One of the highlights in the golfing calendar takes place this week at the US Open, live on Sky Sports, but who will end up enjoying major success at Pinehurst No 2?
Wyndham Clark returns as defending champion after last year’s one-shot win over Rory McIlroy, while world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is the pre-tournament favourite after his dominant start to the season on the PGA Tour.
Scheffler claimed a one-shot win at the Memorial Tournament over Collin Morikawa, who can move three-quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam with victory in North Carolina, with Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka among the LIV Golf contingent looking to impress.
The last five US Opens have produced maiden major champions, but will that run continue? We asked the Sky Sports Golf team to cast their eye over some of the players likely to impress…
Can Morikawa catch Scheffler?
Morikawa has top-four finishes in his last six starts, including both majors this year, although remains without a win this season after Scheffler held on ahead of him at Muirfield Village on Sunday to claim a fifth PGA Tour victory of the campaign.
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Highlights from the final day of The Memorial Tournament, where Scottie Scheffler held on to claim a one-shot win.
Scheffler has also won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters and the RBC Heritage in 2024, with Sky Sports’ Nick Dougherty backing the American pair to impress again.
“Whilst I think that Morikawa will have a great chance at Pinehurst No 2, because it is all about control of your iron play and making sure you hit those tiny greens that want to repel the ball in every direction, the man that is better than Morikawa right now in that regard is Scheffler.
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Scottie Scheffler insisted his performance at The Memorial wasn’t his best but it was still enough to secure him the victory.
“I know it’s the favourite and he is the guy that everybody is going to pick, but there’s a reason for that and that is because he’s the best by a country mile. He puts it in great places off the tee and from there he can use his strongest asset right now, which is his iron play.
“If you find the targets around Pinehurst and hole a few putts, which he’s doing more of later, then I just don’t think anyone will be able to hang with him.”
Live US Open Golf
Thursday 13th June 12:30pm
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley also expects Morikawa to challenge, saying: “He is in a rich vein of form and pushed Scheffler all the way at The Memorial.
“I think he’s going to carry on that form into a golf course that should suit him. He’s a really good chipper of the ball, which is going to be really important. “
Can Collin Morikawa stop Scottie Scheffler from enjoying more major success this week?
Who else could impress?
Rich Beem: “Shane Lowry‘s ball-striking has really blossomed this year and his short game is still one of the best on the planet. He may have a surprisingly bad finish to the Memorial Tournament, but I think that he has a great chance to claim a second major championship.”
David Howell: “Ludvig Åberg is sensational from tee to green and is going to win majors, so why not go ahead and win one at an iconic venue than Pinehurst No 2? The Swede could well be the man this week.”
Ludvig Åberg makes his US Open this week, having only turned professional last summer
Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley: “I like Brian Harman’s chances this week. He hits it straight, he’s a good iron player, is a good chipper and a wonderful putter. He’s everything you need to be around here – you certainly don’t need to be long. He won by a big margin at The Open and could again here!”
Robert Lee: “At some point, Rory McIlroy‘s going to make his major duck again this week. Everyone gets plugged into The Masters because of what it means, but why can’t it happen here? He’s not miles away.
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Rory McIlroy claims he’s closer than ever to winning an elusive fifth major and suggests that he’s planning to be at the top of the sport for at least another 10 years.
“I also think Xander Schauffele has got to the point now where he is going to make his level of consistency pay, in terms of his wins. What he has been lacking in is getting over the line and I think Schauffele has a big chance.”
Jamie Spence: “Matt Fitzpatrick is the sort of player who would do well around here. He finished fifth at the Memorial Tournament, 17th in last year’s US Open as defending champion and fifth in The Players earlier this year.
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Highlights of the final round from the 2022 US Open at Brookline, where Matt Fitzpatrick claimed a one-stroke victory.
“He hasn’t been on top form this year, but has shown enough for me on a golf course that should suit him. He’s generally a very straight driver, he thinks really well and is one of the best putters when he gets going. He has enough invention in him that I think he’s a live runner as an outsider.”
Have your say! Who will win the US Open?
Sky Sports continues to be the home of the US Open, with over 45 hours of live coverage of the four tournament days from June 13-16 and lots of extra tournament programming throughout the week.
Coverage from the first two rounds begins from 12.30pm on Thursday and Friday, with the action starting at 3pm on Saturday and 2pm on the final day.
Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the US Open and much more with NOW.
