The 2022 U.S. Open is quick approaching its begin, so everybody within the golf world is left asking one key query: Who are you choosing to win at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts? An incredible field headlines the third main of the 12 months because the checklist options many of the finest professionals on this planet. The U.S. Open ought to be an epic journey from Thursday’s first spherical onward because the USGA returns to this web site for the primary time since 1988.
This 12 months’s U.S. Open could have an enormous field, however there’s lots of momentum behind a finite checklist of names to seize the nationwide championship. Rory McIlroy enters on a heater after defending his RBC Canadian Open title. Justin Thomas is wanting to go back-to-back at majors coming off his second such title at the PGA Championship. Scottie Scheffler’s play has cooled off, however he is trying to be a part of rarified air with a Masters-U.S. Open double. All of that isn’t to point out Jon Rahm hanging round and Brooks Koepka’s ordinary dominance at this occasion the place he is solely been defeated by 4 golfers, mixed, at U.S. Opens since 2017.
And then, in fact, there’s the Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson storyline. What do you do with a few big-time names and a number of main winners who should not taking part in good golf however proceed to generate headlines coming into a significant championship? With no Tiger Woods, much more consideration than ordinary will probably be on Mickelson particularly this week.
Add all of it up, and it could seem that we’re in for a wild U.S. Open stuffed with sudden twists and turns but additionally lots of acquainted names atop the leaderboard.
So what goes to occur this week in Brookline? Let’s have a look at a full set of predictions and picks from our CBS Sports consultants as we try to undertaking who will win and what’s going to occur at the third main of the season. Odds by way of Caesars Sportsbook.
2022 U.S. Open professional picks, predictions
Kyle Porter, senior golf author
Winner — Justin Thomas (11-1): He’s taking part in the most effective golf of his profession and has paired an ever-present confidence that no one on this planet is best than him with a knowledge that may solely be attained with age and expertise. J.T. is without doubt one of the three finest iron gamers on the planet, and his sizzling putter has translated to wins and close to wins for the final two months. That’s not going to change this week as he pulls even with Jordan Spieth with three profession main championships.
Sleeper — Davis Riley (60-1): Quietly taking part in a number of the finest golf on this planet, Riley’s swing reeks of 1 that would declare a U.S. Open trophy. What he does finest (smash irons) is exactly what you need to do best at main championships and particularly at U.S. Opens. Five straight high 20s for Riley (together with the PGA Championship) that I count on him to make six.
Top 10 lock — Brooks Koepka: I’m banking on getting U.S. Open Brooks as a substitute of “rest of the year” Brooks. He’s completed 1-1-2-T4 consecutively at this event and understands its rhythms maybe higher than anybody in historical past. Is he taking part in nicely? Not actually, however he missed three of 4 cuts heading into final 12 months’s U.S. Open after which practically gained it.
Star who positively will not win — Dustin Johnson: The causes listed here are a number of. The first is that he is not taking part in notably nice golf. He additionally does not have a win because the 2020 Masters and solely has one high 10 in a PGA Tour stroke play occasion to date this 12 months. Furthermore, this week has been such a circus that even D.J. has to be feeling it. He’s amongst these spearheading the rival LIV Golf league, and although his exterior appears to be impermeable, the din has develop into so loud that I’m not even positive he can ignore it.
Surprise prediction — Thomas and Rory McIlroy duel on Sunday: I do not know if it is a shock that two of the 5 finest golfers on this planet would jab one another for one of many 4 most coveted titles, however the dream state of affairs (a redux from final weekend’s Canadian Open) hardly ever performs out like this. It could be the right ending to a fortnight of insanity within the golf world.
Phil Mickelson prediction — Relevance has already handed this week: We’ve already heard what we are going to get from Mickelson this week. He’s not taking part in good golf proper now, and he is actually not going to make the lower at a U.S. Open. He hasn’t completed at the highest 25 at this event since he practically gained in 2013.
Lowest spherical: 65 (-5)
Winning rating: 278 (-2)
Winner’s Sunday rating: 70 (E)
Patrick McDonald, golf author
Winner — Patrick Cantlay (25-1): The main championship file is poor, however take out his missed cuts at the PGA Championship and The Players Championship, and Cantlay has unbelievable this 12 months. In these 10 begins, he has a win, two playoff losses, three top-five finishes and one other high 10. I really like the reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year after we get him on a golf course the place off the tee prowess will probably be influential in figuring out the winner. He has the whole bundle, and it’s time for him to shed the monkey off his again.
Sleeper — Corey Conners (45-1): He was a semifinalist at the 2013 U.S. Amateur, which is sweet, however the present state of the Canadian’s recreation is tailor made for a U.S. Open. Accurate off the tee and lethal together with his irons, Conners has skilled an uptick in his short-game numbers the previous three months. If he can convert sufficient of these essential up-and-down saves, he ought to be proper there come Sunday.
