U.S. Open 2021: The top 10 players to watch
Ahead of this week's 121st annual edition of United States Open Golf Championship (U.S. Open) which will be held at Torrey Pines (South Course) Golf Club in La Jolla, California, here are the top 10 players to watch at golf's third major championship of the year!
1. Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson has some up and down performance this season so far. The world number one player started his 2021 season with the win at Saudi International in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on February. The following month, injuries started haunting Johnson after competing at WGC-Dell Matchplay. The American had already missed the cut in four of his last eight most recent tournaments he played so far this season, including at golf's first two majors: the Masters and the PGA Championship. If he missed the cut again at U.S. Open, his world number one position will soon being threatened to be overtook by fellow American player Justin Thomas who won the Players Championship in March.
2. Brooks Koepka
Brooks Koepka has two U.S. Open titles in his collection, but injuries halted his performance since early 2020 season. Koepka spent his first half of 2021 season by recovering from injuries, but the world number ten played well by winning at Phoenix Open and finished joint runner-up at PGA Championship.
3. Phil Mickelson
Perhaps becoming the oldest player to win a major championship in the 2021 PGA Championship at age of 50, but Mickelson's mission to complete his career grand slam (winning all four majors: The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and British Open) is still unfinished. Lefty has won three Masters (2004, 2006 and 2010), two PGA Championships (2005 and 2021) and a British Open in 2013, but he had so many close calls to win the U.S. Open. His runner-up/joint runner-up finishes in 1999, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2013 showed that U.S. Open has been a toughest proving ground for Mickelson himself.
4. Rory McIlroy
He might had to wait for next year to complete his career grand slam, but McIlroy keeps struggling for his consistency after he missed out the rest of 2020 season by recovering from injuries. His return to the winning ways was shown at his 19th career PGA Tour win on 2021 Wells Fargo Championship.
5. Bryson DeChambeau
The U.S. Open defending champion started his 2021 season by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, but few weeks later, the long-hitter suffered arm injury while competing at the Masters. DeChambeau recovered and finished top-10s in his last five regular tournaments.
6. Justin Thomas
The 121st U.S. Open seems to be a career defining week for Justin Thomas. If Thomas wins the U.S. Open with current world number one player Johnson missed the cut, the 28-year-old Thomas will become the new world number one golfer.
7. Jordan Spieth
The 2015 U.S. Open champion is looking for a great comeback season after arm injuries from 2019 to 2020 haunted him. Spieth already started his 2021 comeback season with a win at Texas Open and joint-runner up at the Masters.
8. Will Zalatoris
Making his U.S. Open debut last year after graduating from the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour, Zalatoris made a sensational form by finishing joint sixth place at his U.S. Open debut. His consistency form continues by finishing six recent top-10s including a joint-runner up finish at the Masters.
9. Matthew Wolff
Another young contender to win a major championship but he needs to gain more consistency to build his game confidence. Since finishing runner-up at last year's U.S. Open, Wolff suffered unexpected injuries that lost his confidence to win tournament.
10. Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama might had become the first Japanese player to win a major at the Masters, but he had a good U.S. Open record after finished joint runner-up back in 2017 at Erin Hills.
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U.S. Open official sponsors
- Official timekeeper: Rolex
- Official transportation partner: Lexus
- Official banking partner: American Express
- Official logistic partner: Deloitte
- Official television broadcaster: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
