Preview and Predictions for the 2016 Quicken Loans National

With Dustin Johnson's breakthrough major victory at the U.S. Open in the books, the PGA Tour heads from outside Pittsburgh to outside the nation's capital in Bethesda, Maryland, this week for the Quicken Loans National.

Some big names will be following up the U.S. Open with a second week of golf in a row. Among them are Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk and Patrick Reed. James Hahn and Charley Hoffman, who already have wins this season, will also be pegging it, as will Hall of Famers Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. A pair of top-ranked amateurs are also making their pro debuts at Congressional: Jon Rahm and Jordan Niebrugge. 

Tiger Woods, of course, is absent from the field in this tournament where he plays host and his foundation is the beneficiary. 

Click through for a roundup of essential tournament info, storylines, favorites, sleepers and our predicted winner at Washington politicians' favorite spot to rub elbows and sink putts.

Tournament Information

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Defending Champion

Troy Merritt

Where

Congressional Country Club (Blue Course), 7,569 yards, par 71 

What

Total Purse: $6.9 million 

Winning Share: $1.24 million

FedEx Cup Points to Winner: 500 

When

Thursday-Friday: 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Saturday: 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday: 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS).

Biggest Storylines

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This year, Tiger's tournament won't feature Tiger (on the links at least), as the golfer continues to recover from a pair of back surgeries. With that said, Woods will be speaking with the media and will be highly visible all week. This has already yielded a hot take on the Dustin Johnson ruling, with Woods expanding on his disapproval of how things played out. 

Patrick Reed is still wandering through the Desert of Winlessness this season. The No. 13 golfer in the world hasn't tasted victory since the 2015 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He's tallied 12 top-15 finishes this season and is returning to a venue where he finished 11th in 2014. 

Who will do what after the U.S. Open ahead of the British Open in just a few weeks time is another point of interest this week. Will Rickie Fowler rebound from a missed cut? Will Jim Furyk continue to play well, signifying he's fully healed and rehabilitated from a wrist injury? Will Bryson DeChambeau keep it up? We'll find out over the next few days at Congressional. 

The Favorites

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Rickie Fowler: As the top-ranked golfer in the field (per the Official World Golf Ranking), Rickie Fowler enters as the tournament favorite, even though he's missed three consecutive cuts. Fowler finished second at last year's Quicken Loans National and missed the cut when the U.S. Open was held at Congressional in 2011. 

Patrick Reed: Reed also missed the cut at Oakmont, but his form had been strong prior to that, as he had a top-10 finish at the Memorial. He finished 11th at the Quicken Loans National in 2014. 

Jim Furyk: Playing in his hometown U.S. Open, Jim Furyk didn't disappoint, finishing second. He did his best work at Congressional in 2009, when he finished seventh in the AT&T National. 

Other favorites: Justin Thomas, Ryan Palmer, Marc Leishman

Sleepers

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Daniel Summerhays: After a surprisingly strong top-10 finish at last week's U.S. Open, Daniel Summerhays arrives at a course where he's had mixed results. He finished 17th at the AT&T National in 2012, however, if you're looking to go with a hot hand this week, he's your guy. 

Adam Hadwin: The Canadian tied for 11th at the Memorial in his most recent start. If we assume he's honed an already dialed-in swing in the layoff since, he could improve upon last year's top-25 finish at Quicken Loans National. 

Other sleepers: Bryson DeChambeau, Roberto Castro, Kevin Streelman

Prediction

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Winner: Brendan Steele 

Neither flashy nor oozing star power, Brendan Steele is nevertheless a perennially solid performer. 

The native Californian's recent form has been good, with a tie for 15th at five-over par at the U.S. Open last week and a tie for 20th at the Memorial prior to that. 

At a course where good work off the tee is key, Steele is 24th on tour in strokes gained: off-the-tee and 18th in total driving. He's also 19th on tour in greens in regulation percentage. 

Look for him to collect his second win on the PGA Tour with a stellar showing this week.