SAN DIEGO — A 48-year-old Englishman who waited twenty years to earn his first European Tour victory and a PGA Tour professional who hasn’t gained in additional than 4 years share the 36-hole lead on the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
How’s that for unpredictable?
There are 20 gamers inside 5 pictures of Richard Bland and Russell Henley and 9 extra inside six. Of the gamers who made the lower, solely 9 pictures separate the co-leaders from the final 14 above the lower line.
It figures to be a wild weekend with loads of drama. Listed below are the highest contenders and why they may or gained’t hoist the U.S. Open Trophy on Sunday:
Richard Bland
Place: Co-leader at 5 underneath
Why he can win: Perhaps if Bland, 48, had been placing on poa annua greens, like those at Torrey Pines, for the previous 20 years he’d have a couple of victory on the European Tour. On Friday, he had seven birdies within the second spherical and is No. 2 in pictures gained placing (6.61!). Bland, who would change into solely the third Englishman within the final 90 years to win the U.S. Open, is clearly taking part in with home cash and has nothing to lose.
Why he can’t win: Bland, the No. 115 ranked participant on this planet, wanted 478 begins on the European Tour to win for the primary time finally month’s British Masters. His finest end in a serious was a tie for twenty second on the 2017 Open Championship. He can be the third-oldest winner of a serious. No participant ranked outdoors the highest 100 of the Official World Golf Rating (began in 1986) has gained the U.S. Open, in accordance with analysis by ESPN Stats & Data. Steve Jones was ranked No. 99 when he gained in 1996.
Russell Henley
Place: Co-leader at 5 underneath
Why he can win: Henley has performed practically flawless golf with solely three bogeys over his first 36 holes. The previous College of Georgia star moved to 6-under and grabbed the solo lead earlier than bogeying his last gap of the second spherical to accept a tie with Bland. Historical past is on Henley’s aspect. Of the earlier 9 gamers who held the lead or co-lead in every of the primary two rounds of the U.S. Open, 5 went on to win the event.
Why he can’t win: Henley, 32, is the No. 63-ranked participant on this planet and is a three-time winner on tour. However he hasn’t gained in additional than 4 years and has not often been on this lofty place in a serious. In truth, he has by no means completed within the prime 10 of a serious; his finest efficiency on the U.S. Open was a tie for sixteenth because the co-low beginner in 2010. Can he deal with the stress?
Louis Oosthuizen
Place: 4 underneath, 1 shot again
Why he can win: Few play as effectively on golf’s largest levels as usually as Oosthuizen, who gained the 2010 Open Championship and was at the least tied for runner-up within the three different majors. He was tied for second within the 2015 U.S. Open and third in 2023. He has been within the highlight many instances.
Why he can’t win: Can he shut the deal in one other main? He’s been down this street a bunch. He’s one among solely three gamers with prime 10s within the 2019 and 2023 U.S. Opens. Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele are the others.
Matthew Wolff
Place: 4 underneath, 1 shot again
Why he can win: Wolff’s sport appears excellent for this setup. Plus, he has the flexibility to go low. He had eight birdies within the first spherical — tied for many in any opening spherical of the U.S. Open prior to now 15 years. He tossed in 4 extra in Friday’s second spherical. In contrast to Thursday, Wolff largely prevented large errors within the second spherical, with just one bogey. He additionally had zero three-putts after having three the day earlier than.
Why he can’t win: Wolff in all probability wasn’t supposed to do that effectively in his first event again from a virtually two-month absence to deal with his psychological well being. Solely eight months in the past, Wolff shot a 5-under 65, the bottom ever in a serious at Winged Foot, to seize the 54-hole lead within the pandemic-delayed U.S. Open. He shot 75 within the last spherical and misplaced to DeChambeau by 6 pictures.
Bubba Watson
Place: 3 underneath, 2 pictures again
Why he can win: Watson, a two-time Masters champion, appears relaxed and assured. He had 11 birdies within the first two rounds, tied for probably the most he’s had via 36 holes in a serious. He final did it within the 2010 PGA Championship, which he misplaced in a playoff to Martin Kaymer.
Why he can’t win: His observe document within the U.S. Open isn’t nice. He missed the lower in 5 of his earlier seven begins. Even Watson appeared stunned by his efficiency right here, suggesting that successful the U.S. Open at 42 can be like “successful the lottery with out shopping for a ticket.” Will his putter maintain up? He isn’t considered one of many Tour’s finest performers on the greens, however his stroke has been fairly dependable thus far.
Jon Rahm
Place: 3 underneath, 2 pictures again
Why he can win: He’s arguably probably the most gifted participant on tour with out a main championship. He can be the primary Spaniard to win the U.S. Open, and a victory would come two weeks after he was compelled to withdraw from the Memorial with a 6-shot lead after three rounds due to a optimistic take a look at for COVID-19. He has performed exceptionally effectively at Torrey Pines prior to now; he’s a mixed 51 underneath in 5 begins within the Farmers Insurance coverage Open — the common PGA Tour occasion held there — together with a win in 2017.
