US Open Golf 2015: Latest Expectations for Golf's Top Favorites and Sleepers
The U.S. Open is never a setting where the world's top golfers feel comfortable, as the USGA makes it a central focus to keep scores as close to par as possible. But the 2015 edition will bring an added layer of difficulty for the top favorites and sleepers.
In an unheralded move, this year's tournament will be held at the links-style course of Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington—it opened in 2007 but hasn't hosted a major tournament prior to now. The added rigors of the mile-long greens, wide fairways and tricky fescue grass make it a headache for even the best golfers in the mix.
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It will take much more than just good form and experience on the major stage to come good at Chambers Bay. With that in mind, let's take a look at what to expect from some of the most talked-about names.
Jordan Spieth
Think 2015 couldn't get much better for Jordan Spieth? Already an historic year for him, he could move closer to a legendary season at Chambers Bay.
He certainly has a lot of positives that are pointing toward another strong tournament. A Masters hangover didn't follow Spieth one bit following his near-record performance at Augusta, as he's finished second at Crowne Plaza and third at Memorial since then.
And as if Spieth needed any extra advantage, his caddie Michael Greller has a unique tie to the Chambers Bay course many are unfamiliar with. He grew up near the course and is ready to help Spieth win major No. 2, per ESPN's Jason Sobel:
"When it was announced in 2008 that the U.S. Open was coming to Chambers Bay, it was my dream to find a way to caddie in it. I was going to do anything to find a way to make that happen. Here we are. It'll be my fourth U.S. Open, and I'm bringing the Masters champion to my hometown.
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On a PGA Tour chock-full with courses that caddies know like the back of their hands, Spieth has been at a disadvantage for much of his young career. None of that stopped him from emerging before, and now the tables are turned with his caddie having some extra knowledge.
The difficult links-style setting could hurt Spieth if he plays too aggressive, like it did in 2010 when he shot a final-round 83 in the U.S. amateur championship. But he was 16 back then. Hunting for pars and leaning on his streaky putting could catapult Spieth to the front of the leaderboard this time around.
Phil Mickelson might want you to wish him a happy birthday now because, come Thursday, he won't want to be reminded that his 45-year-old self will be trying to tie the record for oldest U.S. Open champion.
That's what ESPN's Bob Harig noted below:
But while he may be way behind—or ahead of—some of his fellow favorites in terms of age, he's not showing any signs of slowing down as he plays some of the streakiest golf of his career in 2015.
His performances have been mixed between forgettable and star-caliber, coming in second at the Masters, fourth at Wells Fargo and third at the St. Jude Classic all in just over two months. However, he has finished 65th at Memorial and missed the Players cut in that span as well.
As per Golf Digest's John Strege, Mickelson has been helping himself by getting used to the rigorous course in anticipation and his comments indicate that he's learning plenty:
"I really like the golf course... If you're going to be ready for this tournament it takes more time to learn the golf than just a couple of days. And if you're having to use Monday through Wednesday to do that you're not putting that effort into your own game. I'm pleased that I've developed kind of a game plan for each hole and how I'm going to get to certain pins.
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It's no secret why Mickelson is taking the extra time to prepare for this one. His U.S. Open shortcomings have been well-documented, having finished second six times. With more and more emerging young players, this may be his last great chance to complete the career grand slam.
Mickelson doesn't have to go back too far—2013 at the Open Championship and Scottish Open—to find success on links-style courses. If he can channel that play at Chambers Bay, he may be uncatchable.
Byeong-Hun An
He has a name not easily recognized by some players on the tour, much less the average golf fan. But Byeong-Hun An has a big-time game that will emerge on one of the game's biggest stages this weekend.
The 23-year-old has never won a PGA Tour event but took the title of one of the European Tour's flagship events—the BMW PGA Championship—for his second championship in May. Not only did he beat out some of the world's best there but did so with a record-breaking 21-under par score and a final-round 65.
Unlike almost all the other golfers in the mix, he also has experience at Chambers Bay that bodes well for this weekend, as Patrick Mayo of RotoExperts.com noted:
Shots like this are going to catapult An up the leaderboard, per the European Tour:
When it comes to finding sleepers for this year's U.S. Open, the links-style setting should produce much more favorable scores for European-experienced players who are more used to the setting. That plays right to An's skill set, as he usually dabbles on the European Tour but also has proven formidable at Chambers Bay.
His name will continue to come up prior to Thursday for a reason, and don't be surprised if you hear it well into Friday and Saturday near the front of the leaderboard.
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