The 122nd US Open takes us to The Brookline Country Club in Massachusetts.
One of the oldest country clubs in the United States, it has a rich history of staging big events.
Plenty will remember the Ryder Cup there in 1999 when Ben Crenshaw’s Americans produced a dramatic come-from-behind victory on the final day.
Less well known is that Matt Fitzpatrick won the 2013 US Amateur there. Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Corey Conners also played in that event.
Most recent US Opens have been held on huge layouts but Brookline measures in at 7,264 yards, with a par of 70.
That will seem more manageable to some of the shorter hitters although the usual US Open tests are still in place.
Fairways are narrow, the rough will be penal and the greens firm and fast.
The course underwent a Gil Hanse revamp to bring it back to nearer its original look and viewers will notice that it has a rugged, wild feel compared to many regular PGA Tour venues.
Big rocks are part of the terrain and some funny bounces could ensue, meaning patience is another virtue required.
Temperatures are pleasant enough but there could be some rain on Sunday while Saturday looks the windiest day with it set to blow at 15mph and perhaps more in the afternoon.
Jon Rahm defends the title he won at Torrey Pines last year while Rory McIlroy is favourite with most bookmakers after his win at the Canadian Open on Sunday.
Those that took part in the LIV event are allowed to play.
Angles to consider
1/ Total Driving
Bryson DeChambeau decided bomb and gouge was easily his best strategy at Winged Foot and other recent US Open courses have also favoured the huge hitters. But DeChambeau also found more fairways than average so accuracy needs to be part of the deal too. In that respect, Total Driving (a combined measure of both Driving Distance and Driving Accuracy) looks a strong metric.
2/ Short Game
It’s always a factor in a US Open when greens are missed regularly and par needs to be saved. Rahm was 17th for Strokes Gained: Around The Green when he won while DeChambeau ranked 3rd.
3/ Bogey Avoidance
Keeping bogeys off the card is another big factor. Rahm was ranked 10th for Bogeys at Torrey Pines (he made just one in his closing round) while Gary Woodland made fewer errors than anyone (four bogeys and nothing worse) during his Pebble Beach win in 2019.
Selections
The above angles have been used to create a shortlist from which the following players are selected.
Xander Schauffele
The American has an astonishing record in the US Open. He’s never finished outside the top seven, those results since 2017 reading: 5-6-3-5-7. He clearly has all the skills for such a test and he’s showing up strongly again in them this season: 4th in Total Driving, 30th Around The Green and 9th for Bogey Avoidance.
Tony Finau
Finau, like Schauffele, hasn’t won a major yet but he’s racked up a bucket load of top 10s. That includes fifth and eighth in two of the last four US Opens. He’s bang in form (second and fourth in his two latest starts) after a poor early part of the season and his recent Total Driving stats are excellent. Finau ranked 4th for Around The Green in Canada last week while he has one of the coolest temperaments in golf so any quirky bounces won’t worry him.
Daniel Berger
Berger was tied seventh on a much longer course (Torrey Pines) than this 12 months ago and heads in this year on the back of a top five at Memorial. He’s 46th in Total Driving and 38th Around The Green while, as someone who excels in Florida, he’s a proven performer in firm and fast conditions. He’s perhaps being forgotten a little bit given that he was also tied sixth at Shinnecock in 2018 so has two US Open top 10s in the last four runnings.
Tips 0-3; -6.00pts
1.25pts e.w. Xander Schauffele at 25/1 (Hills 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9) 14th
1pt e.w. Tony Finau at 30/1 (Skybet 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) mc
0.75pts e.w. Daniel Berger at 45/1 (Skybet 1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) mc
