US Open Odds 2012: Long Shots with a Chance to Shock the World

Looking at the odds for who will win the 2012 US Open (courtesy of bovada.lv), there are plenty of long shots who have a great shot to turn some heads this weekend at the Olympic Club.

The field is wide open this year, as is the case every year with such a difficult event. That leaves the tournament primed to be taken by anyone competing in the major.

Here are some sleepers you need to watch this weekend that could make history.

Hunter Mahan: 40/1

With two wins on the tour this year, Mahan has played well for the majority of the time, having made 11-of-12 cuts.

However, closing out tournaments have been a problem for Mahan, and if he hopes to compete this weekend, he must stay consistent from the first hole to the last.

He finished 19th at the Memorial but did finish with a solid fourth round, shooting a 68, which was one of his best rounds of the year. That surely left a good taste in his mouth coming into the US Open.

Mahan's driving accuracy will keep him on the course and in contention the whole way. He doesn't miss cuts, so it's a safe bet Mahan will still be around on Sunday and in position to win the major.

Jason Dufner: 25/1

Dufner is the current FedEx points leader and has won two events this year, most recently the HP Byron Nelson Classic. But Dufner's momentum coming into the US Open doesn't stop there as he went on to finish second in his next event, the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, his last event before the major.

Dufner has only missed the cut once this year and has five top-10 finishes.

His power driving the ball off the tee combined with his driving accuracy will ensure Dufner keeps himself in this tournament for the long haul. With a solid all-around game, Dufner has an opportunity to make a name for himself with the first US Open win of his career.

This is one golfer who has gotten hot at the perfect time.

Justin Rose: 28/1

Rose comes into this tournament having placed eight at the Memorial, but before that he struggled a bit having finished 51st at the Players Championship.

If his eighth-place finish is proof of anything, it's that Rose's game might be getting better at the right time.

Rose has one win this year and has yet to miss the cut in any tournament he's played in. This is a guy who will always do enough to make it to the last day, it just depends on how close he is to the top of the leaderboards.

But in this tournament, just hanging around for Sunday is enough to have an opportunity to snatch this event, and Rose's consistency will make him the perfect candidate to do so.