Photo: Channing Benjamin
This week is one of the most highly anticipated majors in recent memory. The golf world is already buzzing around the news of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and The PIF getting into official partnership with one another. Thankfully, this week is far more about the golf on the course than the mania taking place off of it. This year’s U.S Open is at LACC’s north course. It is considered one of golf’s architectural crowned jewels and it is the first time it will host an event of this magnitude. With a unique backdrop of the LA skyline, severe and various topography, non traditional green complexes, and flexibility in course set up (specifically on par 3’s) it is no wonder that this tournament has the golf world clamoring for the first tee shots to fly on Thursday. It seems to be setting up to be a shot makers paradise, testing players ability to hit longer irons and shorter woods. You can get yourself into some immensely troublesome spots, but if you have the talent and creativity, you can also get yourself out of them. This will be no walk in the park, but likely will have some lower scores than we have seen in recent U.S Open’s. With the stage being set, let us get to our picks for the week. We will have four this week since it is a major and per usual, will be spreading our picks out around the odds board.
Scottie Scheffler
Scottie playing the best golf in the world right now and this course sets up so well for him. Yes he is the tournament favorite, but it all seems too good to be true for Scottie as far as current form and course set up. The only red flag that could hold him back is his putter. In true strokes gained putting, Scottie has only had a positive true strokes gained in six events this year. In those events he has two wins, two top fives, a T7 and a T12. It has been brutal with the putter as of late for Scottie. He would have won both of his last starts with even just average putting performances, let alone a good one. Hitting it close is a more sustainable skill than putting is. Scottie is potentially placing a wider bodied putter into his bag this week, which at least shows he is thinking about changes to make to break his funk on the green. He is having a historic ball striking season and I think that turns into a major championship victory for Scottie this week.
Patrick Reed
Reed’s performance in majors this year has been impressive. He picked up a T18 at The PGA and a T4 at The Masters, which has more similarities to LACC than Oak Hill does. Even though we have seen less of Patrick Reed since he made the jump to LIV, his game is largely the same as before. His calling card is still the fact that he is a short game magician. Both around the greens and on the greens there is very few players with both the variety in shots and quality of shots that Patrick Reed can produce in those situations. In a week in what seems like players will find themselves in some non traditional situations, this could very much be to Reed’s benefit. With his form in Major Championships and his seemingly great course fit, we expect a top 10 from Patrick Reed this week.
Adam Schenk
This is the best season Adam Schenk has had so far in his PGA Tour career. With that, he is potentially in the best form he has ever been in before, especially coming into a major. He has only played in one U.S Open before, it was last year and he finished a very respectable T24. The last two starts that Schenk has made he has finished T7 and solo 2nd. Schenk is a player with a fairly well rounded game that statistically comes out to be slightly above average. His biggest strengths are approach play, putting, and distance off the tee, which is a great combination to possess. It is a bold pick for sure, but with his current form, we think Schenk will finish in the Top 10 this week.
Carson Young
Carson Young had a truly miserable fall. He only made the cut in two of his first eleven events. This is in large part why you will find him on the odds board where he is. However, as of late he seems to be a different golfer than earlier in the season. He has made the cut in five of his last seven starts. In those five events he has three top 20 finishes including one at a designated event. He made it into the U.S Open via the Open Qualifying system going nuclear at the Dallas qualifier shooting rounds of 63-62 to get into the field this week. He seems to be a true boom or bust player. When he is hot, the birdies come in bunches for him. When he is not, he slides down the board rather quickly. With the current form that he is in, we think this will be a great week for Carson Young. It is his first start in a major, but we do not think that will be a tripping point for him. Look for Carson Young to grab a top 20 finish this week at The U.S Open.
