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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","THE PICK TO WIN","","","","", "sub", "", "", "", "right", "Elise Amendola", "AP", "298", "216", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Stewart Cink","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_cink_brill.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Hunter Martin", "Getty Images", "273", "189", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i-1].body = "Take Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and all of the other marquee names out of the mix and in Cink you’re left with perhaps one name that will stir interest.
There is, however, a line of misconceptions about the tall and soft-spoken Georgian. He will attract interest because of his U.S. Open history (six top 10s in 11 starts) and folks may assume he’s a fairway-and-greens machine. Not true.
Cink hasn’t ranked any better than his current 136th in driving accuracy since 2003 and he’s always been middle-of-the-pack when it comes to greens in regulation. What is appealing about the 34-year-old is more his makeup – low-key, quiet, and seemingly emotionless, all of which are perfect for the U.S. Open, which is merely the most frustrating golf tournament in the world. That helps explain his consistency in this championship.
Throw in his current form (three top 10s, four top 20s in his last five starts, a robust 44-under in his last 20 rounds) and his ability to walk softly and throw down a crushing performance (ask the supposedly unbeatable Sergio Garcia how he liked that 4 and 3 beating Cink dished out in last fall’s Ryder Cup) and the American appears to be the perfect fit for a U.S. Open picture that rarely seems to follow form.";
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Tiger Woods","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_woods_brill.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Hunter Martin", "Getty Images", "273", "204", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i-1].body = "
Age: 31
Country: United States
U.S. Open appearances: 12
Best finish: 1st ('00, '02)
Major titles: 12 ('97, '01, '02, '05 Masters; '00, '02 U.S. Open; '00, '05, '06 British Open; '99, '00, '06 PGA)
World ranking: 1
He won’t miss the cut, like he did a year ago at Winged Foot. That’s almost a certainty. Less clear is how he’ll navigate his way around a course that is a polar opposite from Royal Hoylake, which is where Woods crafted his major championship magic in last summer’s British Open. Hitting fairways is mandatory, that’s for sure, but given the length of Oakmont you can’t be too conservative and lay back with 3- and 4-woods or even long irons just to find the fairways.
What usually allows Woods to separate himself from the field is his brilliant putting, but that’s a tall task at a place renowned for its devilish greens.
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Phil Mickelson","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_mickelson_brill.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Charles Krupa", "AP", "183", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i-1].body = "
Age: Turns 37 on June 16
Country: United States
U.S. Open appearances: 16
Best finish: 2nd ('06, '04, '02, '99)
Major titles: 3 ('94, '06 Masters; '05 PGA)
World ranking: 2
It’s almost as if the 2007 U.S. Open is a curse. First, there was the fear that he’d never be able to get over the 2006 meltdown, only the lefthander has proven how resilient he is. Then, it was suggested his game was so disjointed that he’d be no match for Oakmont, only riding in to save the day was new instructor Butch Harmon.
Now, the left wrist is a serious dilemma, and we’ll soon discover how Mickelson deals with that. He remains the most beguiling and intriguing story in golf – and yes, that includes Woods – and part of the reason is you hardly ever get what you expect. For instance, Mickelson doesn’t appear to have the typical U.S. Open game, yet he’s been second four times.
Go figure.
Then again, with Mickelson, why bother? Just sit back and enjoy the show he inevitably provides.
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Adam Scott","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_scott_brill.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Hunter Martin", "Getty Images", "273", "190", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Age: 26
Country: Australia
U.S. Open appearances: 5
Best finish: 21st-tie ('06)
Major titles: None
World ranking: 4
Nothing with his U.S. Open resume points to his selection as one of the favorites, except for this: This Aussie is one pure talent. Quiet and confident, Scott has the complete game, but most of all he has an on-course demeanor which should be bottled and sold for buckets of money.
So ignore the fact that in five U.S. Open starts he’s missed three cuts and failed to finish within the top 20; pay more attention to the fact that he’s won once and finished in the top 10 twice in his last five events, that he’s a whopping 26-under over that stretch, and that when all else fails at the U.S. Open, which is often the case, it’s nice to have a cool head on your shoulders.
As for that major record that sometimes gets ridiculed, it’s based mostly on his poor start, back when he was new to the pro ranks. He’s actually made the cut in each of the last 11 major championships, dating back to the 2005 U.S. Open.
