It's US Open week! The world's best golfers have headed to the west coast and the glorious Los Angeles Country Club in Beverly Hills, LA.
This year's tournament is the US Open's 123rd playing, with England's Matt Fitzpatrick hoping to defend the title he won at The Country Club last June.
It's the first ever US Open for LACC, which was the venue for the 2017 Walker Cup where the USA team, which featured the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, beat GB&I 19-7. The club dates back to 1897, with the current George C. Thomas, Jr-designed North course, recently renovated by Gil Hanse, dating back 112 years.
It's an extremely private club that is sure to test the world's best, with thick rough, strategic bunkering and even a couple of par 3s that could measure very close to 300 yards!
An all-star cast is in Beverly Hills for the third men's Major of the year, with the likes of World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and World No.3 Rory McIlroy, who won his maiden Major at the 2011 US Open, two of the headline names.
So, who should we be looking out for this week? Here we take a look at five TaylorMade staffers that are highly fancied to be contending for the famous US Open trophy come Sunday evening...
US Open Key Info
5 Big Names To Watch At The US Open
Scottie Scheffler
- World Ranking: 1
- PGA Tour wins: 6
- Best US Open finish: T2nd (2022)
View Scottie Scheffler What's in the bag?
Once again, Scottie Scheffler heads into a Major championship as the betting favourite, and it's easy to see why.
The World No.1 is on an incredible run of form and would have won almost everything this year had it not been for a cold putter. Scheffler ranks 148th in Strokes Gained: Putting on the PGA Tour this year but incredibly is 1st in SG: Total, Off the tee, Tee to green and Approach.
He hasn't finished outside of the top-12 in any event since October and is currently on a four-tournament run of T5-T2-T3-3. He has won twice this year as well, with victories coming at the WM Phoenix Open and Players Championship.
The Texan is surely set to be challenging come Sunday evening. Will he pick up his second Major title? You'd be brave to back against him!
Rory McIlroy
- World Ranking: 3
- PGA Tour wins: 23
- Best US Open finish: 1st (2011)
View Rory McIlroy What's in the bag?
McIlroy is also on an impressive run of form after a tough March and April that saw him miss the cut at TPC Sawgrass and Augusta National.
The four-time Major champion was T7th at the PGA Championship last month, T7th at the Memorial Tournament and then T9th at last week's RBC Canadian Open.
Rory has had a lot on his mind over the past 12 months as the PGA Tour's 'de-facto' spokesperson but he'll be hoping to concentrate on his golf this week and pick up his fifth Major title.
He's coming into LA after a good four days' work in Canada where he began the final round in T2nd place so there'll be no signs of rust as he hopes to get off to a fast start.
A fifth Major title and a second US Open win would be a huge story in the game and he'll be surely wanting to keep up with Brooks Koepka who surpassed his Major tally and reached five after winning the PGA Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood
- World Ranking: 21
- DP World Tour wins: 6
- Best US Open finish: 2nd (2018)
View Tommy Fleetwood What's in the bag?
What a week it was in Canada for Tommy, who agonisingly lost out on the fourth playoff hole to home favourite Nick Taylor after he holed a 72-footer for eagle.
Fleetwood had been working on his game with Butch Harmon and he's starting to look like his old self again when he was a world's top-10 player and went 4/4 at the Ryder Cup with Francesco Molinari.
The Englishman loves the US Open, too, as he shot a record-equalling 63 in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills to push Brooks Koepka all the way. He was also 2nd at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, so he is certainly a man for the big occasions.
Could he win this week and make it back-to-back English US Open champions? Definitely.
Collin Morikawa
- World Ranking: 18
- PGA Tour wins: 5
- Best US Open finish: T4 (2021)
View Collin Morikawa What's in the bag?
Two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa could get to within one leg away from the career grand slam if he can lift the US Open trophy this weekend.
The American is having a slow year by his very high standards but he simply can't be discounted when the world's best assemble on the toughest of tests, which this week's tournament at LACC is sure to be.
Morikawa's laser-like irons and straight hitting will stand him in good stead to avoid the thick rough and punishing bunkers but it's on the greens, like Scheffler, where he'll need to make improvements.
He's 2nd in Strokes Gained: Approach on the PGA Tour this year but down at 143rd in putting. A good week on the greens for Collin will ensure that he'll be difficult to beat.
Rickie Fowler
- World Ranking: 45
- PGA Tour wins: 5
- Best US Open finish: T2nd (2014)
View Rickie Fowler What's in the bag?
After somewhat of a slump over the past few years, Rickie Fowler is well and truly a Major player again and it looks like a win is just around the corner for the talented Californian.
Rickie is inside the world's top 50 again after an impressive rise back to form and he's coming in hot to LA this week off the back of a T6 at Colonial in the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T9 at Muirfield Village in the Memorial Tournament.
The five-time PGA Tour winner and two-time DP World Tour victor was T2nd at the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst and he'll be relishing the US Open test again after missing the past three years.
Is a Fowler win this week realistic? Just about. A top-10 finish would be a great result for Rickie, but there's no reason why he can't roll back the years and challenge right up the top of the leaderboard on the back nine on Sunday.
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