US Open 2017: 10 bold predictions
With the 2017 US Open set to take place starting on June 15 at Erin Hills, 10 bold predictions for what could happen in the second major of the year
The 2017 US Open is set to take center stage for the PGA Tour. As the second major of the season, you can expect all of the big names — those healthy or not at their daughter’s graduation, at least — to be making the trek to Wisconsin and playing at Erin Hills. However, this course and tournament could offer a great deal of unpredictability to determine the second major champion of the year.
As we’ve heard a number of golfers talk about already leading up to the US Open, there are a number of quirks about this course. Perhaps the biggest is the natural fescue rough, which is quite daunting. Many players have expressed their displeasure with this. Whether they’re happy or not, though, is ultimately irrelevant. Their tasked with dealing with it this week if they want to win a major.
If that weren’t enough, there’s more to deal with at Erin Hills. This is a course that much of the field is unfamiliar with. What’s more, it’s an incredibly long course that could challenge a number of players. When you put all of that together, it makes for a wildly unpredictable round of golf.
So, what could happen this week at Erin Hills? Here are 10 bold predictions for the 2017 US Open.
10. Jamie Lovemark finishes in the top 5
One of the things that many people have talked about being an advantage for these players coming into the 2017 US Open is distance off of the tee. By all accounts, Erin Hills has enormous landing areas off of the fairway. What’s more, it’s an exceptionally long course. Thus, players who have the ability to be big hitters from the tee box should, in theory, have an advantage. However, there’s obviously more to that to getting the win.
That bit of information, however, is the first reason why you have to like Jamie Lovemark’s chances heading into the second major of the season. He ranks 20th on the PGA Tour thus far in the season in driving distance. He’s been mashing off of the tee this season. So with a course where he’ll consistently be able to pull the driver out of the bag and punch it into the fairway, Lovemark will have a great shot to put himself in a great position.
On top of that, he has been playing quite well this season — if not inconsistently. Lovemark has registered three top-10 finishes already in the 2017 season. What’s more, he has six top-25 finishes on the year to his credit. As he enters the US Open in great form and will be playing at a course that should help him play to his strengths, Lovemark could ultimately have a monster showing where he’s in contention.