CLEVELAND, Ohio -- U.S. Open 2017 unfolds this week at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. Round 1 for the second major on the men's golf calendar is Thursday, June 15.

U.S. Open odds

U.S. Open tee times

Here are DMan's 10 players to watch:

1. Dustin Johnson, United States (No. 1 in world)

Skinny: D.J. was riding a three-start winning streak entering The Masters in April, but a fall at a rented home knocked him out before the tournament. Since returning in early May, he has gone T-2, T-12, T-13 and CUT (Memorial Tournament). His putting has been suspect. I don't care, because D.J. is ranked No. 1; he hits the ball a long way -- No. 1 on PGA Tour at 312.1 yards; he doesn't get rattled when adversity strikes; and, oh, by the way: He is defending champion. However, the U.S. Open has not produced a repeat winner since Curtis Strange (1988-89).

2. Sergio Garcia, Spain (No. 7)

Skinny: Ser-gi-o! is must-see even when he is struggling. He is not struggling. He won The Masters -- his first career major -- and took more than a month off to celebrate before a T-30 at The Players in mid-May. His next two PGA Tour starts were T-20 and T-12. Sergio still has top-40 length off the tee and accuracy, and he ranks seventh on the tour in greens in regulation. His best finish at the U.S. Open is T-3 in 2005, but I expect him to be in the hunt on the weekend. He is, after all, the only men's player who can win the Grand Slam in 2017.

3. Jon Rahm, Spain (No. 10)

Skinny: Rahm, a 22-year-old with charisma and an incredibly high ceiling, won earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open. His most recent four starts have been all over the map: 4, T-72, T-2, CUT (Memorial). This much is certain: He will attack the course and not be intimidated. However, his already legendary competitive fire could get the best of him when the course inevitably bites back.

4. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland (No. 2)

Skinny: Rory is on the list because he switched putters, from an Odyssey ProType to the TaylorMade Spider Tour, this week. OK, that's not the main reason. He is on the list because he's Rory, supremely talented and winner of four majors -- including the 2011 U.S. Open in a rout. And he's just 28 years old. If anybody can pull off a putter switch before a major, Rory can.

5. Jason Dufner, United States (No. 27)

Skinny: The unassuming Dufner was outstanding, bad and outstanding in winning Memorial Tournament 2017. He has a major in his pocket (2014 PGA Championship). He finished T-4 in back-to-back recent U.S. Opens (2012-13). That he is a Northeast Ohio native is a bonus.

6. Jordan Spieth, United States (No. 5)

Skinny: Oh, to be age 23 and own two major titles, including the 2015 U.S. Open. Spieth is a highly skilled player and grinder, which is a necessary combination on a demanding track such as Erin Hills.

7. Justin Thomas, United States (No. 13)

Skinny: Thomas is tied with Rahm for most Top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season (seven, including three victories). He is tied for 11th in driving distance (305.3 yards). Even when Thomas is not on his game, I love watching him play.

8. Jason Day, Australia (No. 3)

Skinny: In his previous two PGA Tour starts, Day finished second at Byron Nelson and T-15 at Memorial. He won the 2015 PGA Championship. He thrives on difficult courses in part because of his high golf IQ. Highlights of his U.S. Open log are second place in 2011 and T-2 in 2013.

9. Martin Kaymer, Germany (No. 58)

Skinny: The world ranking gives me pause, no question. But Kaymer has won two majors, including the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. (In the past five years, he is the only U.S. Open champion to come out of the final group.) A No. 1-ranked player for a stretch of 2011, he is capable of fantastic stretches within a round. The key for him, even moreso than his competitors, is to avoid one or two bad holes.

10. Kevin Kisner, United States (No. 20)

Skinny: Kisner is tied for third, with Spieth and Johnson, with six top-10's this season. He won Dean & DeLuca in late May -- his second career victory -- then finished T-6 at Memorial. He is No. 12 on tour in driving accuracy.

Here are some U.S. Open nuggets, courtesy of USGA:

TELEVISION COVERAGE

The U.S. Open will receive more than 45 hours of network coverage. Fox and FS1 will air at least 38 1/2 hours of live coverage during championship rounds.

Date Network Hours (CDT)

June 12 FS1 Drive to U.S. Open, 9-10 p.m.

June 14 FS1 Wednesday at U.S. Open, 8:30-11 a.m.

June 15 FS1 Undisputed at U.S. Open, 8:30-9 a.m.

FS1 1st Rd, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fox 1st Rd, 5-8 p.m.

June 16 FS1 Undisputed at U.S. Open, 8:30-9 a.m.

