Eyes will mostly be on Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy (as it should), but you best believe that one of the second or third-tiered guys will be able to snatch the US Open title by tournament’s end.
People keep putting him under-the-radar, which is a little strange considering that he has been performing well, particularly in the majors. He’s probably the easiest dark horse pick in the event.
Not only has he finished first or second in four majors in the last seven years, he has made the cut in all but one since 2014 (12 out of 13 times). Further, eight of those 12 were inside the top 25.
The Erin Hills course should also prove to be great for Oosthuizen, who loves hitting the ball long and straight.
Bubba could be a definition of an up-and-down player. No one – not even himself, probably – knows which Bubba is going to show up next. One event, he’s T5, but on the next he’s at the very bottom, and it keeps on happening.
However, it’s all about the course for this event. The 38-year-old is a ball-striker who can suddenly unload a bomb right out of the gate, which is perfect for the Erin Hills’s wide range. This will be big opportunity for him to finally bring home a major.
In his last five tournaments, he finished T9 or better three times.
This guy possesses a great mixture of power and accuracy, a combination that can be deadly to any golfer at any given tournament. Francesco Molinari showcases those traits well by owning the second-best driving accuracy rate in all of PGA – the 71.71 percent clip only trails Steve Stricker.
Along with having four top six finishes this season, Molinari has also placed inside the top 24 in each of his last four events. He has only missed the cut once in the 2016-17 campaign.
To round out the list, we’ll be going with a man who brings it whenever he’s on. Trends are something to look at when trying to name a worthy dark horse, and Rafa Cabrera-Bello just stands out in that category.
Cabrera-Bello has a trio of T25 finishes in his last four, two of which were inside the top 4. Also, seven of the nine times he made the cut this season had him at least in the top 20.
He has the right patience to come out of nowhere and steal the thunder away from the competition. Seeing the way he has quietly played well in the past months, this could be the event where he finally sits at the top.
