the nine guys I would stake my life on to win this golf tournament.
Throw everything else out the window. All the stats. All the trends. This is not most likely based on past performance or who's streaking into the tournament. It's just dudes who can get the job done at an epic course.
1. Jason Day: It's honestly difficult for me to see Day not winning this week. He's built for U.S. Opens. He's the most confident golfer on the planet. He has more swag than Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy combined. He'll probably shoot 80-77 to miss the cut because I'm writing all of this.
2. Jordan Spieth: Could pretty easily be going for his fifth major win in his last six tries. Or his second. Golf.
3. Rory McIlroy: He certainly fits into the long list of historic winners here. How does this sound to you? Hogan, Nicklaus, Miller, Els and McIlroy. Those are some beasts.
4. Patrick Reed: Patrick Reed! Outlandish sense of national pride that will propel him towards victory? Check. Even more outrageous ability to drown out the noise and lock in on the task at hand? Yes. Been there with a 36-hole lead at an Open and knows what it takes to get it done? Yes. Gulp. I just staked my life on somebody who's never finished top 10 at a major.
5. Louis Oosthuizen: As far as pure swings go, his might be the purest. If Oakmont produces great ball-striking champions and not just hall-of-fame putters and chippers, Oosty will be right there come Sunday. Also, he's like four strokes from four majors.
6. Justin Rose: Took Merion in 2013. The "just picked up driver three days ago" narrative terrifies me, but he's made for wins on big boy courses.
7. Adam Scott: A he-man course (as it was called in 1927 when Tommy Armour won it) built for a he-man swing.
8. Rickie Fowler: "Fowler takes Oakmont" has a sweet ring to it. His major is coming. I'm not sure if it will be this week, but I'm confident it's going to happen (and sooner rather than later).
9. Brooks Koepka: Has a little ice to him. I'm not sure if he fits the mold of all-time great champion (he might when it's all said and done), but he's lethal when it counts and might be the best American ball-striker alive right now.