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Sean O’Hair","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_ohair_brill.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Andy Lyons", "Getty Images", "212", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i-1].body = "
Age: 29
Country: United States
U.S. Open appearances: 1
Best finish: 26th-tie ('06)
Major titles: None
World ranking: 69
Folks, this is the U.S. Open. No island-green nonsense allowed here. It’s no-gimmick golf, fairways and greens required, determined focus a must. In other words, O’Hair matches up quite nicely, or haven’t you noticed that he leads the PGA Tour in overall driving and is 20th in greens in regulation?
That’s enough to get my attention, but when you throw in the fact that in his last seven tournaments he’s been within the top 15 six times (we’re ignoring the Wachovia, when he withdrew with a sinus problem after the first round) and is 37-under during that stretch, well, the pencil’s getting sharpened to put his name down in the U.S. Pool.
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Luke Donald","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_donald_brill.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "John Sommers Ii", "Reuters", "192", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i-1].body = "
Age: 30
Country: England
U.S. Open appearances: 3
Best finish: 12th-tie (06)
Major titles: None
World ranking: 4
A European hasn’t won a major championship since Old Tom Morris prevailed at Prestwick – at least it feels that way. In truth, the drought goes back to Paul Lawrie’s stunning victory in the British Open at Carnoustie in 1999, a string of 30 straight. But given the depth of talent imported from England, Scotland, Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Germany and Belgium (well, not Belgium, but it was a nice fit to the sequence, sound-wise) it’s surely only a matter of time.
You’ve got to at least think that way, don’t you?
Now, if you are proven correct, why not the sweet-swinging, straight-hitting Donald, a two-time PGA Tour winner who has finished in the top 20 in two of his three U.S. Open starts? He’s criticized by some as being a bit soft and if they’re right, this wouldn’t be the tournament for him, but he’s certainly got the game.
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Jim Furyk","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_furyk_brill.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Andy Lyons", "Getty Images", "273", "178", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Age: 37
Country: United States
U.S. Open appearances: 12
Best finish: 1st ('03 U.S)
Major titles: 1 ('03 U.S)
World ranking: 5
He’s no longer No. 2 in the world, but he remains a No. 1 contender if you’re looking for a guy who’ll grind it out and hit fairway after fairway and green after green. His U.S. Open triumph in 2003 was achieved over a short and bending Olympia Fields. Some would argue that Oakmont CC is too much golf course for him – but ignore such claims.
Furyk can play anywhere there’s a challenge. He made his U.S. Open debut at Oakmont in 1994, shot a second-round 69 and wound up tied for 28th. OK, so he won’t return with warm, fuzzy memories of that event, but there’s plenty of confidence every time he tees it up.
Being arguably the closest thing to a hometown kid, Furyk will have plenty of support. If he’s on his game, he’ll give them plenty to cheer about.
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Arron Oberholser","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_oberholser_brill.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Brian Bahr", "Getty Images", "273", "213", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i-1].body = "
Age: 32
Country: United States
U.S. Open appearances: 2
Best finish: 9th-tie ('06 U.S)
Major titles: None
World ranking: 38
As introductions to the national championship go, Oberholser has done quite nicely, thank you – a tie for 16th last year and joint ninth at Pinehurst in 2005 being nothing to laugh at. Steady play has also been a signature of his as he’s made the cut in 31 of his last 34 starts.
He doesn’t do it with new-vogue power, nor does he do it flamboyantly. Instead, he relies on discipline and great course-management skills. Dig deep into the Shotlink data and you can discover that Oberholser is ranked fifth in the tour for “scrambling from the rough,” and while you could argue that it makes him a U.S. Open contender, I prefer to rely upon something less scientific and more conservative – a hunch.
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spt_USOpen_handicap07[i++] = new Array("","Geoff Ogilvy","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070611/070611_ogilvy_brill.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Jay Laprete", "AP", "239", "298", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_USOpen_handicap07[i-1].body = "
Age: 30
Country: Australia
U.S. Open appearances: 3
Best finish: 1st ('06 U.S)
Major titles: 1 ('03 U.S)
World ranking: 8
Whoops, we almost forgot about the defending champion. That’s right, the defending champion, the guy who snuck out with the hardware while everyone was watching Phil Mickelson crash that corporate hospitality tent down the left side of the 18th fairway at Winged Foot.
Ogilvy’s got the length. He’s got the strength. He’s got valuable experience on which to lean on and if you question that, simply recall some of the par saving-putts he made down the stretch last year at Winged Foot.
The knock on him was that he would beat himself up too easily, but the lean Aussie has taken things more in stride and managed his demeanor far better of late.
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// END editorial data