US Open Odds 2012: Stars You Can Count on Down the Stretch

Everyone's still buzzing after Tiger Woods won the Memorial, marking his second victory of the year.

Woods, who has been battling to get back to form for the past two-and-a-half years, has been up and down, but his performance at Muirfield Village showed promise, complete with a magnificent 50-foot chip shot that pulled him even with Rory Sabbatini with two holes to go.

But will Woods win his 15th career major championship at the 2012 U.S. Open?

Let's take a look at three stars who you can count on down the stretch at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

3. Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson certainly isn't perfect. He can be unpredictable, given he missed the cut at the Memorial after playing well for most of 2012.

But Watson is certainly playing the best golf of his career overall, capturing the Masters in a thrilling playoff against Louis Oosthuizen in April.

Watson has four top-10 finishes in 10 PGA Tour events this season, and he hadn't dipped below 18th place before missing the cut at the Memorial. He hasn't played well in his last three appearances at the U.S. Open, but, then again, he placed 38th at the 2011 Masters before his stunning play at Augusta this year. 

2. Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has never won the U.S. Open, but he's placed second or tied for second five times in his career at the tournament.

Some may say Mickelson is too old to win a major championship now, but he tied for second place at the British Open last year and I think dropping out of the Memorial will actually help him, leaving him rested for the U.S. Open.

Remember, Mickelson placed third at the Masters this year. He still has a run at a major championship left in him.

1. Tiger Woods

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I see Tiger Woods winning his 15th career major championship at the U.S. Open this year.

Not only has Woods been playing well overall this year, Rory McIlroy is nowhere to be found, apparently forgetting how dominant he was in 2011. McIlroy could still creep into the picture at the 2012 U.S. Open, given his record-breaking performance last year, but I don't like his game overall right now.

Everything's aligned for Woods to use his momentum to capture the 2012 U.S. Open. 

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