Why he can’t win: He was erratic with the driving force on Friday and didn’t hit his second fairway till the thirteenth gap, which induced his mood to flare. He hit solely 5 of 14 fairways within the spherical after hitting twice as many the day earlier than. He wanted par-saving putts on Nos. 10, 11 and 12 to remain among the many leaders earlier than discovering his rhythm on the tee during the last six pictures. Will his brief sport, which has been unreliable at instances this season, proceed to bail him out if wanted?
Xander Schauffele
Place: 2 underneath, 3 pictures again
Why he can win: If Schauffele is in competition on Sunday, he’ll have the Southern California followers rooting for him. The 27-year-old was born in La Jolla, performed a lot of his highschool golf at Torrey Pines and went to school at San Diego State. He had success on the South Course not too long ago, tying for runner-up on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open in January.
Why he can’t win: Schauffele has performed in addition to nearly anybody within the majors. He simply hasn’t gotten over the hump. In his earlier 16 profession begins in majors, he had prime 10s in half of them, together with six prime 5s. He hasn’t completed worse than sixth in his earlier 4 U.S. Opens. Can he end the cope with everybody rooting for him?
Scottie Scheffler
Place: 1 underneath, 4 pictures again
Why he can win: Scheffler examined optimistic for COVID-19 and was compelled to withdraw solely 4 days earlier than the beginning of the 2023 U.S. Open. A 12 months later, he’s within the combine. He got here into Torrey Pines with momentum, after tying for eighth on the PGA Championship and ending solo third on the Memorial. He’s additionally prolific on poa annua greens. He leads the sector in strokes gained placing this week, needing solely 49 putts over the primary 36 holes.
Why he can’t win: It’s asking loads for the 24-year-old to win his first PGA Tour occasion at a serious. A handful of gamers have executed it — Charl Schwartzel and Danny Willett on the Masters in 2011 and 2016 had been the newest — nevertheless it’s uncommon.
Bryson DeChambeau
Place: Even par, 5 pictures again
Why he can win: He struggled with driving accuracy within the first spherical, then mentioned the answer got here to him in his sleep early Friday morning. The swing change resulted in a four-shot enchancment with a second-round 69. He’s second in strokes gained from the tee (3.74) and is giving himself loads of alternatives to make birdies.
Why he can’t win: Historical past suggests he gained’t win. DeChambeau is making an attempt to change into solely the third back-to-back winner on the U.S. Open in seven many years — Brooks Koepka gained in 2017 and 2018; Curtis Unusual in 1988 and 1989. DeChambeau’s swing change wasn’t practically as efficient together with his irons, which despatched him again to the driving vary for one more lengthy session. Relaxation assured he’s in all probability sleeping on it, too.
Brooks Koepka
Place: Even par, 5 pictures again
Why he can win: Even at 5 pictures again, nobody else within the subject in all probability believes they’re going to win as a lot as Koepka. Simply ask him. He’s a four-time majors champion, with two U.S. Open and two PGA Championship titles. Till Friday, he had been within the prime 5 of 34 rounds in majors because the begin of the 2017 season, which was practically twice as many as every other participant.
Why he can’t win: With birdies on two of the primary 4 holes, Koepka appeared able to make his cost towards one other main championship win. However then he began spraying his driver in every single place, lacking 9 of 14 fairways.
Justin Thomas
Place: Even par, 5 pictures again
Why he can win: He can grind it out with the very best of them, which was the case once more on Friday when he fought his method to a 2-under 69 to get again into competition. His iron play was distinctive, hitting 12 of 18 greens. A shaky putter has induced him to have a so-so efficiency this season, nevertheless it has been extra dependable right here.
Why he can’t win: Thomas produced one of the vital memorable rounds in U.S. Open historical past when he fired a 9-under 63 within the third spherical at Erin Hills in 2017, the bottom spherical in relation to par within the event’s historical past. However that’s the one time he was underneath par within the third spherical within the 4 U.S. Opens by which he made the lower.
Rory McIlroy
Place: 1 over, 6 pictures again
Why he can win: McIlroy has remained on the perimeter of competition with out doing something exceptionally effectively over the primary two rounds. He drove the ball higher on Friday than he did on Thursday, nonetheless, and believes an alignment change will right his poor iron pictures. He has historically performed fairly effectively at Torrey Pines; he was a mixed 32 underneath in his previous three begins on the South Course on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open.
Why he can’t win: He hasn’t gained a serious because the 2014 PGA Championship. At instances, it looks as if his sport is hanging by a thread. He hit 53.6% of the fairways and 61.1% of greens over the primary 36 holes.
Dustin Johnson
Place: 2 over, 7 pictures again
Why he can win: The world No. 1 participant, who has been struggling mightily, appeared to search out one thing on his second 9 on Friday. He wanted to as a result of he was at risk of lacking the lower after 5 bogeys in his first 9 holes. He settled down and had only one bogey with three birdies in his last 9 to complete at 2-over 73.
Why he can’t win: There are too many gifted gamers forward of DJ on the leaderboard, and he has been too inconsistent off the tee to make a severe cost. He has struggled together with his driver and hasn’t performed very effectively since successful the Masters in November. He hit solely 5 of 14 fairways within the first spherical, and solely 4 of 14 within the second.
Supply hyperlink
The submit Who on a packed U.S. Open leaderboard has an opportunity and why they may or gained’t get it executed appeared first on The Black Chronicle.