FS1 2nd Rd, 10 a.m.-5 p.m,

Fox 2nd Rd, 5-8 p.m.

June 17 Fox 3rd Rd, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Fox Deportes 3rd Rd, 4-7 p.m.

June 18 Fox 4th Rd, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Fox Deportes 4th Rd, 4:30-7:30 p.m.

June 19* Fox 11 a.m. to conclusion

*If needed, an 18-hole playoff will be scheduled

LIVE STREAMING COVERAGE

The U.S. Open will receive at least 118 1/2 hours of live streaming coverage on the U.S. Open and U.S. Open app channels (usopen.com/U.S.).

Here are some other U.S. Open 2017 nuggets provided by USGA:

PAR AND YARDAGE

Erin Hills will be set up at 7,741 yards and will play to a par of 36-36--72. The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions.

ARCHITECTS

Erin Hills, located 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee in the Kettle Moraine region, was designed by the team of Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten. The public facility opened for play in 2006. Covering 652 acres, the area was host to icy fingers and streams from the last glacier to cover south central Wisconsin. The course features bentgrass greens and fine fescue fairways. The design team oversaw a major renovation to the layout in 2010.

COURSE RATING

Based on the course setup for the championship, the USGA Course Rating is 78.4 and the Slope Rating(r) is 147.

WHO CAN ENTER

The championship is open to any professional golfer and any amateur golfer with a Handicap Index(r) not exceeding 1.4. The deadline for entries was Wednesday, April 26.

ENTRIES

In 2017, the USGA accepted 9,485 entries, the fifth-highest total in U.S. Open history. The record of 10,127 entries was set in 2014. There were 9,882 entries filed in 2015.

LOCAL QUALIFYING

Local qualifying, played over 18 holes, was conducted at 114 sites in the United States between May 2-18. Qualifying was held in 44 states. Florida hosted 16 local qualifiers, while California was second with 14. Golf Canada hosted a local qualifier for the first time.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING

Sectional qualifying, played over 36 holes, was conducted at two international sites on May 22 (Japan) and May 29 (England), as well as 10 U.S. sites on Monday, June 5.

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD

The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers (and ties).

SCHEDULE OF PLAY

Eighteen holes of stroke play are scheduled each day from June 15 (Thursday) through June 18 (Sunday). In the event of a tie after 72 holes, an 18-hole playoff will take place on June 19 (Monday), beginning at 11 a.m. CDT.

2016 CHAMPION

Dustin Johnson, 31, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., carded a final-round 69 for a 72-hole score of 4-under 276 to win by three strokes over third-round leader Shane Lowry, Jim Furyk and Scott Piercy.

Johnson, a U.S. Open runner-up the previous year following a three-putt on the 72nd green at Chambers Bay, overcame that memory and the distraction of a potential Rules violation early in the final round. Johnson, who won his first professional major title, punctuated his victory by stuffing a 6-iron approach from 191 yards to 5 feet for a closing birdie. Although Johnson received a one-stroke penalty upon review at the completion of his round, it did not impact his victory. He was nearly flawless in the final round at Oakmont and registered three birdies and two bogeys, one which came on the fifth-green penalty. Lowry, who fired a 65 for a four-stroke lead after 54 holes, struggled to a 6-over 76.

Johnson joined Bob Jones (1923, 1926, 1929), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Payne Stewart (1999) and Tiger Woods (2008) as U.S. Open champions who were runners-up the previous year.

TITLE DEFENSE

Since 1991, five champions have finished better than 15th in trying to defend their U.S. Open crowns. Tiger Woods tied for sixth in 2009 after capturing his third Open title at Torrey Pines the previous year. Woods also tied for 12th in 2001 after winning his first U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Retief Goosen tied for 11th in 2005 following his second U.S. Open championship victory, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Graeme McDowell tied for 14th the year after winning the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Justin Rose tied for 12th in 2014 following his victory at Merion Golf Club in 2013. Eight champions missed the cut the next year during this period, including Martin Kaymer in 2015.

WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES

Among the benefits enjoyed by the U.S. Open winner are:

A U.S. Open exemption for the next 10 years

An invitation to the next five Masters Tournaments

An invitation to the next five Open Championships, conducted by The R&A

An invitation to the next five PGA Championships

An invitation to the next five Players Championships

Exempt status on the PGA Tour for five years

QUALIFYING FOR THE OTHER MAJORS

The top 10 finishers (and ties) are exempt for the following year's U.S. Open. The top four finishers (and ties) are invited to next year's Masters Tournament.

