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2009 U.S. Open Golf Championship Preview: The top 10 contenders.
Jeffrey FannJun 14, 2009
The U.S. Open returns to the Bethpage Black Course located in Farmingdale, N.Y for the second time this decade. Tiger Woods won the 2002 event, holding off Phil Mickelson by three strokes. Who are the top-10 contenders for the 2009 championship?
1) Tiger Woods
He's won three U.S. Opens. He's won at Bethpage Black before. He won his last start at Memorial. Doubts about his driving accuracy were erased with his driving exhibition at Jack's tournament. What's not to like about Woods?
Odds of winning - Even
2) Phil Mickelson
Phil has understandably has been distracted with his wife Amy's recent diagnosis of breast cancer. That is actually why I think Mickelson could play well in this tournament. Never mind the T59 finish at the St. Jude Classic this past week. Mickelson will have the New York crowd support, he finished second at Bethpage in 2002, and now he has the extra motivation of his wife's condition to perform well.
Odds of winning - 3 to 1
3) Paul Casey
Paul Casey has moved up to the 3rd in the world rankings, and may be ready to win his first major. In eight starts this year on the PGA tour, he has finished outside the top 20 just twice. That includes a win at the Shell Houston Open in April. He hits it long enough that Bethpage's length shouldn't pose a big problem for him.
Odds of winning - 8 to 1
4) Geoff Ogilvy
Geoff Ogilvy plays well in big events. Already a winner of the U.S. Open in 2006 at Winged Foot, he has also won three WGC events. Ogilvy is having a solid 2009, he is a 2 time winner, and ranks 2nd in the Fed Ex Cup standings. If he drives it well, he'll be a contender.
Odds of winning - 10 to 1
5) Sean O' Hair
Sean O' Hair may be the best golfer in the world under the age of 30. He won with a top-notch field at Quail Hollow and has five other top-10 finishes this year. He also had his first top-10 finish at a major at this year's Master's.
Odds of winning - 12 to 1
6) Henrik Stenson
Henrik Stenson has moved into the top 10 in the world rankings this year. He also won the prestigious Players Championship in May. Stenson currently ranks in the top 20 in driving accuracy, which is always an extremely important piece to winning a U.S. Open.
Odds of winning - 15 to 1
7) Ernie Els
I like Ernie Els this week. I feel that he's really close to getting back to being one of the elite golfers in the world. With six top 25 finishs in 11 starts on the PGA tour, the two-time U.S. Open winner has had some solid finishes in 2009. His issues have been a balky putter, where he ranks 127th on tour. If he putts well, he can contend. He finished T-24 in 2002 at Bethpage.
Odds of winning - 20 to 1
8) Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk knows U.S. Opens. He won in 2003 at Olympia Fields, and has four other top-five finishes. He is an accurate driver of the golf ball, and comes in with three straight top-10 finishes, including a second place finish at the Memorial. Furyk is not the longest driver on tour, and that could cause some problems for him at Bethpage. He missed the cut in 2002.
Odds of winning - 20 to 1
9) Padraig Harrington
The 3 time major champion would love to add a U.S. Open to the two British Open and one PGA Championship titles. He comes in playing a little shaky recently. He's missed his last two cuts, and doesn't have a top 10 finish this season. We know he knows how to win majors, and that means plenty, though.
Odds of winning - 25 to 1
10) Brian Gay
Brian Gay is my darkhorse contender. He doesn't it drive it far, but if he can work his way around Bethpage, he is a very good putter, and a very accurate driver. He ranks in the top 10 in both categories. He's also won two of his last five starts. In his two wins at the Verizon Heritage and this week's St. Jude Classic, he was a combined 38 under par, and won by a combined 15 strokes. He's a longshot, but he comes in playing as well as anyone on tour not named Tiger Woods.
1) Tiger Woods
He's won three U.S. Opens. He's won at Bethpage Black before. He won his last start at Memorial. Doubts about his driving accuracy were erased with his driving exhibition at Jack's tournament. What's not to like about Woods?
Odds of winning - Even
2) Phil Mickelson
Phil has understandably has been distracted with his wife Amy's recent diagnosis of breast cancer. That is actually why I think Mickelson could play well in this tournament. Never mind the T59 finish at the St. Jude Classic this past week. Mickelson will have the New York crowd support, he finished second at Bethpage in 2002, and now he has the extra motivation of his wife's condition to perform well.
Odds of winning - 3 to 1
3) Paul Casey
Paul Casey has moved up to the 3rd in the world rankings, and may be ready to win his first major. In eight starts this year on the PGA tour, he has finished outside the top 20 just twice. That includes a win at the Shell Houston Open in April. He hits it long enough that Bethpage's length shouldn't pose a big problem for him.
Odds of winning - 8 to 1
4) Geoff Ogilvy
Geoff Ogilvy plays well in big events. Already a winner of the U.S. Open in 2006 at Winged Foot, he has also won three WGC events. Ogilvy is having a solid 2009, he is a 2 time winner, and ranks 2nd in the Fed Ex Cup standings. If he drives it well, he'll be a contender.
Odds of winning - 10 to 1
5) Sean O' Hair
Sean O' Hair may be the best golfer in the world under the age of 30. He won with a top-notch field at Quail Hollow and has five other top-10 finishes this year. He also had his first top-10 finish at a major at this year's Master's.
Odds of winning - 12 to 1
6) Henrik Stenson
Henrik Stenson has moved into the top 10 in the world rankings this year. He also won the prestigious Players Championship in May. Stenson currently ranks in the top 20 in driving accuracy, which is always an extremely important piece to winning a U.S. Open.
Odds of winning - 15 to 1
7) Ernie Els
I like Ernie Els this week. I feel that he's really close to getting back to being one of the elite golfers in the world. With six top 25 finishs in 11 starts on the PGA tour, the two-time U.S. Open winner has had some solid finishes in 2009. His issues have been a balky putter, where he ranks 127th on tour. If he putts well, he can contend. He finished T-24 in 2002 at Bethpage.
Odds of winning - 20 to 1
8) Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk knows U.S. Opens. He won in 2003 at Olympia Fields, and has four other top-five finishes. He is an accurate driver of the golf ball, and comes in with three straight top-10 finishes, including a second place finish at the Memorial. Furyk is not the longest driver on tour, and that could cause some problems for him at Bethpage. He missed the cut in 2002.
Odds of winning - 20 to 1
9) Padraig Harrington
The 3 time major champion would love to add a U.S. Open to the two British Open and one PGA Championship titles. He comes in playing a little shaky recently. He's missed his last two cuts, and doesn't have a top 10 finish this season. We know he knows how to win majors, and that means plenty, though.
Odds of winning - 25 to 1
10) Brian Gay
Brian Gay is my darkhorse contender. He doesn't it drive it far, but if he can work his way around Bethpage, he is a very good putter, and a very accurate driver. He ranks in the top 10 in both categories. He's also won two of his last five starts. In his two wins at the Verizon Heritage and this week's St. Jude Classic, he was a combined 38 under par, and won by a combined 15 strokes. He's a longshot, but he comes in playing as well as anyone on tour not named Tiger Woods.
Odds of winning - 35 to 1
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