Photo Credit: doglegnews.com

The U.S Open is back! This year, the tournament will be played at one of the toughest golf courses in the world, Shinnecock Hills, in Southampton, N.Y. Let’s dive into a full preview of the tournament. It’s going to be a good one!

TV Info:

Thursday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM, FS1; 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM, FOX

Friday: 10 AM – 4:30 PM, FS1; 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM, FOX

Saturday: 11 AM – 7:30 PM, FOX

Sunday: 10 AM – 7:30 PM, FOX

Odds to Win (According to Vegasinsiders.com):

1. Dustin Johnson – 7/1

2. Rory McIlroy – 14/1

T-3. Jordan Spieth – 16/1

T-3. Justin Thomas – 16/1

T-3. Justin Rose – 16/1

T-3. Rickie Fowler – 16/1

T-3. Tiger Woods – 16/1

4. Jason Day – 18/1

5. Brooks Koepka – 20/1

6. Jon Rahm – 22/1

7. Phil Mickelson – 25/1

8. Hideki Matsuyama – 28/1

9. Bryson Dechambeau – 35/1

T-10. Branden Grace – 40/1

T-10. Henrik Stenson – 40/1

T-10. Patrick Reed – 40/1

T-10. Sergio Garcia – 40/1

T-10. Tommy Fleetwood – 40/1

Last 10 U.S Open Winners:

2017 – Brooks Koepka – Erin Hills 2016 – Dustin Johnson – Oakmont 2015 – Jordan Spieth – Chambers Bay 2014 – Martin Kaymer – Pinehurst 2013 – Justin Rose – Merion 2012 – Webb Simpson – Olympic 2011 – Rory McIlroy – Congressional 2010 – Graeme McDowell – Pebble Beach 2009 – Lucas Glover – Bethpage Black 2008 – Tiger Woods – Torrey Pines

Last Shinnecock U.S Open Winner: 2004 – Retief Goosen, -4

Sleeper Picks:

Branden Grace – 40/1 Tommy Fleetwood – 40/1 Matt Kuchar – 70/1 Emiliano Grillo – 100/1 Ian Poulter – 160/1

What Is The Course Like And What Do You Need To Do To Win?

This course is one of the most difficult I’ve ever seen. It’s absurd. The course is extremely long, and it’s a links course. The fairways are very narrow and surrounded by a tremendous amount of fescue and bunkers. There’s very little rough between the fairway and the fescue, so a key for the players this week is going to be hitting fairways.

The course is also extremely hilly (hence the name Shinnecock Hills) and the greens are hilly as well. Most of the greens are almost completely surrounded by bunkers. Furthermore, expect the course to play extremely fast, as there has been very little rain in New York as of late. The entire weekend is supposed to be dry as well.

The course is right near the water, as it is a links course, so there will certainly be times during the tournament where it is very windy. If you’re not hitting fairways, your scramble game is going to have to be A+ in order to have a chance to win.

This video is the 18th hole at Shinnecock. The ball is dropped at the back of the green, and look what happens next:

It’s an absurd course, and expect several other greens to play the same exact way 18 is playing. I don’t expect the winner to finish better than 5 under par. Here is a hole-by-hole video playlist created by the USGA to explain the course. Take a look:

Creating The Perfect DraftKings Lineup:

1.) Justin Rose, $9,900 – Justin Rose is a model of consistency, as he has made the cut at all 15 tournaments that he has played in this season, and came in the top-ten at ten of them. In Rose’s last two tournaments played, the Fort Worth Invitational and the Memorial Tournament, he has placed first and sixth, respectively. In addition to this, Shinnecock Hills is a links course, as I mentioned several times before. Rose is from England, so he will be very familiar with this type of course.

2.) Henrik Stenson, $8,800 – Henrik Stenson is another consistent player on tour. He’s made 12/13 cuts, and came in the top-ten at six of them. However, the reason why I believe Stenson could very well place in the top-ten of this tournament is due to his driving accuracy, which I said is needed to win this tournament. Stenson has hit the fairway on 77.99% of his drives, which ranks first on the PGA Tour. In addition, his scrambling is exceptional too, and ranks sixth on tour.

3.) Branden Grace, $8,400 – Branden Grace is having an exceptional season, as he hasn’t missed the cut once. I think I have taken him in every DraftKings competition I’ve done because he is that consistent. This tournament is going to play like an Open Championship due to the fact that it’s a links course, and Grace has made the cut in every single Open Championship he has played in. This includes a sixth place finish at the 2017 Open Championship. Grace also has finished in the top-five of a major championship four times, twice at the U.S Open and twice at the PGA Championship.

4.) Tommy Fleetwood, $8,100 – Tommy Fleetwood has been a huge breakout golfer throughout the last year and a half. He’s made 18 cuts out of 19 this season, and came in the top-ten in eight of them. Fleetwood also is in the top-30 in driving accuracy on tour, 31st in driving distance, and is very used to links style golf as he too is from England. Fleetwood finished top-five at Erin Hills in 2017, and there’s no reason to think he can’t do it again.

5.) Matt Kuchar, $7,600 – KUUUUUUUUUCCHHHHHHH! I’m a huge fan of Matt Kuchar as he has a tremendous amount of experience on tour. In Kuchar’s last 32 major appearances, dating back to 2010, he has only missed the cut three times. He’s also never won a major before, and it’s going to happen eventually as he’s always right there (ten top-ten finishes at majors). This is a pure value pick at $7,600.

6.) Rafael Cabrera-Bello, $7,200 – Cabrera-Bello is playing some good golf this season, and is certainly better than his price. He’s finished in the top-ten at his last two tournaments, and is top-25 in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour. At $7,200, and as a last player, you’re not going to get better than Cabrera-Bello.

Winner Prediction: Jordan Spieth, -3

Jordan Spieth hasn’t been putting well, but that’s destined to change as he is one of the best putters we’ve ever seen. I also think that this course is so difficult, that it’s going to be a big-name golfer taking home the trophy. Jordan Spieth has the ability to make a run when he needs to in big tournaments, and is one of the best scramblers on tour. In addition, I love that Spieth has flown under the radar thus far, as his odds are at 16/1. He’s very due for a major win, and I think this is where he does it.