US Open Golf 2023: Final Predictions for Top Prize Money
The 2023 U.S. Open final round possesses an abundance of fascinating storylines.
Rickie Fowler has been at the top of the leaderboard all week at Los Angeles Country Club. The fan favorite is in search of his first major title, but his bogey on the 18th hole on Saturday brought the top four players on the leaderboard within three shots of each other.
Rory McIlroy is still looking for his first major title since the 2014 PGA Championship. He has been consistent but not overpowering through 54 holes.
Scottie Scheffler surged back into contention with an eagle-birdie finish on Saturday. His ball-striking ability allows him to compete in any tournament, but he needs to be a bit stronger with his putter to close out a comeback.
And then there's Wyndham Clark. The 29-year-old starts Sunday level with Fowler. He could upset the championship plans of all three superstars and come away with the $3.6 million winners' purse.
Other players could turn in strong rounds to finish high up on the leaderboard, but the winner is likely coming from the quartet on top.
Rickie Fowler Must Open Sunday on High Note
1 of 3
Fowler's championship aspirations could come down to the first three holes on Sunday.
The 34-year-old had to sleep on his short miss on the 18th hole that brought him level with Clark, one shot in front of McIlroy and three ahead of Scheffler. Fowler needs a strong start to rebound from that error and put it behind him so it does not linger throughout the final round.
The co-54-hole leader owns three birdies on the par-five first hole this week. A fourth birdie would go a long way in erasing Saturday's big mistake.
Fowler also needs to play well on the second and third holes to set a tone for the final round. He recorded a bogey on the par-four second hole on Saturday, and he did not gain that shot back on the front nine.
That was a big difference from Friday, when he followed three of his six bogeys with birdies.
The good news for Fowler is that he made more pars on Saturday than he did on Thursday and Friday. If he can start with just birdies and pars, he can fend off the impending challenge from the three other primary contenders.
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy Apply Immediate Pressure
2 of 3
McIlroy and Scheffler hit LACC for their final rounds 11 minutes before Clark and Fowler.
The two major champions are capable of applying pressure to the leaders right away. In Scheffler's case, that must happen.
Scheffler concluded Saturday with an eagle on No. 17 and a birdie on No. 18. He went from seven shots back before the 17th to three strokes behind Fowler after the co-leader's final bogey.
The 2022 Masters champion can erase the three-shot deficit in a heartbeat thanks to his approach game.
Scheffler needs to be more effective on the green to win his second major crown. He owns the fewest amount of birdies in the leading quartet at LACC.
McIlroy has been lurking one or two shots back since the tournament started. He produced three rounds in the 60s, but he also dropped two shots in each round after his opening 65.
McIlroy may need a 66 or 67 to run away with the victory, and he is more than capable of doing that.
The four-time major winner shot 70 or better in each of his last five final rounds at a major, a run that was started by a 64 on Sunday at the 2022 Masters.
Wyndham Clark Doesn't Produce Enough Birdies to Win
3 of 3
Clark's remarkable three days at LACC was highlighted by his response to a bogey at No. 17 on Saturday. He hit a perfect approach shot on No. 18 to finish his round off with a birdie after a disastrous shot from the fairway forced him to take a penalty at the 17th.
Clark had only four birdies on Saturday, and he started to drift away from the title conversation with three bogeys on the back nine.
The majority of Clark's birdies occurred during his first-round 64. He cooled off a bit since then as the course got tougher for everyone. He did start Saturday with birdies on the first and third holes, but then his next birdie came on the 13th hole after two bogeys.
Consistency could be rewarded on Sunday, but at some point, the eventual winner has to make a few big shots to grab hold of first place. Clark did not do that for most of Saturday, and he does not have consecutive birdies in any round this week.
Fowler, McIlroy and Scheffler all had spurts in which they got red hot to gain a few strokes in a small amount of time this week. If Clark doesn't display that again on Sunday, he could finish one or two shots back instead of with his first major title.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
