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For the final time (for the foreseeable future), the US Open is the second major of the year. Shinnecock Hills hosts again after a 14-year gap between the debacle of 2004 and today. This is a golf course that's been lengthened by some 450 yards since Retief Goosen took just 11 putts on the back nine on Sunday to defeat Phil Mickelson. No two holes run parallel (though Nos. 9 and 10 sort of do), the wind is a big factor, the rough will be nasty just off the fairway and driving will matter this week more than most on the PGA Tour.
Let's go.
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2018 US Open rankings: Top 15 picks
1. Justin Rose -- Rose is built for the US Open. He drives well enough for Shinnecock, he has a great approach game, and his putting is above standard. What's not to like?
2. Dustin Johnson -- DJ can win any tournament at any time. He's not finished outside the top 17 this year. He won in 2016 on the toughest of US Open courses. His overall game is fantastic, and he's pretty unflappable.
3. Brooks Koepka -- Koepka hasn't had many reps this year, but his work of late has been remarkable. The only piece of his game struggling -- according the numbers -- is approach play. His last 10 rounds belie that.
4. Henrik Stenson -- Henrik Stenson's had an all-around good season. If he hits a lot of greens this week -- and he should given his amazing SG: Approach numbers -- he has a good chance to win as anyone.
5. Justin Thomas -- Thomas is the No. 1 player in the world for a reason. He's second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained from tee to green. He hasn't finished worse than T-22 this year.
6. Rory McIlroy -- McIlroy is a world-class driver of the golf ball. His putting is suspect. Fortunately, his approach play should generally be good because he's not going to hit a ton of short irons into these greens. He's good a good chance here.
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7. Jordan Spieth -- Spieth's tee-to-green game is top five on the PGA Tour. His putting has been well below his standard. The putting is the concern, though that skill may be mitigated by potential wind and faster-running greens.
8. Tiger Woods -- In pretty much all of his outings this year, Woods has exhibited superior approach play and one other skill in world-class range. And then there's another skill frustratingly lagging. Frankly, if Woods can drive OK and play well in the approach game, he just might have a chance.
9. Patrick Reed -- Reed may be on the other side of a hot run which landed him the Green Jacket, and beore Jordan Spieth in 2015, the last player to win the first two majors of the year was Tiger Woods in 2002. His driving game isn't great, but he can keep it in play long enough to let the rest of his game contribute.
10. Paul Casey -- Perhaps one of the best ballstrikers in golf right now. He has all of the tools to win, and getting the job done in Tampa got a monkey off his back.
11. Phil Mickelson -- Mickelson closed strong in Memphis, which doesn't necessarily bode well for Shinnecock. He plays like a guy under a lot of pressure in the Masters and US Open, but his all-time-best putting season may buoy a substandard driving game that nearly got him the title in 2004.
12. Jason Day -- Basically, when J. Day hits good approach shots, he wins. Otherwise, he's a top-20 finisher because of his driving and putting. Not a bad guy to like here.
13. Jon Rahm -- Rahm's driving is as good as Rory's in terms of distance and accuracy. His putting is sublime. He's handled wind well. He should conceivably do very well.
14. Bryson DeChambeau -- He can drive it. He approaches great. He's adequate at putting and chipping. That sounds like a US Open winner.
15. Hideki Matsuyama -- Matsuyama is a player on the come right now. He's getting his game back together, and his tee-to-green game has continued to approve. His short game could be a huge asset this week.
WILD CARD. Jimmy Walker -- I love Jimmy Walker's game this week. I really do. His approach play is phenomenal,
My primary DraftKings lineup
- UPDATING MONDAY
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