1-2; +0.25pts

Outright plays (total stake per play: 1pt)

Jim Furyk to win 22/1 e.w. @ Victor Chandler  2nd ... why did he hit a driver on 17?
There are just so many reasons to back Furyk this week. He is the 'local' player having been raised in the area and those links are even closer to home this week: some of his relatives are members at Oakmont. He is even won a non-Tour event at Oakmont - the final Family House Invitational to be staged in 1997 - and has a strong liking for the course: "Oakmont is probably as penal a golf course as we ever play. That being said, I like the course. It suits my game." This is a course that, despite some of the longer holes, suits players who keep in the ball in play and carefully manage their way around the course: Furyk is the master of that art as he showed when winning the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields. And, after showing his form in the playoff loss at the Colonial last month, he should fancy his chances of securing another title on this course.

Stewart Cink to win 66/1 e.w. @ Ladbrokes  mc
Cink has not repeated the form in the U.S. Open that led to him to three top-10 finishes in four years from 1998-2001, including a famous missed opportunity in 2001, but there are indications that that may change this week. He has finished no worse than 24th in his last five starts and that includes three top-5 finishes on some of the toughest courses in the recent schedule: Quail Hollow, Sawgrass and Muirfield Village. Those courses also share the common feature of having the best fields in the recent schedule. Another indication can be found in his performance at the new, harder and tougher Masters where he has finished 10th and 17th in the last two years. So, with patience and determination key factors this week in dealing with the projected extremely tough conditions, Cink could certainly be the last man standing on Sunday evening.

Arron Oberholser to finish in the top-ten 7/1 @ Bet365  mc
I'd be much less confident of Oberholser winning than Furyk or Cink, but there is value in these odds for a top-10 finish. He may be widely regarded as a West Coast specialist, but he has still recorded three top-10 finishes in nine events since the Tour left the West Coast and should have added another when lying in 2nd place at the cut in his last outing (Crowne Plaza Invitational). But it is more than just his recent that appeals with Oberholser: his top-5 ranking in scrambling should be a very good indicator this week when par will be such a good score. Plus, in his two previous starts in the U.S. Open, he has finished 9th and 16th. So, while he may struggle to hold onto a lead in this company, he really should give himself a chance of securing yet another top-10 finish.