US Open Golf 2015: Top Dark Horses to Watch over the Weekend
With a projected cut of two-over par midway through Round 2, Chambers Bay is living up to its reputation.
Whoever wins the slog that is the 2015 U.S. Open will have truly earned the title. But who will be in contention after the field is narrowed?
Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson will garner most of the attention, but some lesser-known names will remain in the hunt throughout the weekend.
Jason Day, ranked No. 10 in the world, appeared to be one of the game’s rising stars two years ago. At 25 years old, he had three top-10 major finishes in 2013, including a second-place finish at the U.S. Open.
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Still looking for his first major victory, Day has three top-five finishes at the U.S. Open, including a fourth-place finish at Pinehurst last year.
Day was two under after 14 holes in Round 2. With shots like this, 2015 might be the year he finally breaks through.
UPDATE: On final hole of Round 2, Day collapsed while walking down the fairway. He finished the hole and knelt down on the green while being treated by medical staff. Day had been dealing with vertigo, according to ESPN. He finished at even par for Round 2 and is two under for the tournament.
With seven career PGA Tour wins at age 34, Brandt Snedeker has had a very accomplished career. But he’s still searching for that first major win, and with six career top-10 finishes, he’s come close plenty of times.
He missed the cut at the 2015 Masters, but shot one under in Round 1 on Thursday. During a seven-hole stretch that started at No. 12, he birdied four out of seven to put himself in contention at one-under for the day.
The last amateur to win the U.S. Open was Johnny Goodman in 1933, and with the course playing the way it has so far, it’s unlikely an amateur will outlast the rest of the field this year.
But Brian Campbell, a 22-year-old All-American from Illinois, shot a three-under 67 on Thursday and has his sights set on big things this weekend.
“After today’s round, I think so, yeah,” Campbell told reporters after Round 1, per Golf Channel, when asked if he could break the 82-year drought for amateurs at the U.S. Open. “I definitely have the game to do what needs to be done. “
Campbell made seven birdies in Round 1 but has had mixed results so far in Round 2. He’s one under overall through 12 holes and should be near the top of the leaderboard heading into Round 3.
Lee Westwood has been playing in major championships since 1995, and with 17 top-10 finishes, he’s had his opportunities.
But his nine top-10 finishes since 2010 suggest that he’s getting closer. Westwood shot a three-over 73 in Round 1, but he caught fire on the back nine in Round 2 and is one under through 15 holes.
If he can continue that strong play, he will have a good chance to finally remove himself from the list of best golfers to never win a major.
UPDATE (2:24 p.m. PT): Westwood finished Round 2 with a one-under 69, making him two-over for the tournament.
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