Fansided

2016 US Open: 5 dark horse golfers who could contend

By Brad Weiss

OAKMONT, PA - JUNE 13: A clock displays the time during a practice round prior to the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2016 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
OAKMONT, PA - JUNE 13: A clock displays the time during a practice round prior to the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2016 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Jun 5, 2016; Dublin, OH, USA; Matt Kuchar reacts after making a putt on the sixteenth hole during the final round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 5, 2016; Dublin, OH, USA; Matt Kuchar reacts after making a putt on the sixteenth hole during the final round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Matt Kuchar

There are few hotter golfers this year than Matt Kuchar, who is a fan favorite whenever he plays in a tournament. Kuchar has finished in the top 10 in five of his last six tournaments, and has finished in the top 10 seven times this year. Amazingly, Kuchar has still yet to win a Major Championship in his career, but that could all change this week.

Kuchar has fared well at the US Open in his career, finishing in the top 30 in each of his last six Open starts. In 2007, the last time Oakmont hosted the US Open, Kuchar missed the cut, but he figures to play better this time around.

Kuchar will be paired the first two rounds of the tournament with Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed, and they will be of the feature pairings of the tournament’s first two days. Reed and Watson have both had success in the US Open, with Reed finishing T14 in the Open last year. Watson’s best finish actually came in 2007, so he will be looking to improve on his T5 that year.

Oakmont figures to be a beast this week, and Kuchar has the kind of game that can keep him in contention throughout the tournament. He is fifth in scoring average this year, averaging just over 69 shots per round, which would put him in a position to win this week. A win at Oakmont would be the crown jewel of his already outstanding career.

Next: No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama

Home/Golf