PINEHURST, N.C. — Something worth thinking about as we prepare for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. If Scottie Scheffler had not been arrested in the early morning hours of May 17, before the second round of the PGA Championship, would we be looking at Scheffler’s pursuit of the third leg of golf’s grand slam this week?
Advertisement
It’s a question worth at least pondering — Scheffler finished tied for eighth despite the incredible distraction, and comes to Pinehurst on the heels of his fifth win of 2024 at the Memorial Tournament. But because he did not win at Valhalla, Xander Schauffele was able to grab a career-changing major championship victory.
Both are among the top contenders to win the U.S. Open this week. They’re not the only ones.
Rory McIlroy remains in vigorous pursuit of his next major win, one that’ll end a decade-long drought. Viktor Hovland caught fire at the PGA and reignited talk around when his first major win will come. Bryson DeChambeau and his 3D-printed irons cannot be ignored. Brooks Koepka loves hard golf courses, and Pinehurst No. 2 should be a wicked test.
How do they all rank? We took a stab at that, with our U.S. Open Big Board, ranking the top 40 contenders in order.
All strokes-gained stats are courtesy of DataGolf. Voting was conducted prior to the Memorial Tournament and LIV Houston.
Loading
1
Scottie Scheffler
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
27
Scheffler is far and away the tournament favorite at Pinehurst. As evidenced by his four-shot victory at the Masters, his T8 finish at the PGA — after being arrested by the Louisville Police Department outside of the golf course (the charges have since been dropped) — and his four other dominant wins this season on Tour, Scheffler is the best player in the world by a significant margin. The Texan became the first player to capture five wins since Justin Thomas in 2017 with the win at the Memorial last week. It's only June. Tiger Woods is the only other player who has won the Masters, Players and the Memorial in a single season. Looking ahead, Pinehurst’s narrow fairways and treacherous turtleback greens could be the perfect setup for the world No. 1, who leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained total and strokes gained approach. Scheffler's reliable iron play and disciplined course management will carry him on the Donald Ross design, and the rest of the field should watch out. — Gabby Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
1
Charles Schwab Challenge
T2
PGA Championship
T8
RBC Heritage
1
Masters
1
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 wins
Strokes Gained
25-29
United States
PGA Tour
2
Xander Schauffele
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
30
Xander Schauffele’s win at the PGA Championship completely changed how we can discuss him. He is no longer just the consistent star who can’t win. He is now a major champion, allowing us to fully appreciate his incredible consistency and proclaim him the current No. 2 player in the world. He has 10 top 10s in 14 tournaments this season and hasn’t finished worse than 25th since early February. Schauffele doesn’t have a weakness — he's an all-around player who should do well at Pinehurst with his ball striking and exceptional putting. — Brody Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T8
PGA Championship
1
Wells Fargo
2
Zurich Classic
T23
RBC Heritage
T18
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
3
Rory McIlroy
PGA Tour
Northern Ireland
Age:
35
Rory McIlroy ended the first major of 2024 by standing in front of the scorer’s building at Augusta National and openly ruminating on dramatic swing changes. So much has changed — he and Shane Lowry stormed from behind to win the Zurich Classic to close out April, and McIlroy followed that up with a dominant win at the Wells Fargo Championship. Every part of his game is working right now, from the tee to green. Is that enough to win his first major championship in 10 years? It seems at least more likely than it did back in April. You want to believe that he can, but then you also realize it's been a decade for a reason, and think back on those Sunday final rounds the last few years (including 2023 LACC) where he just could not get it done. — Hugh Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T15
Canadian Open
T4
PGA Championship
T12
Wells Fargo
1
Zurich Classic
1
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
4 wins
Strokes Gained
30-35
Northern Ireland
PGA Tour
4
Jon Rahm
LIV
Spain
Age:
29
This has not been a happy stretch for the former world No. 1. He’s gone from an undisputed top two player in the world to leaving for LIV and playing himself completely out of contention at the first two majors. To make things worse, Rahm withdrew from LIV Houston last week with a foot infection, only putting the U.S. Open in more doubt. In general, Rahm has played solid golf in 2024 but hasn’t won an individual event. So while his contemporary Scheffler is furthering the gap between him and everyone else, Rahm is appearing exasperated at majors and frustrated with questions about his decision to leave the PGA Tour.
— Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Houston
WD
PGA Championship
MC
Singapore
T10
Adelaide
T3
Masters
T45
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 wins
Strokes Gained
25-29
Spain
LIV
5
Bryson DeChambeau
LIV
United States
Age:
30
Has anyone had a better major season than Bryson DeChambeau so far? Oh sure Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele actually won the trophies, but DeChambeau's T6 and solo second at the Masters and PGA, respectively, breathed new life into his career. It also gave him a second act as a people's champion, improbable for those who witness the Bryson/Brooks nonsense of 2021. If you feel like anything is possible with Bryson DeChambeau, it’s because it often is. Now can he conquer Pinehurt and it's turtleback greens? It seems unlikely, but the through line in all of his equipment efforts is removing as many variables as possible. He’ll always be susceptible to a better player having a better week, but when it all works it does create a high floor for himself. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Houston
T18
PGA Championship
2
Singapore
T27
Adelaide
T26
Masters
T6
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
LIV
6
Ludvig Åberg
PGA Tour
Sweden
Age:
24
The Swedish rookie has done more than enough to prove he can contend on the game’s biggest stages. Although Ludvig Åberg missed the cut at the PGA Championship, he came in solo second place at the Masters in his tournament debut, and the finish only added to his stacked resume, which now includes two worldwide wins, a Ryder Cup appearance and five top-10s this season on the PGA Tour. Åberg finished tied for fifth at last week's Memorial, six shots behind Scottie Scheffler. Now the only question is, can he actually break through to win a major in his first year as a pro? All signs point to that outcome being extremely plausible. The only concern for Åberg at Pinehurst is his health. The 24-year-old withdrew from the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this season due to a “knee issue,” He still has not revealed the exact details of the injury, and who knows when it could flare up again. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T5
PGA Championship
MC
RBC Heritage
T10
Masters
2
Texas Open
T14
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 (Masters, 2024)
Strokes Gained
20-24
Sweden
PGA Tour
7
Brooks Koepka
LIV
United States
Age:
34
The five-time major champion got hot earlier this month when he won LIV Singapore by two shots to claim his fourth victory on the breakaway tour. But at both the Masters and the PGA Championship, he posted disappointing results. The T23 and T45 finishes are uncharacteristic for Koepka. He called his Masters result an “embarrassment” and admitted that he had to “apologize” to his team for the failure. Koepka is clearly looking to prove something — both to himself and those around him — and that motivation will likely serve him well in Pinehurst. The last time the U.S. Open was hosted at the Donald Ross design, Koepka, the No. 96 player in the world at the time, put together a performance that could be considered a career breakthrough. Koepka secured his PGA Tour card with a T4 finish and earned invitations to the 2015 majors. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Houston
T9
PGA Championship
T26
Singapore
1
Adelaide
T9
Masters
T45
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
5 wins
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
LIV
8
Max Homa
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
33
Max Homa had been the top-15 golfer who couldn’t even get in the mix at a major. That was until Homa finished T3 at the Masters to finally put some of that narrative to rest. On the other hand, Homa’s game is still trying to catch up to last year’s level. His driving stats have taken a step back, and his putting has been volatile. He finished just 35th at the PGA, missed the cut at Charles Schwab and finished 22nd last week at the Memorial. We know he’s good enough to play well, and his great iron play will be key, but he needs a comeback week. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T22
Charles Schwab Challenge
MC
PGA Championship
T35
Wells Fargo
T8
RBC Heritage
T55
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T3 (Masters, 2024)
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
9
Wyndham Clark
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
30
