Arnie Never Won U.S. Open At Oakmont, But Scheffler Will Celebrate

The U.S. Open is not just a golf tournament. It is a major event on the American sports calendar, and even casual sports fans get turned on watching the best golfers in the world struggle on the toughest courses in the world.

It happens nearly every year, and the course at Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburgh is sure to bring a majority of the 156 golfers in the massive field to their knees. The course is hosting the U.S. for the 10^th time, and the legendary Arnold Palmer played there five times. The King never won at Oakmont, but he made it to a playoff in 1962 against Jack Nicklaus, and that’s where their rivalry got started.

Palmer was tied for the lead in 1973, but he could not hold off a hard-charging Johnny Miller. Arnie’s last U.S. Open was at Oakmont in 1994, and the Pennsylvania native received multiple standing ovations in a tournament that is seen as his farewell to golf.

The current king of professional golf is Scottie Scheffler, and he is clearly the favorite at plus-275 after winning the PGA Championship last month. It’s not that Scheffler will amaze the crowd with incredible power, fairway accuracy or total confidence on the green. Scheffler simply doesn’t screw up during a 72-hole tournament and he never panics.

No guarantees, but Scheffler can dominate

That’s not saying Scheffler will back up his PGA Championship with a victory in the National Open, but it would be a shock if he wasn’t in contention. The likelihood is that after an ordinary opening round – even par or ever 1- or 2-over – he will find his game in Round Two and steadily climb the leaderboard. He should have an opportunity to make a statement during the back nine of Sunday’s closing round. Betting against him would be a major mistake.

The same cannot be said for Rory McIlroy at odds of plus-1400. The superstar from Northern Ireland accomplished the career grand slam by winning the Masters in April, but he has been shaky since then. He fell apart at least week’s Canadian Open and did not even make the cut. His putting stroke has fallen apart, and while he can hit the ball as far as anyone on tour, he has lost his accuracy. Perhaps he’ll pick it up a bit after his Canadian humiliation, but it is very doubtful. He shot a brutal 81 during a practice round and he is far from his best form.

Collin Morikawa (plus-2500) has a chance to give Scheffler, defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (plus-750), Xander Schauffele (plus-2200) and Jon Rahm (plus-1200) a run for the title. Morikawa is a remarkably accurate player, and that is needed badly at the challenging Oakmont Course. If he plays to his strength, his approach shots should have an excellent chance to put him in birdie range throughout all four rounds.

He has also shown that he can putt extremely well on fast greens, and that’s just what he can expect at Oakmont. If he finds himself in contention on the back nine on Sunday, he could give Scheffler or DeChambeau a battle to the end.

Longshot Keegan Bradley should have a chance in this tournament as well. Like Morikawa, he has the ball-striking ability and consistency that should allow him to stay close through the first two rounds. If he is within five strokes of the lead after 36 holes and can find a way to pull a 67 or 68 on moving day, he has a chance to compete during the final 18. The biggest question for Bradley, and why he’s considered a plus-7500 underdog, is his putter. Bradley can nail consecutive 25-footers, but he can also miss 5-footers that turn pars into bogeys. He will need to steady his putter during the final round.

Sepp Straka has been one of the most consistent golfers on the tour this year. He already has two victories on the tour this year, and he finished third in the recent Memorial Open. He ranks second in the all-important Shots Gained category and he is 11^th in driving accuracy. Straka does not have a lot of distance compared to his peers, but he does not let that intimidate him. He may rank 148 in that category, but he is 14^th in putting and that could help him challenge Scheffler during the final round.

Predicted finish:

1. Scottie Scheffler

2. Collin Morikawa

3. Bryson DeChambeau

4. Keegan Bradley

5. Sepp Straka