PGA Tour Picks: 119th U.S. Open

By Tom LaMarre

When the best golfers in the world tee it up this week in the 119th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of them will be trying to complete the modern Career Grand Slam for the third straight major this year and the fourth in a row overall.

Rory McIlroy tied for fifth in the Masters at Augusta in his fourth bid (all top-10 finishes) to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players with all four major trophies, while Jordan Spieth tied for third in the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in his third try to win all four.

Spieth also tied for 12th in the PGA when it was the last major of 2018 last August.

Now, it’s Phil Mickelson’s turn to make his fifth attempt to complete the Slam, and what makes it even more intriguing is that he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the fifth time in February.

Not only that, Lefty tied for 16th when the U.S. Open was played at Pebble in 2000, and tied for fourth when it was played there again in 2010, so there’s no question that he feels confident heading back to the Monterey Peninsula.

“It’s just that it would be pretty special to be part of the elite players that have won all four,” said Mickelson, who will turn 49 on the final day of the tournament in which he has finished second six times. “To me that’s the sign of a complete game.

“The difficulty is that when you’re in your 20s you feel like you have multiple chances. And when you’re turning 49, you’re like I’ve got two more chances, this year, and maybe Winged Foot (next year), and that’s about it. With that being the only one in the four that I haven’t won, and what it would offer me and how I look at my career, I put more pressure on it. That’s the difficult thing.”

Not to mention Mickelson’s ongoing opposition to the way the United States Golf Association sets up courses for our national championship, which will be played at Pebble Beach for the sixth time.

Lefty has been the USGA’s biggest critic.

“I’ve played, what, 29 U.S. Opens,” said Lefty, who has finished in the top 10 in 10 of them. “One-hundred percent of time they have messed it up if it doesn’t rain. The rain is the governor. That’s the only governor they have. And if they don’t have a governor they don’t know how to control themselves.

“It’s just based on history. My 30 years, and 30 years before that. So I think we’re all pulling for a little rain.”

Mickelson isn’t the only major story line at Pebble.

Brooks Koepka, who has won four of the last nine majors, including his second straight PGA last month and the last two U.S. Opens, will try to equal the feat of Willie Anderson (1903-05) – the only player to win three in a row.

Since World War II, only two players have had that chance, with Hogan finishing third in 1952 at Northwood Club in Dallas and Curtis Strange tying for 21st at Medinah outside Chicago in 1990.

Koepka has to like his chances even more since he tied for eighth in his only start at Pebble Beach in 2016.

And then there is Tiger Woods, who resumed his chase of Nicklaus’ 18 major titles by claiming his 15th in the Masters two months ago.

Woods hasn’t played at Pebble since 2012 because he’s not fond of the way the poa annua greens roll during the winter, but in 2000 he captured the first of his three U.S. Opens by a record 15 shots after winning the AT&T Pro Am there earlier in the year.

When the U.S. Open returned to Pebble in 2010, he tied for fourth.

Another player to watch is Dustin Johnson, who won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2009 and 2010, in addition to placing in the top 10 on six other occasions.

Despite that record, DJ might be looking for a little redemption at Pebble, because he opened the door for Graeme McDowell to win the 2010 U.S. Open after taking a three-stroke lead to the final round before closing with an 82 to tie for eighth.

Johnson claimed his only major title in the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, near Pittsburgh, and figures to add to that total at some point.

They all know that making history is a bit more special at Pebble Beach.

BEST BETS

1. Brooks Koepka, United States – The top-ranked player in the world has won four of the last nine majors, including his second straight PGA Championship last month. If he can repeat as U.S. Open champion this week he will join Willie Anderson (1903-05) as the only men to win three in a row. Tied for eighth in 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
2. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland – Rory comes in on top of his game, winning the RBC Canadian Open by seven strokes after claiming the Players Championship earlier this year. He has finished in the top 10 in 10 of his last 12 tournaments, including a tie for eighth in the PGA. Has won four majors, including the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.
3. Dustin Johnson, United States – DJ has played some of his best golf at Pebble Beach, winning the AT&T Pro-Am in 2009 and 2010, two of his eight finishes in the top 10. In the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble, Johnson took a three-stroke lead into the final round, but closed with an 82 to tie for eighth. Only major title came in 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
4. Tiger Woods, United States – After winning the Masters in April for his 15th major title and first since 2008, Woods looks to bounce back after missing the cut in the PGA. He claimed the first of his three U.S. Open titles by a record 15 strokes in 2000 and also captured the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier that year, and tied for second in 1997.
5. Phil Mickelson, United States – Lefty makes a fifth attempt to win the Career Grand Slam this week and Pebble Beach might be the place for it to happen. Has won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am five times, including earlier this year. Mickelson has five major titles, but finished second in the U.S. Open six times. Tied for fourth in 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble.
6. Justin Rose, England – After a strong start to this season that included a victory on the Farmers Insurance Open, Rose slumped a bit before finishing 13th in the Memorial Tournament his last time out. Claimed his only major title in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion. Has played in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am twice, and tied for sixth in 2016.
7. Francesco Molinari, Italy – After claiming his first major title in the 2018 Open Championship at Carnoustie, Molinari tied for sixth in the PGA Championship and tied for fifth in the Masters, but tied for 48th when the PGA was moved to last month. Has a victory this year in Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he has never played at Pebble Beach.
8. Patrick Cantlay, United States – Not only did Cantlay win the Memorial Tournament in his last start, but he has shown this year that he is a major player in the making by tying for ninth in the Masters and tying for third in the PGA at Bethpage Black. Has played in the AT&T Pebble Beach three times and best result as a tie for ninth in 2013.
9. Jason Day, Australia – Although Day’s only major title came in the 2015 PGA at Whistling Straits, he has five top-10s since, including a tie for fifth two months ago in the Masters, and six other results in the top 25. He has six top-10 finishes in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, including a tie for fourth this year and a tie for second in 2018.
10. Jon Rahm, Spain – It has been feast or famine in the majors for Rahm the last two seasons, as he was fourth in the Masters and tied for fourth in the PGA Championship last year, and tied for ninth in the Masters this year, but missed the cut in the three others. Has played in AT&T Pebble Beach twice and a tie for fifth in 2017 was his best result.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH – Justin Thomas, United States; Paul Casey, England; Jordan Spieth, United States; Sergio Garcia, Spain; Xander Schauffele, United States; Rickie Fowler, United States.

SLEEPERS

1. Shane Lowry, Ireland – Has three recent top-10s, including a tie for second last week in RBC Canadian Open and a tie for eighth in PGA. Tied for second in 2016 U.S. Open.
2. Ian Poulter, England – Playing well at 43, with four recent top 20s, including a T-12 in the Masters. Has eight top-10s in majors, the best second in 2008 Open Championship.
3. Kevin Na, United States – Won Charles Schwab Challenge in last start and has two top-5s in Pebble Beach Pro-Am. His best major result was seventh in 2016 U.S. Open.
4. Kevin Kisner, United States – WGC-Match Play winner this year has seven top-25s. Best major result was T-2 in 2018 Open at Carnoustie and had T-10 at Pebble in 2017.
5. Si Woo Kim, South Korea – The 2017 Players champion also had best major finish that year, a T-13 in U.S. Open. Tied for fourth this year in AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

For first-round tee times visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html