Wyndham Clark’s reputation is that he’s not exactly a finesse golfer — he will hit driver and get the ball out as far as he can, then hack it out of the lie with a wedge up to the green. If he must simply find the fairway, he’ll take less than driver to do it. It’s an effective game though — the 2023 U.S. Open winner won at Pebble Beach earlier this year and twice finished runner-up to Scottie Scheffler in March. But it may come down to course setup to determine whether or not Clark can go back-to-back as U.S. Open champ. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
MC
PGA Championship
MC
Wells Fargo
T47
RBC Heritage
T3
Masters
MC
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
10
Collin Morikawa
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
27
The two-time major champion is entering the week at Pinehurst with some revived momentum. Despite faltering at the finish line at Augusta (T3) and the PGA Championship (T4), Morikawa seems pleased with his form heading into the U.S. Open. Since winning the 2021 Open Championship, Morikawa has captured just one additional title on tour (the 2023 Zozo Championship). Swing issues have been the central culprit for his inconsistency. But Morikawa has been living at the top of the leaderboard since Augusta, posting top-10 finishes in three of his five starts. Morikawa recently reconnected with his lifelong swing and mental coach, Rick Sessinghaus, a familiar face who could help the Southern Californian continue his upward trend. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
2
Charles Schwab Challenge
4
PGA Championship
T4
Wells Fargo
T16
Zurich Classic
T23
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 wins
Strokes Gained
25-29
United States
PGA Tour
11
Viktor Hovland
PGA Tour
Norway
Age:
26
Hovland’s form was a giant cloud of mystery heading into the PGA Championship, however, a solo third-place finish at Valhalla has him back in the conversation just in time for the U.S Open. Hovland has been transparent about his relentless pursuit of perfection in his game, particularly in his full swing. The only problem with that effort is that he’s still in the middle of it, and good results are difficult to come by. Before Valhalla, it was uncertain if Hovland would work through the swing changes before the end of the 2024 season. He missed the cut at the Masters and had only finished in the top 20 once this season on tour — until his near-miss at the PGA. Hovland recently disclosed that he has reconnected with his swing coach Joe Mayo. Mayo notably revamped Hovland’s short game in 2023, leading him to one of his best professional seasons to date. Mayo and Hovland split during the offseason, but the coach, known as the “Trackman Maestro” for his emphasis on math and science in his teaching, rejoined Hovland’s team in May. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T15
PGA Championship
3
Wells Fargo
T24
Masters
MC
Players Championship
T62
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T2 (PGA, 2023)
Strokes Gained
25-29
Norway
PGA Tour
12
Sahith Theegala
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
26
The breakout is coming, we think. The first PGA Tour win came in the fall and Theegala has had other chances since, including The Sentry, WM Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage. The knock on Theegala was a driver that could get off the planet, but the 26-year-old has made progress. He’s 60th (and rising) on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy this season, a considerable step-up from the No. 172 he was last year. And that’s not necessarily a deal breaker — plenty of recognizable names are below Theegala in that particular stat. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T12
Canadian Open
MC
PGA Championship
T12
Wells Fargo
T52
Zurich Classic
MC
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
9 (Masters, 2023)
Strokes Gained
25-29
United States
PGA Tour
13
Tommy Fleetwood
PGA Tour
England
Age:
33
Sometimes golfers become the best version of themselves later in their career, and Fleetwood seemed to reach a new level last season at 32. He racked up 11 top-10 finishes, won the decisive match at the Ryder Cup and continued to redefine how we look at him on big stages. The Englishman has finished top 10 in five of his last nine majors (four of those being top 5s) and that includes a T3 this year at Augusta. He’s one of the more accurate drivers on tour, so he’ll be in good position to attack these brutal greens, and he’s got a good short game. The key will be his iron play, which has been hit or miss in 2024.
— Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T20
Canadian Open
T21
PGA Championship
T26
Wells Fargo
T13
RBC Heritage
T49
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 (twice)
Strokes Gained
30-35
England
PGA Tour
14
Patrick Cantlay
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
32
For seven years running, Cantlay was arguably the most steady, consistent player on tour. His strokes gained statistics in each category remained eerily similar each season. He racked up top-10 finishes. You could always count him among the best 5-8 golfers in the world. Suddenly, though, we’re seeing a less reliable Cantlay in 2024. He has just two top 10s. He’s uncharacteristically finished outside the top 20 in seven of 13 starts. And when he entered the weekend at the Genesis Invitational with a five-shot lead, he shot 70 and 72 for a disappointing fourth-place finish. Cantlay hasn’t finished top 5 in a major since 2019, so he knows as well as anyone he needs to find that form. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
MC
PGA Championship
T53
Wells Fargo
T29
Zurich Classic
T23
RBC Heritage
T33
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T3 (PGA, 2019)
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
15
Cameron Smith
LIV
Australia
Age:
30
One of the better major players of the younger generation, Smith won the 2022 Open Championship in thrilling fashion over Rory McIlroy but has also nine top-10 majors finishes including seven the last four years. Since he went to LIV, Smith has been slightly out of the spotlight, but he still finished sixth at the Masters in April, won two LIV events in 2023 and finished second to Brooks Koepka a month ago in Singapore. Smith can be unpredictable, and he struggled more recently at the PGA Championship and LIV Houston, but he’s arguably the best short game player in the world. If he can find fairways, he’s a real threat at Pinehurst. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Houston
T48
PGA Championship
T63
Singapore
T2
Adelaide
T14
Masters
T6
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
30-35
Australia
LIV
16
Justin Thomas
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
31
Justin Thomas’s 2024 season has been a roller coaster ride, the next turn revealing whether he’ll put together a hopeful performance or another disappointing one at Pinehurst. On the one hand, Thomas is a two-time major champion and he’s coming off of a T8 finish at the PGA Championship in his hometown. But Thomas is also still emerging from his 2023 major championship slump: He missed the cut in four of the last five majors before Valhalla. At Augusta this year, Thomas imploded on the back nine on Friday to miss the weekend. He also missed the cut at the Genesis and the Players. Thomas is another player who will rely on his accurate iron play at Pinehurst, where the landing areas are minuscule. He’s currently ranked seventh on Tour in strokes gained approach. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T33
PGA Championship
T8
Wells Fargo
T21
RBC Heritage
T5
Masters
MC
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 wins
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
17
Will Zalatoris
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
27
Zalatoris has been trending for a big week since his comeback from his back surgery in April 2023. A flare-up took him out of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, but otherwise, Zalatoris has not missed a beat this season. He posted top 5s at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer, in addition to a T9 finish at the Masters. Zalatoris’ T43 finish at the PGA Championship wasn’t the showing he was looking for, but he’s still coming into the U.S. Open with confidence. Zalatoris has benefited from his switch to the increasingly popular broomstick putter, but the best part of his game this season has been his approach play. Zalatoris is ranked 14th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach, a strength that could be handy while navigating Pinehurst’s treacherous turtleback greens. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T41
PGA Championship
T43
Wells Fargo
T60
Zurich Classic
MC
RBC Heritage
T44
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 (twice)
Strokes Gained
25-29
United States
PGA Tour
18
Matt Fitzpatrick
PGA Tour
England
Age:
29
The 2022 U.S. Open champion hasn’t produced much buzz this season but has been steadily flying under the radar with solid results, including a T5 finish at last week's Memorial. Fitzpatrick snuck into the top 25 at the Masters and has six top-15 finishes on tour this season, including a solo fifth-place finish at the Players Championship. However, he missed the weekend at Valhalla for his third MC of the season. If there is any tournament where Fitzpatrick can shine, it’s the U.S. Open. He’s a past champion at the event and knows how to stay afloat during the toughest test in the sport. Fitzpatrick also relies heavily on data to prepare for majors. He tracks every shot he hits — both in competition and in practice — to improve the right areas of his game and determine an optimal course strategy. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T5
PGA Championship
MC
Wells Fargo
T52
Zurich Classic
T11
RBC Heritage
T28
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
25-29
England
PGA Tour
19
Tyrrell Hatton
LIV
England
Age:
32
Tyrrell Hatton is a difficult golfer to place. He’s No. 13 in the world on DataGolf. He played great at the Masters with a T9. Yet he never won a PGA Tour event in seven seasons on tour. He’s never truly been in contention to win a major. And when he left for LIV this winter, it was met with something of a shrug. Nonetheless, Hatton is one of the most reliable players in the field. He’s a great ball striker and one of the best putters in golf. The problem could be his lack of driving accuracy at a course that requires it.
— Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Houston
T18
PGA Championship
T63
Singapore
T5
Adelaide
T14
Masters
T9
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T5 (Open, 2016)
Strokes Gained
30-35
England
LIV
20
Hideki Matsuyama
PGA Tour
Japan
Age:
32
A very good start to 2024 saw Matsuyama win one signature event (Genesis Invitational) and post a pair of top 10s (Players Championship, Texas Open). But back issues stymied his progress — Matsuyama did not play between the Masters and the PGA Championship and then took off again until last week's Memorial. A T38 at the Masters and T35 at the PGA Championship are not up to his standard, but a T8 at the Memorial at least offers some hope for Matsuyama that he's turned a corner. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T8
PGA Championship
T35
Masters
T38
Texas Open
T7
Players Championship
T6
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
30-35
Japan
PGA Tour
21
Tom Kim
PGA Tour
South Korea
Age:
21
The 21-year-old sensation has three PGA Tour wins under his belt, and there’s no question he’ll be a force on tour for years to come. But Kim hasn’t necessarily contended consistently this season like he has in years past. Kim’s T4 at the Canadian Open was his best finish in 2024, and he posted top 30s at both the Masters and PGA. Kim is one of the shorter hitters on tour, but his game has held up nicely in major championships. At last year’s U.S. Open at LACC, Kim tied for eighth, and at the Open Championship, he finished tied for second while limping around the links with a sprained ankle. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T43
Canadian Open
T4
Charles Schwab Challenge
T24
PGA Championship
T26
Wells Fargo
T47
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T2 (Open, 2023)
Strokes Gained
20-24
South Korea
PGA Tour
22
Cameron Young
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
27
Four top-10 finishes, including a T9 at the Masters and a solo runner-up placing at the Valspar Championship, highlight Cameron Young’s 2024, but he remains in search of his first PGA Tour win. He’s now 27, certainly not an old man but also not quite a young one, making us wonder if and when it will come. We’ve certainly seen enough from him in major championships, with five top 10s in nine starts since 2022, to not discount it entirely. But can he close? Letting Peter Malnati chase him down at Valspar was not a great look. Neither is the fact his best finish since the Masters is a T34 at the Wells Fargo Championship. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
50
Canadian Open: MC
PGA Championship
T63
Wells Fargo
T34
RBC Heritage
T62
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 (Open, 2022)
Strokes Gained
25-29
United States
PGA Tour
23
Russell Henley
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
35
One of the most overlooked players on tour, Henley only has one win in the last seven years yet ranks No. 8 in the world on DataGolf. Henley became a dark horse Ryder Cup candidate with 14 top-20 finishes last year. In 2024 it’s only gotten better, finishing fourth at the Sony Open, the Arnold Palmer and the Texas Open before a top 25 at Valhalla. He’s an elite ball striker and a great putter, two things that pretty much determine your chances at Pinehurst. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T27
PGA Championship
T23
Wells Fargo
T10
RBC Heritage
T12
Masters
T38
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T4 (Masters, 2023)
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
24
Jordan Spieth
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
30
There have been flashes of hope and brief moments of stability, but for the most part, Jordan Spieth’s 2024 season has been nothing short of organized chaos. From February until mid-May, Spieth had not managed to string together more than one consecutive made cut. He shot himself out of the Masters early, with a quadruple bogey on Day 1, and came in a tie for 43rd at the PGA Championship. He was also sent packing early at the Players and last week’s Memorial. Lingering issues with his wrist have probably been a culprit. Spieth’s putting and driving have saved him occasionally. But his approach game is suffering. Spieth is currently ranked 128th in strokes gained approach to the green, and it will be difficult to succeed at Pinehurst without extreme precision in that exact category. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
MC
Charles Schwab Challenge
T37
PGA Championship
T43
Wells Fargo
T29
CJ Cup
Cut
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
3 wins
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
25
Jason Day
PGA Tour
Australia
Age:
36
Last season was something of a comeback year for the former world No. 1, winning the Byron Nelson and finishing T2 at the Open Championship. While fellow 2023 comeback story Rickie Fowler has come back to Earth, Day went T6 at Pebble Beach, ninth at Riviera and T4 at Quail Hollow. Those are all signature events. The question will simply be if his irons come to play. He’s an elite putter with a good short game and a good driver, but he’s losing strokes most weeks in approach. Pinehurst is a second-shot course, and his putting can only overcome so much. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T33
PGA Championship
