DARK-HORSE PICKS
Reiterman: Jack Fleck. Billy Casper. Scott Simpson. Lee Janzen. All great players in their days, and all won a U.S. Open at Olympic. But they were not the golfers expected to win. Will we have another surprise winner this year? Who's your dark horse?
Bamberger: Ryder Cup captain Davis Love.
Herre: Spencer Levin. The wee chain-smoker can work his way around any course, and he has been playing well of late. Not the greatest putter, but we're talking dark horses.
Dusek: The 2007 Masters champion, Zach Johnson.
Hanger: How about Jim Furyk? He's always described as the type of gritty player made to contend at Opens, and he's had a solid year. He has a T2, a fourth, a T8, and four other top 15s.
Hack: I like Gentleman Jim as a dark horse, too. See some similarities to Janzen.
Ritter: Padraig Harrington has been playing better these days, and most importantly, sources confirm he's still Irish. I know a trend when I see one.
Reiterman: I didn't drink the Kool-Aid earlier this year, but it's hard to overlook Brendan Grace as a dark-horse pick. Three wins already. A South African. Sounds like a lot of recent major winners.
Godich: Ernie Els.
Rouse: I'm going with the amateur Patrick Cantlay.
Wei: John Senden, Justin Rose (does he count?) and Jonathan Byrd.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below: Who's your U.S. Open dark horse?
YOUR REAL PICKS
Reiterman: OK, time for the main course. No one picked Bubba to win the Masters, so no pressure this time! Who is your pick to win the U.S. Open and why?
Herre: Tiger Woods. First major in four years. At that pace he'll break Nicklaus's record when he's 52.
Bamberger: Mahan because of his iron play and distance control.
Dusek: We went through our entire debate, and no one has mentioned Luke Donald, the world's No. 1 player. He's been my pick to win the U.S. Open since last November. He's one of the best iron players in the game, has a solid short game and can putt. Olympic should set up perfectly for Luke. If you don't think he's going to win here in San Francisco, you probably don't think he can win a major.
Reiterman: I second that pick. I wanted to go with Dufner, but Luke's been the best player for a while now, and I think he'll finally get it done this week.
Hanger: I like Luke a lot this week too, but it's no fun picking the same guy. I say Phil finally breaks his U.S. Open curse.
Hack: I'll take Phil, for the prep with Johnny Miller and the five second-place finishes. He's past due.
Ritter: I feel like the run of first-time major winners will continue. Matt Kuchar's peaking at the right time, and I think his game fits Olympic.
Rouse: I'm also going with Kuchar.
Godich: Using the horse racing comparison, I have to go with Tiger. The Derby and the Preakness are two weeks apart. Without fail, the horse that wins the Derby is in the best form and the favorite in the Preakness. Tiger won two weeks ago at Memorial. I don't see how you bet against him. Let's just hope he doesn't blow a tendon like I'll Have Another.
Morfit: I just wonder if Tiger can stay on top of his new swing for more than one week in a row. We'll soon find out.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below: Who's your pick to win the U.S. Open?
CHINA'S MAJOR WINNER
Reiterman: Many people believe China will play a big part in growing this great game. Well, did you see what happened at the LPGA Championship? Shanshan "Jenny" Feng, 22, became the first golfer from mainland China to win a major championship. Your thoughts on the tournament, and what this could mean not only for the LPGA but also for the game as a whole.
Bamberger: Trump once told me that golf will be HUGE in China because the Chinese love to gamble. Faldo once told me that golf will be huge in China because golf suits the Chinese temperament. In the next 50 years, golf in China will become the major force in the game.
Shipnuck: The LPGA has a major in France? Seriously? Expect that to last for a few contracts, and then the LPGA's fifth major is definitely headed east.
Hanger: Not sure how much impact this particular win will have, but the rise of Asia in general and China in particular seems inevitable in the world of golf.
Hack: Watched some of the coverage earlier, and Feng made a great birdie on 17 from a fairway bunker. Ripped her drive on 18 right down the middle. Love how she hits her irons. Really nice tempo. She's from Beijing and works with Gary Gilchrist in the States. This will be a huge win in the mainland and beyond.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below: Will Feng's win prove to be a game-changer in China?
