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Thursday, Jun. 17
Players to watch
By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
1. Colin Montgomerie
Last five Opens: 1994-T2; 1995-T28; 1996-T10; 1997-2; 1998-T18 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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Monty is a perfect fit for the U.S. Open. He keeps the ball in the fairway, is a great iron player and a streaky putter. The dome greens are similar to European courses, where he has won two of his last three starts. He lost to Ernie Els twice in last five years. | |
Monty is a head case. He has never won in the United States and is the No. 1 target for hecklers. And his mental block seems to be getting worse. |
2. Ernie Els
Last five Opens: 1994-1; 1995-Cut; 1996-T5; 1997-1; 1998-T49 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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Throw out last year, when he had back problems and shouldn't have played. Els has dominated the Open in recent years, winning twice. He is long, straight and accurate with the irons. He has wins every year since 1994 on both the PGA and European tours. | |
Els started the year with a bang, winning twice before the end of February, but he hasn't come close since. Els is also juggling life as a new father, and has only played one PGA Tour event since The Masters. |
3. David Duval
Last five Opens: 1994-DNP; 1995-T28; 1996-T67; 1997-T48; 1998-T7 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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He's the best player in the world and has won nearly 30 percent of his starts since late 1997. He leads the tour in wins, birdies, scoring average and greens in regulation. He causes fear in other players when his name is on the leaderboard. His one weakness is chipping from the rough, but that won't matter at Pinehurst. | |
After his Sunday run came up short at Augusta, Duval seems to be lacking inspiration. He had a horrible weekend in Houston and missed the cut in New Orleans. And despite being No. 1 in the world, Duval has never won a major. And one has to wonder how he'll play after burning two fingers last week |
4. Payne Stewart
Last five Opens: 1994-Cut; 1995-T21; 1996-T27; 1997-T29; 1998-2 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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Stewart shines at the Open, with six top-10 finishes over the years with a win in 1991 and a pair of seconds, including last year. His game has been solid this year with one win and two seconds. He is third on the tour in putting average, and this tournament will be won or lost on the greens. | |
Stewart has to be haunted by his loss last year at Olympic when he led for 3½ rounds. He is 117th in driving accuracy and 127th in greens in regulation this year, and you can only scramble for par so often in a major before it catches up with you. |
5. Davis Love III
Last five Opens: 1994-T28; 1995-T4; 1996-T2; 1997-T16; 1998-Cut |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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The North Carolina native may know Pinehurst better than anyone in the field. He has had a spectacular 1999, leading the tour with eight top-10 finishes in his first 10 starts. He's third in scoring average, fourth in birdies and seventh in greens in regulation. | |
He may have eight top-10s this year, but he hasn't won. And he won just once in 1998 after his breakthrough 1997 season, due mainly to an inability to make clutch putts on Sunday. Love's back problems have also resurfaced, and he may put too much pressure on himself playing in such familiar surroundings. |
6. Vijay Singh
Last five Opens: 1994-DNP; 1995-T10; 1996-T7; 1997-T77; 1998-T25 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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Singh is probably the most accurate ball-striker among the long hitters on tour. He has won once this year and picked up six top-10 finishes. Since winning the PGA Championship, his confidence is high and his cross-handed putting has improved the weakest area of his game. | |
Singh doesn't have that one great shot he can turn to in times of trouble. He's just good at everything, but not great at anything. He's 73rd in putting and 127th in putts per round, which could cost him on Sunday in a major. |
7. Tiger Woods
Last five Opens: 1994-DNP; 1995-WD; 1996-T82; 1997-T19; 1998-T18 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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Since losing his No. 1 spot in the World Rankings, Woods has played with a vengeance. He has won his last two starts -- one in Europe and The Memorial -- and has done it without his power game. The Memorial showed a fabulous short game to go with one of the longest games on the tour. | |
Big hitters will have no advantage at Pinehurst, a course that could easily frustrate Woods. His track record in U.S. Opens has not been good, perhaps because the course setups don't play to his strengths. Since his 1997 Masters win, Woods' lack of patience has led to some big numbers in majors to take him out of contention |
8. Tom Lehman
Last five Opens: 1994-T33; 1995-3; 1996-T2; 1997-3; 1998-T5 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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What's a U.S. Open without Tom Lehman on the leaderboard? Lehman has played in the final pairing on Sunday for four consecutive years. His game is starting to take shape after shoulder surgery delayed the start of his 1999 season by two months. | |
Since winning player of the year in 1996, Lehman has become an average PGA Tour golfer. He hasn't won in nearly three years and ranks in the middle of the pack in virtually every statistic. And after four good shots at the Open trophy, Lehman still hasn't brought one home. |
9. Mark O'Meara
Last five Opens: 1994-Cut; 1995-DNP; 1996-T16; 1997-T36; 1998-T32 |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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Nobody played majors better than O'Meara last year, when he won The Masters and British and finished fourth at the PGA. O'Meara has been around long enough to understand what is necessary in a U.S. Open -- patience, accuracy and good putting. He has all of those. | |
O'Meara has taken advantage of his new fame, and it shows in his game. He is playing all over the globe, and his game has suffered. He was 31st in The Masters and hasn't finished higher than 28th since April. He is 106th in driving accuracy, which leads to big problems at the U.S. Open. |
10. Fred Funk
Last five Opens: 1994-T44; 1995-Cut; 1996-Cut; 1997-T43; 1998-DNP |
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WHY HE WILL WIN |
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WHY HE WON'T WIN |
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Nobody drives the ball with more accuracy than Funk, who ranks first on the tour again. He is also 20th in greens in regulation and gives himself chances to score. Pinehurst should also be familiar territory to the Maryland native and Florida resident. | |
Funk may be getting to the green well, but he isn't closing the deal. He ranks just 109th in putting. Although he has three top-five finishes this year, none of those are wins. And that's not odd for Funk, who has just four career victories and none since 1996. |
11. Jim Furyk: Fifth in each of the last two Opens, he ranks sixth in scoring average.
12. Steve Elkington: Another bout with meningitis has left him rusty; otherwise a clear favorite.
13. Justin Leonard: Four top-10s early in the year, but he hasn't won in more than a year.
14. Scott Hoch: The best iron player on the tour -- a key at Pinehurst -- but hasn't finished well of late.
15: Phil Mickelson: With his first child due this month, bigger things are on his mind.
16: Bill Glasson: Five top-10 finishes this year, trouble doesn't ruffle his game.
17: Brian Watts: He's getting comfortable on the tour. Finished 14th or better in five of last six starts.
18: Bob Estes: Five top-10s this year, including a tie for fourth at The Masters.
19: Paul Azinger: He plays well in majors and won the 1992 Tour Championship at Pinehurst.
20: Fred Couples: The best player in golf when his heart is in it. But is it right now?
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