The prevailing sentiment heading into the U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club is that the tournament will come down to big guns Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. While that may end up being the case, there are a few intriguing long shots ready to play spoiler in the Thursday-Sunday tournament.
Here are three:
Jordan Spieth
There was a time when Spieth entered major championships as the favorite to win, but that’s no longer true. The 31-year-old has dropped to No. 47 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he has gone nine straight major starts without a top-10 finish.
Despite his struggles over the past few years, Spieth is quietly putting together a solid season. In 14 starts, the American has seven top-20 finishes and four top-10s. He also ranks seventh on the PGA Tour in strokes gained from off the tee over the past three months. Driver will be the most important club in the bag at Oakmont, and Spieth is grooving it off the tee with a ton of confidence now.
Harris English
Many players fall apart when the rough grows out, the greens get firm and fast and pars start to feel like bogeys. English is just the opposite. The five-time PGA Tour winner plays his best in difficult scoring conditions, as evidenced by his three top-10 finishes in his past five U.S. Open appearances.
