US Open Picks 2016: Dark-Horse Candidates to Win

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at Internationaled.org

Published: June 15, 2016

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Oakmont Country Club has the reputation of being one of the most difficult golf courses in America.

World No. 2 Jordan Spieth recently backed that claim following a practice round at Oakmont last month, describing the course as "the hardest test in all of golf," according to Tom Smith of the Kansas City Star. He added, "This is arguably the hardest course in America. It's normally the hardest U.S. Open, at least what history shows."

Oakmont opened its doors in 1904 and hosted its first U.S. Open in 1927, where the course demolished the top players in the game. Tommy Armour and Harry Cooper tied for the 72-hole lead at 301 (plus-13), and Armour would go on to win in a playoff the following day. The world’s best golfers didn’t fare much better in 1935, when Sam Parks Jr. won with a score of 299 (plus-11).

Since then, however, U.S. Open golfers have fared much better at Oakmont. The course has hosted the Open six times since 1935, and the winning score was under par at five of those six events. The only player to win with an over-par score during that span was Angel Cabrera in 2007, who was the last man standing with a score of 285 (plus-five).  

While history may not confirm that Oakmont is the most difficult U.S. Open course, two things have become clear about this iconic venue:

Oakmont is beatable under the right conditions—just ask Johnny Miller and Larry Nelson. Longer hitters have had a distinct advantage at Oakmont, as there are two 600-plus-yard par fives, five par fours can max out at 475-plus yards, and the eighth hole is a 288-yard par three. The favorites heading into this week include Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, among others, per Odds Shark. The following players, however, could shock the world Sunday evening despite entering the 116th U.S. Open somewhat under the radar.

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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