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Dustin Johnson travels to Erin Falls, Wisconsin, this week looking to become the first player to successfully defend a U.S. Open title since Curtis Strange did so in 1989, but a strong field means that will be no easy feat.

One can debate whether Johnson is the best player in the world today when playing at his best, but the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm will all head into this week's competition with silverware in sight.

Old regulars will be vying to rain on the parades of those younger stars, too, as seasoned veterans like Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera return to make a run at a title they've each already won in their careers.

Johnson may be the favourite to come out on top once again in 2016, but Sunday's champion is far from being crowned just yet, with stars of the highest calibre showing their share of creaks already this year.

We take a look at some of the top contenders to triumph at Erin Hills, per OddsShark, and a preview of their chances this week. All statistics come courtesy of the PGA Tour website.

Start Date: Thursday, June 15

End Date: Sunday, June 18

Live Stream: Sky Go app (UK), Fox Sports Go (U.S.)

TV Info: Sky Sports 1/4 (UK), Fox (U.S.), Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), Fox Deportes (U.S.)

Odds

Dustin Johnson: 6-1

Rory McIlroy: 9-1

Jordan Spieth: 10-1

Jason Day: 11-1

Jon Rahm: 16-1

Hideki Matsuyama: 20-1

Justin Rose: 20-1

Sergio Garcia: 22-1

Rickie Fowler: 22-1

Henrik Stenson: 25-1

Jordan Spieth Reclaims His Crown

It hasn't all been perfect for Spieth of late, and the 23-year-old recently failed to make the cut at both the Players' Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson.

But despite his age, the Texas native holds one of the strongest resolves in the sport today and is as capable as any other of bouncing back in swift fashion, which is what Fox Sports predicted in its recent preview:

The 2015 U.S. Open winner has since got things back on track at just the right time, however, and contributed a much-improved display at Colonial at the beginning of June, where he finished second, per ESPN Stats and Info:

Spieth has rarely looked out of sorts hitting the ball this year, and Erin Hills looks as though it could resemble Chambers Bay, where he edged Johnson to the crown in 2015.

Jon Rahm to Stage a Surprise

From one starlet of the game to another, Arizona State alumnus Rahm returns to the U.S. Open this week, the scene of his first participation in a major, albeit under very different circumstances this time around.

In the space of around a year, Rahm has gone from relative nobody to the name on just about everybody's lips, and despite his lack of experience, there's no telling how well he could do at Erin Hill this week.

A win at the Farmers Insurance Open and a second-placed finish to Johnson at the WGC-Dell Match Play have Rahm in good form of late, and Golf Digest's Mike O'Malley recently provided some insight as to what formed him into the player he is today:

Unconventional though those methods may be, they're effective, and his stocky 6'2" frame is suited well to the slugfest that could well unfold on a big, open Erin Hills course.

That being said, Rahm's putting is the one area in which his deficiencies may be caught out compared to his peers, although if his ball-striking holds up, even that may not be enough to hold him back from a top-five finish or better.