Players to watch

Jason Day: Dazzling U.S. Open résumé: 6 appearances, 5 top-9s, including 2nd in 2011 and T2 in 2013.

Sergio Garcia: Since winning the Masters in April, he's gone T30 at The Players, T20 at the AT&T Nelson and T12 at Dean & DeLuca Colonial.

Rickie Fowler: T2 in 2014 U.S. Open but missed the cut in '15 and '16. Has 4 top-5s this year, including win at Honda.

Matt Kuchar: A popular dark horse pick this week, but Koooch has only 1 top 10 in 19 tour starts in '17: 4th at AT&T Nelson

Hideki Matsuyama: Japan has yearned for decades to have a male golf major champ. At 25 years old and No. 4 in world, he's seemingly on cusp

Rory McIlroy: Since he won in 2011, U.S. Open track record has been Cut, T41, T23, T9, Cut. Slowed much of this year by rib fracture.

Justin Rose: Even with victory in 2013, U.S. Open record not great: 11 appearances, 3 top-10s, 5 missed cuts. Runner-up in April's Masters.

Jordan Spieth: Surprisingly, 2015 victory is his only top-15 U.S. Open finish in 5 tries. Tee to green, seems primed for a great week.

Steve Stricker: At 50, Wisconsin native and 12-time PGA Tour winner earned his way into this week's field through sectional qualifying.

Justin Thomas: In 15 PGA Tour starts this season, 24-year-old has 7 top-10s, including 3 victories.

Field favorite

Dustin Johnson: Reigning U.S. Open champ and world No. 1 was the clear Masters favorite until he tumbled down stairs and had to WD.

Trending up

Charl Schwartzel: '11 Masters champ has only 2 top-10s in 10 U.S. Open starts, but finished 3rd in this year's Masters and T2 at St. Jude last week.

Trending down

Henrik Stenson: Reigning British Open champ missed cut in this year's Masters and has 4 missed cuts and a WD in 8 PGA Tour starts this year.

Dark horse

Billy Horschel: Oddsmakers have him at 80-1, but the 2014 FedEx Cup champ is riding the wave of his AT&T Byron Nelson win and T4 at last week's St. Jude.

Townsend's picks

1. Jordan Spieth

2. Dustin Johnson

3. Jason Day