Fantasy Golf Tournament Preview- U.S Open

OVERVIEW

The year’s second major is upon us as we head to New York to play the US Open. Shinnecock has held four previous editions and the winners all have one thing in common – ball striking. I’d consider the course a less than driver course, even with the yardage, as most of these players will holster their drivers, opting for the accuracy of 3 woods and driving irons leaving them longer approaches into the greens versus potentially hitting it into the tall fescue and thick rough which will force them to pitch back out to the fairway for their approach to the green. The green complexes are insane, as are the elevations to the greens on some holes. Making sure you have a lofted club into some of these greens is going to be vital to making birdie or not making a bogey or worse. Speaking of the course, it underwent changes since the last time it hosted the US Open and as many fairways were widened, but the USGA being the USGA, came back in 2017 and tightened them back up to provide more of a test of golf after the “debacle” that was at Erin Hills. The information below is based on play prior to the finish of the Fed Ex St. Jude.

A little something extra:
2004 Retief Goosen [Form: 8^th – MC – 13^th – MC – MC] 3^rd at Doral, 4^th at the Tournament of Champions.

End of year stats: 23^rd – SG: OTT, 21^st – SG: APP, 10^th – SG: T2G, 53^rd – SG: P, 8^th – BoB%

1995 Corey Pavin [Form: 2^nd – MC – MC – 16^th – MC] He had also won the Nissan Open in February, and came 3^rd at THE PLAYERS prior to winning the US Open.

End of year stats: 159^th – DD, 40^th – DA, 100^th – GIR, 58^th – Birdie Avg, 11^th – Scoring Avg, 110^th – Ball Striking

TOURNAMENT BACKGROUND

• The Course
• Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
• Par 70
• 7,400 yards
• Bentgrass greens
• Location: Long Island, NY
• Corollary Courses: Oakmont, Chambers Bay – not strong correlations, but I think there may be some due to links styles with tight fairways
• Past Champions:
• 2017: Brooks Koepka -16 over Hideki Matsuyama & Brian Harman [Erin Hills]
• 2016: Dustin Johnson -4 over Jim Furyk, Shane Lowry & Scott Piercy [Oakmont]
• 2015: Jordan Spieth -5 over Dustin Johnson & Louis Oosthuizen [Chambers Bay]
• 2014: Martin Kaymer -9 over Erik Compton & Rickie Fowler [Pinehurst No.2]
• 2013: Justin Rose +1 over Jason Day & Phil Mickelson [Merion]

KEY STATS TO TARGET

• Strong Emphasis – Greens in regulation, SG: Ball Striking/APP, Birdie or Better %, mental toughness
• Important – Links play, wind play, sand saves/scrambling, bogey avoidance

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