check in to GOLF tour secret Every Sunday night, our writers and editors break down the hottest topics in sports and give you their unfiltered opinions. With the U.S. Open taking place at Sinekook this week, we’ll be covering one important topic each night.
At the end of the day at the U.S. Open, there are plenty of stars at the top of the leaderboard, but there are still a few holes left before the first round of 50 players. Windham Clark leads the way at 6 under (to 16), with heavyweights Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson, Gary Woodland and Jon Rahm all at 2 under, and Rory McIlroy and Ludwig Aberg at 1 under. Who (among these players and others) do you feel most confident will be able to play tenaciously, and who do you feel least confident about?
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Josh Berhow, Editor-in-Chief (@Josh Berhow): Matt Fitzpatrick starts slow but isn’t going anywhere. He’s hit a lot of greens so far (12 of 16), putts well, and is a favorite under the tough conditions of the U.S. Open. On the other hand, I don’t think DJing will take hold. He made a crazy double bogey on the final hole before the horn, but he hadn’t competed in a major in a while. It would be a better tournament if he was involved, but recent results don’t make me feel very optimistic.
Sean Zack, Senior Writer (@sean_zak): People may not want to hear it, but the last time Windham Clark was this good was in the summer of 2023, when he won the U.S. Open. I think he’ll hit the ball back past Shinny and stay in contention. The question is, how well can the putter stay hot as green speeds increase over the weekend?
Nick Piastowski, Senior Editor (@nickpia): Mr. Clark. He found something — a win at Byron Nelson last month, a third place at the Memorial earlier this month and a tie for 11th at the Canadian Open last week. 6 under here is really good golf and I don’t think that’s going to go away. As for who will fade out, everyone will say Ryder Cowan, a 21-year-old amateur, but I like his personality and would like to see more of him.
Josh Sens, Senior Writer (@joshsens): I see all the players except the DJ stuck there, but then the DJ disappears when he remembers that he’d rather be sunbathing on a yacht. I want Henry to remain a straight hitter and a great putter, and it’s not unreasonable to say Scheffler would be on that team.
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Zephyr Melton, Game Improvement Associate Editor (@zephyrmelton): As much as I would like to see DJ hang on, I don’t see him maintaining this pace over four rounds. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 in a major since 2023 and hasn’t won in LIV in over two years. As for who stays, I don’t think Rory, Rahm, and Fitz are going anywhere. Even when the going gets tough, they are able to remain on the team through the test of battle.
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