Us Open Picks

[hoofreak7]

I don't really bet for money much, so this is just for fun.
2 Competitons: First- pick five players, most top tens wins (tiebreak: winner/score) Second- pick 5 players outside of the top ten world rankings- 1pt made cut, 2pts top 25, 3pts top ten, 5pts top 5...most pts wins (tiebreak: winner/ score...can be inside top ten ranking)
My Picks
1) Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Boo Weekley, Justin Rose (Phil Mickelson/-2)
2) Boo Weekley, Padraig Harrington, Stephen Ames, Lee Westwood, Anthony Kim (Tiger Woods/-2)
WGR Top Ten- Woods, Mickelson, Scott, Els, Oglivy, Rose, Garcia, Stricker, Singh, Furyk

[Three Putt]

1) TW, PM, G. Olgilvey, Serg, KJ Choi

2) Too lazy to look up top 10

[Ceej]

I'll pick Lin Wen-hong to win it all

[rudygu]

1. Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Boo Weekley, Geoff Ogilvy, Brandt Snedeker (Mickelson, -4)

2. Boo Weekley, Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink, Retief Goosen, KJ Choi (Stricker, -1)

[JYB]

1. Adam Scott
2. Retief Goosen
3. Tiger Woods

[deepseaman]

1. Phil Mickelson,
2. Tiger Woods,

.............

[Smilesy]

Geoff Ogilvy, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Justin Rose

[Clubswinger21]

Sergio Garcia - Playing well, putting well.

Stephen Ames - playing well, has the game to get it done.

Phil Mickelson - Going out on a limb here but im picking him to finish better than Tiger.

Geoff Olgivy - Always solid in big tourneys

Dark Horse-

Mike Weir - (T2 last start, typically does well at majors)

[RX Phoenix]

I like Ogilvy to win . . . has the game and the guts to get it done
Brandt Snedeker . . . just missed at the Masters
Justin Leonard . . . straight hitter with great short game, he's hot right now
Shaun O'Hair . . . very steady great young talent
Hunter Mahan . . . time to break out

Tiger will have problems putting as the days progress. Phil has never won and there's reasons for that. Scott isn't good enough with the flat stick, neither is Sergio.

[flap]

Phill wins it at -5

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Some thoughts.

Players I Like:

Tiger Woods - Long layoff, knee surgery but hard to not like the guys chances. Especially at Torrey Pines. Perhaps the only thing the layoff has done is close the talent gap at the top, at least temporarily.
Phil Mickelson - He's healthy, playing pretty well, has had local success here and perhaps he's licking his chops with Woods possibly a little rusty.
Jim Furyk - It's the US Open. Nuff said.
Geoff Ogilvy - Obviously he can win on a US Open setup, has the mental makeup and is playing well since his early year slumps.
Padraig Harrington - Answered any doubt about the state of his game with a nice finish at the St. Jude. Love his mental makeup for a US Open.
Stephen Ames - He's playing very well right now and seems to show up in majors, especially when the conditions are difficult.
Stewart Cink - A great player, having an even better year. Solid chance you'll see his name in the top 10 on Sunday. Maybe one of these days he'll win?
Justin Leonard - Coming off a win, hits it in the fairway and has a very good short game. I don't think he'll win but I like a solid top 25.
Luke Donald - Started the season hot and has finally showed signs of rounding back into form at the Memorial. I like his game for the US Open and I think the Donald/Poulter/Casey pairing will help him ease into the tournament.
Ian Poulter - See pairing above. Hasn't missed a cut all year and seems to have had moderate success in majors. His driver and head will prevent him from contending but I see a solid finish.
Paul Casey - Probably has no business being on this list but something about the US Open and Masters bring out his best. Fantasy leaguers with daily moves will probably want him benched on Sunday, especially if he's in the hunt. May even want him benched on Thursday.
Justin Rose - The only thing that may prevent him from contending is his back. He has the ability to grind away and stay in major championships even when he's not hitting it well. I expect a high finish.
Mike Weir - T2 at Memorial and he tends to play well in majors, especially the US Open (last five finishes, T20, T6, T42, T4 and T3).
Anthony Kim - Has come down since his win but he still has the game to play well here. He just needs to keep his head on straight....
Tim Clark - I'm skeptical putting him here after his Sunday meltdown but he does well on hard, fast, difficult golf courses and has played well recently. I haven't checked the weather yet but if it rains then forget it.

