U.S. Open 2017 predictions: One of these nine golfers will raise the coveted trophy

The U.S. Open has produced some incredible winners in recent years, and one of these guys is next

The week is winding down with the U.S. Open at Erin Hills ahead on Thursday, so I'm busting out my crystal ball and prognosticating the 117th playing of our nation's championship. One of the following nine golfers will win the second major of the year (and let's just go ahead and ignore the fact that I didn't include Sergio Garcia on this list before the Masters this year).

Dustin Johnson: The easy choice. He's been top five in each of the last three seasons at this tournament, and he can make a case as the golfer most built to win this event. Successfully defending is so difficult, but nobody would be surprised if D.J. did it. Remember, he should probably have two of these in a row already.

Jason Day: Four straight top 10s here. It does feel like, at some point, he's going to snag another major championship. That happening at the longest course in major history would not be much of a surprise with the big-bombing Day. 

Rickie Fowler: He's coming in a little under the radar here and probably deservedly so after missing his last two U.S. Open cuts and his last PGA Tour cut at the St. Jude Classic. I like under the radar at majors (see: Garcia, Sergio at the 2017 Masters).

Thomas Pieters: It's been 104 years since a first-time U.S. Open golfer has taken home the prize. After his top 10 at the Masters, I think Pieters has a real shot at erasing that statistic.

Jason Dufner: I'm bullish on Dufner this week as long as he doesn't putt himself out of it early. Dufner closed two strokes better over the final two rounds last year than Johnson, the eventual winner Johnson. Hang in early, and he could be in for major No. 2.

Sergio Garcia: His steadiness is underrated, and it's one reason he's traditionally played so well at U.S. and British Opens. Garcia has 15 combined top 10s between those two tournaments.

Jordan Spieth: Another guy who's flying a little under the radar (in my world, anyway). Spieth doesn't get the credit he deserves for his iron play, and nobody has been hitting it better this season than him as he's No. 1 on the PGA Tour in approach shots. 

Brooks Koepka: He's got the length and the mental fortitude to get it done at this level and on this course, which will play nearly 8,000 yards. I'm encouraged by the fact that he had a good showing last week at the St. Jude Classic and by the fact that he hasn't finished north of the top 20 in any of the last three U.S. Opens.

Adam Scott: Another golfer who could win but could also putt himself out of it in the first two days. At first glance, Scott seems like somebody who should win this tournament a couple of times. He's an all-time iron player and solid mentally, but his first top 10 at this tournament didn't come until 2014. He followed that with two more top 20s. I think a win could be looming.

Who will win the 2017 U.S. Open? And what massive long shot stuns the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the full U.S. Open leaderboard from the model that nailed the Masters and find out.