US Open Golf 2012: Under-the-Radar Golfers Who Will Steal the Show

San Francisco’s The Olympic Club, the site of the 2012 U.S. Open Championship, has hosted some of the biggest upsets in tournament history. There are some players this year who can force a favorite out of first place.

Who could be this year’s Jack Fleck, Billy Casper, Scott Simpson or Lee Janzen? Some may be wondering: who are these guys to begin with?

In 1955, Fleck defeated Ben Hogan, the favorite.

In 1966, Casper defeated Arnold Palmer, the favorite.

In 1987, Simpson defeated Tom Watson, the favorite.

In 1998, Janzen defeated Payne Stewart, the favorite.

All four favorites lost the lead in the final round of the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club.

In 2012, ___ will defeat ___, the leader after 54 holes. What man will fill in the first blank on Father’s Day?

Zach Johnson could be that player. In fact, Johnson shares a special bond with Fleck, who defeated Hogan in the 1955 U.S. Open at this course. Johnson and Fleck are the only two Iowa natives to win a major championship.

Johnson, ranked 18th in the world, has never played well at the U.S. Open. With Fleck watching this weekend, Johnson could have that extra motivation to make a Sunday charge.

Following the 2012 Masters, Johnson has either finished in the top two or flamed out. Last weekend at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, he missed the cut. His recent performance trend suggests he will win this tournament.

At the 2007 Masters, Johnson beat Tiger Woods, just like Fleck beat his generation’s greatest golfer in Hogan. With so many storylines, the stage is set for Johnson to do something similar.

Jason Dufner has played some of the best golf on tour since the 2012 Masters. Dufner has jumped 24 spots up the world leaderboard since Easter, as he now stands at eighth overall.

The 35-year-old Auburn University alumnus won the 2012 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the 2012 HP Byron Nelson Championship. He finished second in his most recent outing, the 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Winning the U.S. Open would go a long way in determining whether Dufner should be considered amongst the best in the world, or if his recent performances are a fluke.

Dufner missed the cut at the 2011 U.S. Open, when he was ranked 67th in the world. He has come a long way in a year, though.

Jonathan Byrd, an American without a household name, but with a solid game, could fly under the radar this weekend. Byrd broke into the top 60 after winning the 2011 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He has played fairly consistent golf over the past eighteen months, as he has stayed in between 39th and 65th overall.

In 2011, Byrd’s best ranking was right before the U.S. Open. The same goes for this season, as he has put together four top-12 finishes following the 2012 Masters. Byrd currently stands at 44th in the world.

Every American playing this tournament should want to win for national pride. Byrd should also want to win so the casual golf fan recognizes his name.

Byrd has played on the PGA Tour since 2002, when he won Rookie of the Year. He could make his big break this weekend at The Olympic Club.

Of these three gentlemen, Johnson probably has the best chance to win. However, this venue has not been kind to golf’s elite. With that said, he will probably be the least likely to win.

Who, then, will fill in the second blank? In other words, who is the tournament favorite?

The runner-up will likely come from one of the two super pairings from Thursday and Friday. Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood are paired together to open the U.S. Open. They are Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the world, respectively. The other group has Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson.

Mickelson has finished second at the U.S. Open on five occasions, and he has never won the tournament. He seems like a good choice for the second blank.

What about Tiger? He could never lose a nice lead in that Sunday red. Or could he?

Maybe McIlroy can repeat his 2011 U.S. Open triumph. Maybe he will collapse a la the 2011 Masters.

Following the theme from earlier, in 2012, Jonathan Byrd will defeat Phil Mickelson, the favorite after three rounds. Mickelson’s U.S. Open runner-up total will reach unlucky number six.

An unlikely hero will provide the golf world with a San Francisco treat.