HISTORY

This is the 117th U.S. Open Championship. The U.S. Open, which was first played in 1895, was not contested for two years (1917-1918) during World War I and for four years (1942-1945) during World War II. The youngest winner of the U.S. Open is 19-year-old John McDermott, who won in 1911; he is among nine players age 21 or younger who have won the U.S. Open. The oldest winner is Hale Irwin, who was 45 and playing on a special exemption when he won his third U.S. Open title in 1990. Irwin also won in 1974 and 1979.

There are four four-time U.S. Open winners: Willie Anderson (1901, 1903, 1904, 1905), amateur Bob Jones (1923, 1926, 1929, 1930), Ben Hogan (1948, 1950, 1951, 1953), and Jack Nicklaus (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980).

Only six players have won the Masters and U.S. Open titles in the same year: Craig Wood (1941), Ben Hogan (1951, 1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tiger Woods (2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015).

PURSE

The 2017 purse will be $12 million. It has been increased from $10 million in 2016.

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT ERIN HILLS

2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links: Tiffany Joh def. Kimberly Kim, 6 and 5

2011 U.S. Amateur: Kelly Kraft def. Patrick Cantlay, 2 up

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WISCONSIN (champion in parenthesis)

1951 U.S. Amateur Public Links, Brown Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee (Dave Stanley)

1966 U.S. Amateur Public Links, Brown Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee (Lamont Kaser)

1969 Walker Cup Match, Milwaukee C.C., River Hills (USA)

1977 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, Yahara Hills G.C., Madison (Kelly Fuiks)

1977 U.S. Amateur Public Links, Brown Deer Park G.C., Milwaukee (Jerry Vidovic)

1986 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, SentryWorld G.C., Stevens Point (Cindy Schreyer)

1988 U.S. Senior Amateur, Milwaukee C.C., River Hills (Clarence Moore)

1998 U.S. Women's Open, Blackwolf Run, Kohler (Se Ri Pak)

2007 U.S. Senior Open, Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wis. (Brad Bryant)

2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, Erin Hills, Erin (Tiffany Joh)

2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur, Milwaukee C.C., River Hills (Steve Wilson)

2011 U.S. Amateur, Erin Hills, Erin (Kelly Kraft)

2012 U.S. Women's Open, Blackwolf Run, Kohler (Na Yeon Choi)

U.S. OPENS IN THE MIDWEST

This is the first U.S. Open contested in the Midwest since 2003, when Jim Furyk won at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. The U.S. Open has been played 32 times in Midwest and 13 of those championships were held in Illinois. Oakland Hills Country Club, in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has hosted six U.S. Opens.

Recent U.S. Open Championships in Midwest

1975: Medinah (Ill.) Country Club (Lou Graham)

1979: Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio (Hale Irwin)

1985: Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Andy North)

1990: Medinah (Ill.) Country Club (Hale Irwin)

1991: Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn. (Payne Stewart)

1996: Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield, Mich. (Steve Jones)

2003: Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club (Jim Furyk)

2017 U.S. Open Players Who Competed in 2011 U.S. Amateur (18):

Byeong-Hun An (WD), Christopher Crawford (FQ), Bryson DeChambeau (Rd. 32), Kevin Dougherty (Rd. 64), Harris English (Rd. 32), Emiliano Grillo (FQ), Stewart Hagestad (FQ), Russell Henley (Rd. 32), Stephan Jaeger (Rd. 32), Brooks Koepka (FQ), Ben Kohles (FQ), Daniel Miernicki (FQ), Cheng-Tsung Pan (FQ), Jonathan Randolph (Rd. 64), Scottie Scheffler (FQ), Justin Spieth (Q-Final), Justin Thomas (Rd. 32) and Peter Uihlein (Q-Final).).

U.S. OPEN PAR-72 COURSES (9) - since World War II

Canterbury Golf Club, Beachwood, Ohio (1946)

Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club (1953)

Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn. (1970)

Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links (1972)

Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links (1982)

Medinah (Ill.) Country Club (1990)

Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn. (1991)

Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links (1992)

Erin Hills, Erin, Wis. (2017)

FUTURE U.S. OPENS

June 14-17, 2018: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.

June 13-16, 2019: Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links

June 18-21, 2020: Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course), Mamaroneck, N.Y.

June 17-20, 2021: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course), San Diego, Calif.

June 16-19, 2022: The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.

June 15-18, 2023: Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club (North Course)

June 13-16, 2024: Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

June 12-15, 2025: Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

June 18-21, 2026: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.

(USGA contributed to this report.)