US Open Golf 2015: Predictions, Live Stream and TV Coverage Hub for Thursday
The preamble to the 2015 U.S. Open has been dominated by talk about the venue, its challenges and what issues the course will throw up for the best golfers in the world.
Chambers Bay in Washington hosts the year's second major having only opened in 2007, and it becomes the first course in the Pacific Northwest to stage the storied event.
There have been complaints from the players about the prospect of playing at the course that designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. describes as "a links, an authentic links, on steroids," per The Guardian's Ewan Murray.
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It is surely set to be an interesting week as the players look to tame the unknown terrain and claim for themselves a U.S. Open title, and it all kicks off on Thursday.
Read on for full television and live streaming information for the opening day of action, as well as predictions for how things will play out on Thursday.
Where: Chambers Bay, University Place, Washington
When: Thursday, June 18 from noon to 11 p.m. ET
TV Info: Fox Sports 1 (noon to 8 p.m. ET), Fox (8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), Sky Sports 4 (5 p.m. to 4 a.m. BST)
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go (US), Sky Go (UK)
Thursday Predictions
It is very difficult to work out who is going to rise to the challenge in the first round and who is going to be left lagging behind.
Usually, historical results can be used to get an idea of what is needed to be in the hunt after Day 1, but Chambers Bay has very little history, and none whatsoever when it comes to hosting a major championship.
Indeed, as reported by The Telegraph's James Corrigan, only 11 players in the field have previously played competitively at Chambers Bay.
Unlike many other American courses, the links feel of Chambers Bay will make it more akin to an Open Championship than a U.S. Open.
| Player | Thursday Finish |
| Justin Rose | Leading |
| Jordan Spieth | Top Five |
| Rickie Fowler | Top 10 |
| Rory McIlroy | Five shots off the lead |
Patience will be required when unfortunate bounces cause problems for the players, and wind could be a key factor.
Despite missing the cut in his last two tournaments—the BMW PGA Championship and the Irish Open—world No. 1 Rory McIlroy is the favourite ahead of the start of this year's U.S. Open.
He is clearly confident that he has refound his form, brushing away the missed cuts as a freakish, temporary lapse, per Corrigan:
"My game’s in great shape. I took a whole week off after the Irish Open there a few weeks back and now this week I’ve had a good few days of practice back home in Florida. I feel like I can have a summer not too dissimilar to last year.
"
Last summer's exploits for McIlroy saw him win two majors, thus he is predicting quite a performance over the coming months.
However, links golf has often been troublesome for McIlroy, and Chambers Bay is set to challenge the 26-year-old hugely.
He will surely have no troubles making the cut come Friday evening, but a conservative Thursday round will likely see him five shots back from the lead after the first day.
Jordan Spieth, Masters champion and second favourite with the bookies, has an edge coming into the tournament, as he is one of the 11 to have played the course competitively before.
However, on that occasion, in the 2010 U.S. Amateur, Spieth shot an 83. He will have no such disaster this time around.
The 21-year-old is in fine form and has a man on the bag who knows the terrain very well, per Chambers Bay Golf:
Spieth's impressive Augusta victory in April was built around a strong start, and his form has been consistently excellent since then—barring a missed cut at The Players Championship. Expect him to be in the top five come the end of Thursday's action.
Justin Rose looks in good shape to start the tournament well and could be the leader come the end of the opening round.
A recent play-off loss in the Memorial sees him come to Chambers Bay in decent form, and his links acumen will stand him in good stead, as will his temperament.
Rose also has the experience of performing in the U.S. Open, having triumphed at Merion in 2013.
Another player who looks to have the mind and the game for the challenges of Chambers Bay is Rickie Fowler, a top-five finisher in all four majors last year.
Certainly a potential winner this week in the U.S. Open, Fowler should finish the first day of action sitting comfortably in the top 10.
It is sure to be an intriguing week of golf and while a major can't be won on Day 1, it can be lost.
Thursday's leaders are sure to be those who have the temperament to deal with unlucky breaks and can pull out imaginative shots when needed but take few risks.
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