Top 10 lock — Shane Lowry: Lowry’s first style of main championship rivalry was the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Ever since, I’ve believed his recreation to be excellent for the sternest examination in golf. He is within the midst of a number of the finest type of his life, and the consistency during which he hits fairways and greens in regulation will permit him to be an element at The Country Club.
Star who will not win — Cameron Smith: Accuracy hasn’t mattered all an excessive amount of in current U.S. Opens, however this 12 months will probably be totally different. If this principle holds substance, the Australian will battle as he frequently loses strokes off the tee due to his waywardness with driver in hand. Smith has contended within the first two majors of the 12 months so this comes with a excessive degree of danger, however I may see the world No. 6 taking part in protection from the beginning.
Surprise prediction — Rory McIlroy misses the lower: I’ve McIlroy lacking the lower one out of each 5 occasions, so there’s some worth in his prop if you happen to select to indulge. The four-time main champion was runner-up at the Masters, first-round chief at the PGA Championship and all indicators level to him grabbing No. 5 at The Country Club. It was an exhausting week in Canada, and whereas his play is starting to mirror that of 2014, the occasional psychological lapse and inaccuracy off the tee may spell bother for him.
Phil Mickelson prediction — Missed lower regardless of constructive fan response: With two spicy takes out of the way in which, we now go to one thing far more bland. The notion round Phil is not nice at the second, however I count on the Boston followers to welcome him with open arms — outdoors of the occasional heckler. Despite this, allow us to keep in mind that this can be a 52-year-old who has solely performed three aggressive rounds within the final 4 months and confirmed appreciable rust in London.
Lowest spherical: 66 (-4)
Winning rating: 278 (-2)
Winner’s Sunday rating: 70 (E)
Who will win the U.S. Open, and which lengthy photographs will stun {the golfing} world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the mannequin that is nailed eight golf majors and is up over $9,500 because the restart.
Kyle Boone, author
Winner — Cameron Smith (18-1): Brookline goes to demand exactly what Smith can deliver: a killer quick recreation for its lightning-quick greens and precision off the tees for the quite a few blind photographs golfers will probably be making this week. Smith is third on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained strategy and eleventh in strokes gained with the putter. If he performs his recreation, he’ll be within the combine, and we have already seen him this season dangle with the large canine with wins at The Players Championship and the Sentry Open plus top-five finishes at the Masters and the RSM Classic.
Sleeper — Mito Pereira (55-1): With eight high 25 finishes in 21 occasions on the season, the 27-year-old Pereira is quietly placing collectively a breakout 12 months in what’s successfully his rookie marketing campaign. Three occasions he is completed among the many high 10, together with twice in his final three outings. One of these led to heartbreak, as he held the lead strolling to gap No. 72 at the PGA Championship earlier than giving up the lead thanks to a bungled drive. Nonetheless, Pereira is a reputation who may — however shouldn’t be — missed this week given his play to this level. At 55-1, he qualifies as one of the succesful underdog contenders on this 12 months’s U.S. Open field.
Top 10 lock — Rory McIlroy: It seems like this week is establishing to be a Rory coronation. On high of a win at the Canadian Open final weekend, he is acquired top-10 finishes at three of his final 4 occasions: the Masters, Wells Fargo Championship and PGA Championship. At this level, it is not a fluke: McIlroy has discovered his kind and is hitting stride at the best time. He’s the favourite for a purpose this week and ending high 10 ought to be the ground.
Star who positively will not win — Dustin Johnson: If you have not caught the information currently, D.J. today could also be a tad, nicely, distracted. He turned the primary main domino to be a part of the LIV Golf tour for a reported $125 million, and he subsequently withdrew his PGA Tour membership. There’s quite a bit happening in his world. On the course, there’s purpose to recommend the previous world No. 1 will not win. He completed six strokes off the chief at LIV’s first occasion, which featured a weak field. And within the PGA Tour season, he had extra missed cuts than high 10s on the 12 months.
Surprise prediction — Sam Burns finishes within the high 5: Burns is 25-1 to win straight up. Do not hate these odds one bit, however a top-five end is a a lot safer wager. Since successful at the Valspar Championship in March, he has two top-five finishes and one other win (at the Charles Schwab two weeks in the past). He’s additionally coming in to the weekend with a T4 at the Canadian Open the place he was ready to dangle powerful with the likes of Thomas, Shane Lowry and Scottie Scheffler.
Phil Mickelson prediction — Missed lower: Lefty shot 10 over in three rounds final weekend, his first aggressive motion since a months-long hiatus that started in February. There’s no purpose to count on he’ll do something however miss the lower. Even earlier than his time away, he missed cuts in his final two outings. He’s a protracted methods away from discovering the identical kind that helped him win at the PGA Championship in beautiful trend a 12 months in the past.
Lowest spherical: 64 (-6)
Winning rating: 267 (-13)
Winner’s Sunday rating: 68 (-2)
