Well here it is. The US Open Championship. The 2nd major of the year. The toughest test in golf. I’ve been waiting for this tournament since the Masters ended as it is my favorite tournament all year. The US Open always brings the best out of the worlds best. It is by far the toughest tournament that these pros will play all year. And, it is back at Pinehurst No. 2. A classic venue that hosted both the ‘99 and the ‘05 US Open. However, this year the course has been completely restored. There is no rough here anymore. None. A first for a US Open. It has all been replaced with a sandy waste area. The fairways are wider, but the infamous greens are the same.We got a victory in the season first major, backing Bubba at Augusta. Let's see if we can make it 2 for 2. Can’t wait for Thursday.
The restoration also saw the course lengthened. The course is now playing 7,562 which is the same distance as Quail Hollow a few weeks back. The difference is that this will play as a par 70! I don’t think distance off the tee has ever been as important at the US Open as it will be this year. I just think it will be hard to compete if you’re hitting 4 irons into these turtleback greens that Donald Ross designed over 100 years ago. No one knows how the course will truly play but we can use all the information on the internet to make our best guess.
Pinehurst No. 2 is long. 7500+ yard par 70 should tell you enough. In my estimation, many of the shorter hitters on TOUR will have difficulty here as I think you can compare this slightly to Augusta where shorter hitters haven’t had much success. The greens at Pinehurst are some of the most challenging in the world. Players with high ball flights hitting 7 irons into greens will have a distinct advantage over those with a lower ball flight ie Jason Dufner, hitting 5 irons. But do not be fooled. Hitting greens will NOT be an easy task regardless. So your scrambling skills better be in top form going into this week. Long hitters, bogey avoiders, high ball flight, good scramblers. That is what I think it will take to take home the hardware at Pinehurst this year. The restoration makes this course resemble the Sandbelt courses of Australia and to some extent, Augusta National. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if an Aussie wins here.
Past Winners:
2013 - Justin Rose (+1)
2012 - Webb Simpson (+1)
2011 - Rory McIlroy (-16)
2010 - Graeme McDowell (E)
This tournament brings out quality golfers. That is why I love it so much. It will test all the aspects of a golfer's game over 72 holes. One mental lapse and you could be out of contention. Let’s take a look at some players from Australia, Canada, and the US that have a good shot this week:
Adam Scott to WIn: The course reminds me so much of courses down under. And even though Scott has a pretty shoddy track record at the US Open, I think this course will make him feel right at home. Scott has great stats across the board including 16th in bogey avoidance. A great caddie who knows his way around this track doesn’t hurt either.
Sergio Garcia e/w: From the stats that I deem important, Sergio is statistically the best player in the field. 5th in scrambling, 8th in GIR, 1st in bogey avoidance, and 56th in driving distance. He finished 3rd here in 2005 and has made is last 6 US Open cuts. If his knee holds up, he should be in for a great week.
Jason Day e/w: Day is coming off an injury but plays his best in the big tournaments. He’s played in the US Open 3 times and finished 2nd twice. Big hitter with a nice high ball flight who should feel at home as well. He also has superb touch around the greens.
Jim Furyk e/w: The only player I’m backing who will struggle with distance off the tee. The reason is his experience and his scrambling. Furyk made the cut in both US Opens here at Pinehurst and ranks 1st on TOUR in scrambling. A meltdown on Sunday cost him the 2012 US Open so that may be a little motivation here. He’s also 4th in bogey avoidance and 14th in driving accuracy.
Webb Simpson e/w: North Carolina born and bred, Webb knows this place like the back of his hand. His game always shapes up well for the US Open and his win in 2012 proves just that. Finished 3rd last week in Memphis so maybe that will get him going. 36th in scrambling should allow him to miss a few greens here and there.
Gary Woodland e/w: Woodland is looking for his first major and I always thought it would come at Augusta. But the way this course is set up, it may just come here. Woodland can bomb it as he sits 15th in driving distance on TOUR and also ranks 20th in bogey avoidance. He finished 26th at Augusta after a poor weekend. If he can clean that up just a bit, he should be in contention.
John Senden e/w: This is my favorite play this year. Senden ranks 13th in GIR and 10th in bogey avoidance. He has a win this season and 3 top 30 finishes in the last 3 years at the US Open. He should also feel comfort with the wide fairways and native areas that are similar to many of the courses in his home country of Australia.

Good Luck
2u Adam Scott to Win @14/1
1u Sergio Garcia e/w @ 36/1
1u Jason Day e/w @ 36/1
1u Jim Furyk e/w @ 43/1
0.75u Webb Simpson e/w @ 50/1
0.5u Gary Woodland e/w @ 80/1
0.5u John Senden e/w @ 115/1


11.5u @ risk

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