T43
Wells Fargo
T4
CJ Cup
T59
RBC Heritage
T18
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
36-40
Australia
PGA Tour
26
Shane Lowry
PGA Tour
Ireland
Age:
37
The best word for Shane Lowry is streaky. The burly Irishman can win big tournaments like the 2019 Open Championship and the BMW in London. And he can go through stretches where he drops as low as No. 70 on DataGolf, like he did in 2021, or back down to No. 63 a year ago. It feels like it's all over. But Lowry actually ended 2023 in fantastic form, helped Europe win a Ryder Cup and finished T4 and T3 on the Florida swing. He and Rory McIlroy also just teamed up to win the Zurich Classic, and he followed that up by shooting a major-record-tying 62 at Valhalla to finish T6 at the PGA Championship. The problem for this week? He hasn’t had a good putting season as a whole. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
49
Canadian Open
T33
PGA Championship
T6
Wells Fargo
T47
Zurich Classic
1
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
36-40
Ireland
PGA Tour
27
Keegan Bradley
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
38
The Vermont native won his one and only major in his maiden major start at the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. The star of Netflix’s "Full Swing" Season 2 has struggled to contend in the sport's biggest events since then, however, and it's unclear if he’ll be able to get his game back to a place where major victories are possible. In January Bradley was close to re-entering the winner’s circle but he lost in a playoff to Grayson Murray at the Sony Open. Then, at last month's Charles Schwab Challenge he had another close call with a T2 finish. He last won on tour at the 2023 Travelers Championship. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T43
Charles Schwab Challenge
T2
PGA Championship
T18
Wells Fargo
T21
RBC Heritage
T55
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
36-40
United States
PGA Tour
28
Sam Burns
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
27
Uneven has been the story of Sam Burns' 2024. Just in the last seven starts he has three missed cuts — including both major championships — but also three top-15 finishes. That includes a T15 at the Memorial, a signature event. And the major record remains remarkably underwhelming with one top-25 finish and six missed cuts since 2021. So why is he ranked in this exercise? It's the five career PGA Tour wins, and something of a bet on his talent eventually allowing him to figure it out. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T15
Canadian Open
T10
PGA Championship
MC
Wells Fargo
T13
RBC Heritage
T44
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T20 (PGA, 2022)
Strokes Gained
25-29
United States
PGA Tour
29
Tony Finau
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
34
Are we in the early stages of Tony Finau's resurgence? Or has he at least corrected himself after a year-long slump cost him his chance at the 2023 Ryder Cup and dropped him off the list of PGA Tour Live fixtures? An encouraging run of form since March includes a T2 at Houston, T8 at Memorial, T18 at the PGA Championship and two more top 10 finishes. Leading up to this stretch he was tinkering with his driver, even carrying two of them at the Masters. Finau is at his best when he's one of the longest drivers on tour, and he's up to 24th in distance. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T8
Charles Schwab Challenge
T17
PGA Championship
T18
Wells Fargo
T52
RBC Heritage
T12
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
3 (Open, 2019)
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
30
Byeong Hun An
PGA Tour
South Korea
Age:
32
Byeong Hun An has been steadily rising the ranks of pro golf ever since he regained his PGA Tour card at the start of the 2022 season through the Korn Ferry Tour money list. The Seoul, South Korea native has four worldwide wins but has yet to claim his first PGA Tour victory. He's trending in that direction, though. An continues to put together solid finishes week after week. He has five top 10s on tour this season, including a solo third-place finish at the Wells Fargo. An was briefly suspended from the PGA Tour this fall for violating the prohibited substance policy. He took an over-the-counter cough medicine that happened to be a banned on tour. An cooperated fully, acknowledging the mistake, and returned to competition in the new year. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T22
PGA Championship
T43
Wells Fargo
3
CJ Cup
T4
RBC Heritage
67
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T16 (Twice)
Strokes Gained
30-35
South Korea
PGA Tour
31
Brian Harman
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
37
Golf is strange. Harman ran away with the 2023 Open Championship by six shots, showed real fight at the Ryder Cup and ended the year strong. By the time he finished T2 at The Players in March, it was a legitimate question to ask if Harman was one of the 10-20 best golfers in the world. Now, you take a step back and see that T2 was Harman’s only top-10 finish in 15 starts. His approach game has taken a big dip, and he missed the cut at the Masters. If Harman has proven anything, it’s that he’s an elite competitor. But we’re reaching the point he either has it or he doesn’t on any given week.
— Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T33
Charles Schwab Challenge
T24
PGA Championship
T26
Wells Fargo
T47
RBC Heritage
T12
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
1 win
Strokes Gained
36-40
United States
PGA Tour
32
Denny McCarthy
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
31
Denny McCarthy is having another solid season on the PGA Tour, losing in a playoff at the Texas Open after a Sunday surge up the leaderboard the highlight. He also has a T6 at the signature event Wells Fargo Championship. Even when not in contention, McCarthy makes cuts, which is a good way of stacking up points to a very good FedEx Cup finish. But can he contend at a major championship? There's not much in his history to suggest so, but he's such a strong putter that Pinehurst could be a good fit. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T39
Charles Schwab Challenge
T24
PGA Championship
MC
Wells Fargo
T6
RBC Heritage
T28
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T7 (U.S. Open, 2022)
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
33
Corey Conners
PGA Tour
Canada
Age:
32
Corey Conners is boringly reliable, and that’s a compliment. He's accurate off the tee. He doesn't have blow up rounds. He might not win often, but he makes cuts and cashes checks, why he's now up to No. 13 on DataGolf. He’s finished top 30 or better each of the last five weeks, but in terms of course fit it’s a fascinating match. He’s an incredible player from tee to green but is a career negative putter in strokes gained. On the firm and fast Pinehurst, he’ll have to keep those putts on the green. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T20
Canadian Open
6
PGA Championship
T26
Wells Fargo
T13
RBC Heritage
T44
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T6 (Masters, 2022)
Strokes Gained
30-35
Canada
PGA Tour
34
Robert MacIntyre
PGA Tour
Scotland
Age:
27
Robert MacIntyre just made it into this U.S. Open thanks to his win at the Canadian Open. It was one of the more heartwarming scenes of the PGA Tour season, as him and his father, Dougie, hugged on the 18th green after the latter served as the caddie for the week. MacIntyre has made it clear his talent and ability, but the tour rookie really does best when the vibes are good. He jetted back to Scotland rather than move on the Memorial, with an eye on showing up in Pinehurst in the best possible mental state. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Canadian Open
1
Charles Schwab
MC
PGA Championship
T8
Myrtle Beach
T13
CJ Cup
MC
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T6 (Open, 2019)
Strokes Gained
25-29
Scotland
PGA Tour
35
Min Woo Lee
PGA Tour
Australia
Age:
25
Min Woo Lee's tied-fifth finish at the 2023 U.S. Open was a central element to his rise in professional golf, and now he's at Pinehurst hoping to repeat the feat. Since a solo second place finish at the Cognizant Classic in February, Lee has three top 25 finishes in his last four starts and the other was a T26. If Lee is to contend this week he'll need to lean on his driver as he's upper-echelon off the tee. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Charles Schwab Challenge
T24
PGA Championship
T26
CJ Cup
T24
Masters
T22
Valspar
MC
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T5 (US Open, 2023)
Strokes Gained
25-29
Australia
PGA Tour
36
Sepp Straka
PGA Tour
Austria
Age:
31
Few knew Sepp Straka’s name a year ago. Maybe most still don’t. But when he won the John Deere Classic last year with a Sunday 62 and followed it up with a T2 at the Open Championship, it propelled the 31-year-old Austrian to a European Ryder Cup spot and new respect in the game. It was a tough start for Straka, but he’s found form lately with seven top-20s in his last nine starts with a fantastic run of iron play. That includes consecutive T5s the last two weeks. The difficult part for Straka is he either has it or he doesn’t. He either gains 1.5 strokes in approach or loses 1.5, and the results follow suit. But the last two months it’s been on, making him a fun wild card. — Miller
