Since golf returned from the coronavirus shutdown in mid-June, the scores had been low. Simplest twice has the winner no longer gotten to double digits underneath par. Four instances the winner has been in spite of every little thing 20 underneath. At The Northern Belief, Dustin Johnson used to be 30 underneath. These guys are making it peep easy. Smartly, the U.S. Launch would not attain easy. And Winged Foot essentially would not attain easy.
But that’s fully 1 of the extensive questions heading into the yr’s second foremost. Can Tiger Woods secure his plot? Does Phil Mickelson private any magic left? Who will surprise and who will fight? Our experts weigh in:
1. Any likelihood Tiger Woods emerges from his funk?
Bob Harig: Not obvious Winged Foot is the suppose to search out your game. Even although the cases had been fully diverse, Woods overlooked his first minimize in a fundamental as a pro in 2006 when the U.S. Launch used to be played at Winged Foot, as he had no longer played for the explanation that death of his father, Earl. The similarity is lack of opponents. Positive, Tiger played recently within the FedEx Cup playoffs, but a recent theme emerged — and inability to keep apart four rounds together. In actuality, in all four of Woods’ begins for the explanation that shutdown, he is de facto had fully 1 trusty day out of 4. There desires to be a quantity of improve in all aspects of his game for Woods to be aggressive this week.
Michael Collins: Tiger is no longer in a funk. He’s in a suppose equal to guys at the underside of the tip 125 checklist or coming off the Korn Ferry Tour. He’s no longer getting constant begins, which turns into no longer getting constant finishes. Must accrued we inquire big things from this week? Fully no longer.
Ian O’Connor: Positive, there is a probability. If Tiger Woods is suitable, he is bought an opportunity. But it indubitably’s extra love a form of Jim Carrey “So you’re telling me there is a probability” probabilities. I attain mediate Woods will address shut one more foremost earlier than he is done, but in all probability at Augusta and least seemingly at a U.S. Launch.
Nick Pietruszkiewicz: No. Not at Winged Foot. He has admitted the adjustment to lifestyles on the Tour, with out fans, has been sophisticated. But overlook that he would not private hundreds following his every transfer — which brings him vitality and distracts those fiddling with or advance him — and focus instead on his game. Or no longer it has been a tough scurry for the explanation that restart. At one level or one more some allotment of his game has long previous lacking — tee, brief irons, putter. And no longer having some — or all — of your game piquant is no longer the vogue you would possibly want to scurry to Winged Foot.
2. There’ll be a quantity of consideration on Phil Mickelson in his return to Winged Foot. So what happens? So-so week? Passed over minimize? Contender?
Harig: Phil’s lack of murder in typical tour events would not portend to being a contender at Winged Foot, the keep apart in 2006 Mickelson used to be lucky to be in opponents, given his inability to force the ball in play for many of the week. That’s accrued a problem in his game, and 14 years later, it’s miles not really that he can accomplish up for the whole wayward drives with an almost ultimate brief game. If the early scouting reviews are appropriate, Winged Foot will be a beast, with a rating round par being the winning quantity. If Phil can steer definite of the extensive numbers, most seemingly he has a respectable week.
Collins: Passed over minimize desires to be the realistic expectation, but will somebody be very much surprised if a pair of of that extinct Lefty magic is accrued left within the tank for two or three rounds. The ideal hurdle for Mickelson would possibly maybe maybe be the principle round. If he can come by thru the principle round contained within the tip 25, he’ll accomplish the minimize — which for me is a address shut for Phil.
O’Connor: As a sports actions journalist you’re allowed to root for the ideal accessible epic, but no longer for teams or particular particular person athletes, most life like seemingly? As grand as I’d exhaust to seek Phil in opponents on Sunday for the sake of the epic, I mediate it be simply inquiring for too grand. I suppose he makes the minimize, makes it just a tiny attention-grabbing on Saturday, but then falls off. And I am hoping he hits a driver on 18 all four days.
Pietruszkiewicz: How grand stress-free would it no longer be to seek his identify excessive on the leaderboard gradual Sunday afternoon? But, sadly, it would not feel imaginable. His T-71 at the PGA Championship and overlooked minimize at The Northern Belief, which bounced him out of the FedEx Cup playoffs, would not accomplish me feel trusty about his probabilities. Positive, he lit up the PGA Tour Champions in his debut to take hang of a address shut, but motivate on the extensive tour this previous week at the Safeway Launch, he used to be typical every other time. Traditional is no longer going to minimize it at Winged Foot — and no longer with all that U.S. Launch baggage coming alongside for the hasten.
3. How seemingly is it that the avid gamers will bitch referring to the setup or that Winged Foot is too laborious?
Harig: It’s almost inevitable. There would possibly maybe be lag to be one thing that is over the tip at Winged Foot, an already stern test that potentially would not need grand within the type of additional consideration to carry out it sophisticated. All but one among the U.S. Opens played at Winged Foot has had an over-par winning rating, and so there is lag to be some grumbling. If firm, rapidly conditions address, it desires to be reasonably a wild hasten.
