U.S. Open at Shinnecock- It’s Phil’s Turn!

Get ready for a great Father’s Day weekend where Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, Long Island, a spectacular place and a challenging and gorgeous golf course, is hosting this year’s U.S. Open Golf Championships, the second major of 2018.

After his bogey filled round early Sunday, the Head Bozo will settle in to couch mode for what is expected to be a contentious final round at this wonderful venue. Joe Buck, oh well..

The course has been lengthened by almost 500 yards since the Open was last played there in 2004 when Retief Goosen held off Phil Mickelson to win. Speaking of Phil, who has yet to win this tourney after finishing an incredible second six times, we think he’s well overdue and at 48, it would be the greatest accomplishment in golf history for him to finally win the Open and complete his Grand Slam at this age. He’s playing very well this year, coming in 2^nd at Pebble then winning the WGC in Mexico in March. He’s been in contention the last two weekends in the St. Jude and the Memorial. Why not root for something as dramatic as this? Moreover, this course is going to favor those pros who can get up and down and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone more creative and adept around the greens as Mr. Flopshot. Yes, he takes lots of chances off the tee but the first cut of rough isn’t that deep and he recovers from errant shots as well as anyone, including Tiger.

The weather should be not just windy, but gusty and dry, so the greens will be lightning quick. This indicates the players with the best short game will be the ones to persevere. The greens with their elevated shaved fronts are ridiculously tough to hit in the wind, especially from the rough, and even more difficult to hold, and we’ll see plenty of three putts on these large but extremely undulating greens. We think the scores will be much higher than the weekend golf viewer usually sees. Brad Faxon said a final score near par would be a likely winning score and we agree.

Tiger should be in contention for the first three rounds based on his experience and grit alone but come Sunday at around 5 pm he’ll be shuffling off to his 155 foot “dinghy” docked in the local harbor. A Yeehaw Junction Perkins waitress and an Ambien in every porthole.

Spieth and Thomas will be right there all the way as they are consistent and smart, they have learned not to overthink a layout like this, keep it straight and take what it gives you and these Texas guys are good wind players. Both we feel will be present on the first page of the FOX Leaderboard.

Dustin Johnson played very well last week but his length might be detrimental to him here. When he gets wild, he gets really wild and when the ball flies into the long fescue, it’s impossible to recover for par.

Rory has choked the last few Majors and although this course fits his Irish links style, we have to figure he’ll make a run then back off due to his brain getting in the way. Bubba is way too erratic off the tee and won’t make the cut. Justin Rose is definitely a strong contender and would not be a surprise. Jason Day is playing better and is putting well but he seems to run into trouble at the wrong time lately. It’d be great to see Fowler make a charge, he is fun to watch, I like orange, but his putting has been off lately.

It’s next to impossible to figure out who is going to win this but we have to go with Phil for sentimental reasons. Give the old guy his Slam and his Open, it’ll make for a momentous and exciting Father’s Day Sunday!!!

Here are the odds to win the Open for the top 10 guys:

Dustin Johnson +800 (bet $100 to win $800)

Rory McIlroy +1400

Justin Thomas +1400

Justin Rose +1400

Jordan Spieth +1600

Jason Day +1800

Tiger Woods +1800

Rickie Fowler +1800

Brooks Koepka +2000

Jon Rahm +2200

The Head Bozo is banking on Phil to make a run at it. Also respected is the consistent play of Spieth and Thomas and the prediction for difficult wind and course conditions leading to a higher than expected winning score.

Mickelson $10 to win at 25-1, to finish in the top 5- $30 at 5-1 and to finish in the top 10- $60 at +250

Both Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas $25 each to finish in the top 5 at 3-1

Winning score over 276- $50 at even odds. The low score will not be lower than -4 (4 under par)

Total wager $200

-HB

 

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