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T5
Charles Schwab Challenge
T5
PGA Championship
MC
Wells Fargo
T8
Zurich Classic
T11
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T2 (Open, 2023)
Strokes Gained
30-35
Austria
PGA Tour
37
Nick Taylor
PGA Tour
Canada
Age:
36
The Canadian’s game has blossomed over the past two years. He captured his fourth PGA Tour win in February at the Phoenix Open after a sudden-death playoff and continues to string together consistent results. The only point of contention in Taylor’s career thus far is his lack of major experience and success. In eight starts in the majors, Taylor has made just two cuts, one in 2019 and the other in 2020, and he missed another one at Valhalla. The 36-year-old is still looking to make the weekend at a major for the first time in four years. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
T27
Canadian Open
MC
PGA Championship
MC
Wells Fargo
T43
Zurich Classic
10
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T29 (Masters, 2020)
Strokes Gained
36-40
Canada
PGA Tour
38
Dustin Johnson
LIV
United States
Age:
39
Does Dustin Johnson have one more moment in the spotlight in him? The two-time major champion should not be at the end of the ride — he’s still under 40 and won on the LIV tour as recently as January. But it’s difficult to ignore just how poor he has played in the majors since that defection to LIV two years ago, including going missed cut, missed cut and T43 in his last three major starts. Everything about him says comfortable right now, not hungry. — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Houston
13
PGA Championship
T43
Singapore
T7
Adelaide
T31
Masters
Cut
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
2 wins
Strokes Gained
36-40
United States
LIV
39
Harris English
PGA Tour
United States
Age:
34
Harris English, a member of the 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup team, delivered a series of promising results so far this year — solo 7th at the Genesis, T21 at the Arnold Palmer, T19 at the Players, T22 at the Masters and T18 at the PGA Championship. But he also missed the cut in his last two starts, so which version of English is showing up at this U.S. Open? — Kellenberger
Performance last 5 tournaments
Memorial
MC
Charles Schwab
MC
PGA Championship
T18
Wells Fargo
T34
RBC Heritage
T28
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
3 (U.S. Open, 2021)
Strokes Gained
30-35
United States
PGA Tour
40
Dean Burmester
LIV
South Africa
Age:
35
A member of LIV Golf, Burmester had to qualify for the U.S. Open on golf's longest day. Perhaps one of the most underrated players in the field at Pinehurst, Burmester finished 6-under at the Bears Club in Jupiter, Fla., to earn his spot in the penultimate major championship of the 2024 season. The South African earned a special invitation to compete at the PGA Championship this spring at Valhalla, where he finished tied for 12th. In the fall Burmester won back-to-back tournaments in his home country. Those victories were integral in his pursuit of major starts. He’s ranked No. 109 on the OWGR, despite playing on the breakaway LIV Golf Tour, where tournaments do not qualify for world ranking points. — Herzig
Performance last 5 tournaments
Houston
T18
PGA Championship
T12
Singapore
T14
Adelaide
T3
Miami
1
Past Performance
Best previous major finish
T11 (Open, 2022)
Strokes Gained
30-35
South Africa
LIV
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic: Photos of Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy: Christian Petersen, Andy Lyons, Dylan Buell / Getty Images)