Notable Players I don't Like

Adam Scott - His finger injury coupled with the Thursday/Friday circus he'll be apart of and it might just be a quiet 2 days and out for Scott.
Vijay Singh - It pains me to put him here. I like him a lot but I just don't see him contending in a US Open right now. His putter and suspect decision making has come into question.
Sergio Garcia - Probably deserves to be on the top list but if there's one course where putting is at a premium it's here and I'm still not sold.
KJ Choi - After a strong start he has struggled. Last 4 starts, T53, MC, MC, 41st.
Steve Stricker - Only if this were 2007. He's missed 4 straight cuts and I hear is battling injuries.
David Toms - You never know when the back will cause him problems and he's not rolling it nearly as well on the greens as we have come to expect from him.
Ernie Els - Wins the Honda and then falls off the map (switching coaches in the middle of it). I'd be surprised if he makes the cut.
Angel Cabrera - Not this year. Has gone back into witness protection since his win, which he's probably fine with.
Robert Allenby - He's playing very well, obviously, and probably shouldn't be on this list. However he just doesn't strike me as a good major championship player and did miss all 4 cuts in majors last year.
Stuart Appleby - One top 10 in 11 US Open starts
Retief Goosen - Geez, I wanted to put him in the top group but he's played too poorly for too long now. Old Retief made a brief showing at Doral and that's about it. Also, he has missed his last two cuts at the US Open... hmm, since his Sunday 81 collapse while playing with Jason Gore...
Colin Montgomerie - Winged Foot was his last chance
Rory Sabbatini - Rory's comments are so much more entertaining when he's playing well. Right now he's not.
Zach Johnson - Something seems off with the Masters champ of a year ago. Having some struggles with the putter which is not a good thing going into a US Open
Trevor Immelman - He played very well last week... does this mean he's going to take another few months off? Many will say the opposite but I don't buy it. Not like he was playing well pre-Masters. Of course I didn't pick him to play well at Augusta


My top 10:

Phil Mickelson
Justin Rose
Jim Furyk
Luke Donald
Mike Weir
Stewart Cink
Padraig Harrington
Geoff Ogilvy
Tiger Woods
Stephen Ames

[mikelz]

My dark horse: Robert Allenby

[Elsfan]

This is one of the easiest picks a golf fan will have to make. Phil Mickelson and -2 is the number. I expect Vijay Singh to play well this year and if I have to pick someone else to play well it is KJ Choi, I look for tough mental guys at the open.

[vjr13]

K.J Choi was my Masters choice......OOPS!!!!!

I like Jim Furyk this week...and I'd be very surprised if under par wins the Open.

[twotacosfor99cents]

Why would you be surprised that under par wins the Open? The two-cut rough will be more forgiving than thought.

I have Tiger at -10. US Open or Buick Invitational or not... it's still the same course.

[EDITED to remove error re: practice round score.]

[DavidFehertysBike]

Any player with pretty good lenth but with the patience let things come to him will most likley win the tourament, who that might be i dont know. But i do have a feeling that just "talent" alone wont be enough to win this US Open.

[hoofreak7]

Tiger shot a 67 in practice rounds - the two-cut rough will be more forgiving than thought.

1) when did he shoot a 67

2) i would take him at -10 if not for his knee (the fact that he'll be rusty......we all know what happened last time when he took time off and tried to return to a US open)

[twotacosfor99cents]

1) when did he shoot a 67

Sorry, he didn't shoot 67. It was a poor layout on a sports article. It was Michelle Wie who shot 67 and 70 on another tournament, and this was right below the article. I fail at reading comprehension.