Collins: It’ll be the same share as those who claim the earth is round. (That’s known as a joke grenade — wait 3 seconds, then it hits.)
O’Connor: There’ll be some conventional USGA griping, but confidently no longer too grand given the venue. Winged Foot is this sort of storied suppose, it deserves better than that. Form you scurry into Yankee Stadium as a visiting pitcher and easily bitch referring to the brief most life like seemingly-area porch? Or attain you suppose, “Wow, I’m pitching in Yankee Stadium?”
Pietruszkiewicz: Here within reason grand guaranteed. Simplest once within the five instances the suppose has hosted the U.S. Launch has the winner been underneath par, when Fuzzy Zoeller shot 4 underneath in 1984. The closing time this championship used to be right here, in 2006 when Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie melted on the 72nd hole, Geoff Ogilvy won with 5 over. The USGA enjoys inflicting effort. This would possibly presumably presumably also inflict effort this week. And the avid gamers is no longer going to uncover it irresistible — in any appreciate.
4. Everybody is aware of the favorites. Who’s your sleeper address this week?
Harig: Matthew Fitzpatrick. He’s quietly attach together a pleasant document for the explanation that return to opponents in June. Whereas he is overlooked three cuts, he also has four top-15 finishes, including three top 10s. His third-suppose attain at the Memorial used to be the effects of a closing-round 68 in some very sophisticated conditions. Plus, he used to be the fully participant to shoot within the 60s that day. Fitzpatrick appears to be like to private the skill to grind it out when it’s miles not easy.
Collins: Michael Thompson. When you have in mind plot motivate within the day, Thompson had the U.S. Launch lead for a minute at Olympic Club (the one Webb Simpson won). A extra seasoned and fight-examined man would possibly presumably presumably surprise a quantity of folk this week at Winged Foot.
O’Connor: I’d private thrown a Scottie Scheffler at you if no longer for his unfortunate withdrawal attributable to a obvious COVID-19 test. And I fabricate no longer mediate Webb Simpson qualifies as a sleeper, even supposing you would maybe perchance presumably presumably accomplish a nuanced case for it. I do know there is fully no cause to address Justin Rose, since he is overlooked four cuts in his previous six begins. However the U.S. Launch requires toughness above all, and Rose, who beat Phil at Merion, is an out of this world golfer. He’s my gut-feel sleeper.
Pietruszkiewicz: Smartly, I am deciding on Viktor Hovland to address shut the thing, so does that count? He plays nicely at USGA events, that grand is obvious. He’s no longer going to be daunted by the misfortune supplied at Winged Foot. And already this yr we private had formative years served, with fellow 20-one thing Collin Morikawa winning the yr’s first foremost by taking the PGA Championship in dramatic vogue at TPC Harding Park.
5. Who amongst the tip 10 within the sector must accrued we be worried about this week?
Harig: Bryson DeChambeau. After so grand fanfare, Bryson is in a bit of a rut, ending 50th at the BMW Championship. His 72-hole rating would had been 25th out of 30 at the Tour Championship. The latter week used to be especially piquant as DeChambeau eschewed the motive force customarily so that you just would possibly maybe maybe search out extra fairways and accrued struggled. Will he unleash the motive force customarily at Winged Foot? There would possibly maybe be a enticing line between distance and having to come by out of the tough at a U.S. Launch. It appears to be like as if it will be an out of this world week for DeChambeau.
Collins: Collin Morikawa. His address shut at the PGA Championship used to be fully his second originate in a fundamental. He did attain T-35 in his diverse foremost originate — closing yr’s U.S. Launch at Pebble Sea dart. But that’s the misfortune. This time Mom Nature is no longer going to suppose the USGA what to attain. This would possibly presumably presumably also be taking a examine to brutalize golfers. Morikawa would possibly presumably private by no manner considered what’s coming.
O’Connor: DeChambeau. It wasn’t plot motivate that we had been questioning if he’d address shut fully one among the three majors being played this yr. But DeChambeau overlooked the minimize at the Northern Belief, placed 50th at the BMW and carried out toward the underside at the Tour Championship, leaving me to factor in this would possibly maybe be an out of this world week for him. He indubitably has the game to address shut the U.S. Launch, but I’m contemplating it be extra seemingly Winged Foot brings out his sizzling temper.
Pietruszkiewicz: Stumble on if this sounds familiar: DeChambeau. I fabricate no longer worship the prolonged game at this venue — or any U.S. Launch, for that topic. Positive, if he swings for the fences and keeps it within the golf green he has an big advantage. But if he would not, he goes to come by irritated very, in a brief time. And if he will get irritated, that’s when the extensive numbers tend to approach. This would not feel love the most life like seemingly foremost for him to step forward and, instead, would possibly presumably presumably be a brief week for him.
