There\u2019s plenty on the line this week at the 2010 U.S. Open, the year\u2019s second major championship. Will Tiger Woods use his old stomping grounds, Pebble Beach, as the path to redemption?<\/p>\n
Will Phil Mickelson conquer his bridesmaid curse and capture the World No. 1 ranking? Or will someone else sneak up on them both?<\/p>\n
Date<\/strong>: Thursday June 17 – June 20 Let\u2019s break down the field and make a pick.<\/p>\n Tiger Woods<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +725<\/p>\n Since this year\u2019s edition of Pebble Beach, which plays short and tight, doesn\u2019t fit their skill sets too well, Tiger and Phil get \u201crelegated\u201d to the elite this week. The good news for Tiger: the last time Pebble Beach hosted the U.S. Open (2000), Tiger won by 15 shots in what was almost unquestionably the greatest performance in major-championship history. He also won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am that same year. The bad news: He hasn\u2019t won on this track in 10 years and his wildness off the tee could result in a disastrous tournament for him.<\/p>\n Phil Mickelson<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +745<\/p>\n There\u2019s an overwhelming number of reasons to like Lefty this week. He\u2019s the all-time earnings leader at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, with three victories. He\u2019s also a five-time runner up at the U.S. Open. But is that a good thing? Phil seems to have a mental block preventing him from going all the way at this tournament. Nowhere was that more apparent than at Winged Foot in 2006 during his memorable final-day collapse. And will his aggressive style hurt him off the tee like it may hurt Tiger?<\/p>\n Lee Westwood<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +1215<\/p>\n Is it finally his time? He got a huge weight off his shoulders last week when he won St. Jude Classic, earning his first victory on U.S. soil. Considering he\u2019s finished no worse than third in the last three majors, could the increased confidence from the St. Jude finally push him over the top? Strangely, however, no U.S. Open winner has ever won the tournament the week before.<\/p>\n Padraig Harrington<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +2550<\/p>\n Given his propensity to step up his game at majors \u2013 he\u2019s won three of them \u2013 Paddy\u2019s name always pops up on contender lists. His scrambling and putting ability should help a great deal at Pebble Beach. But the Irishman is still fresh off knee surgery. Last week, it showed; he opened with a 65 at the St. Jude but tired after that, finishing 56th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Jim Furyk<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +3050<\/p>\n He fits the description of a prototypical U.S. Open winner and won the event in 2003. Furyk is third on Tour in scrambling from the rough and sixth in scrambling overall. He\u2019s an excellent pick considering his respectable value at +3050. <\/strong><\/span><\/span> Ernie Els<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +3050<\/p>\n He\u2019s a two-time U.S. Open champ and the answer to the trivia question, \u201cWho finished second during Tiger\u2019s legendary win at Pebble Beach in 2000?\u201d Ernie also has two wins and tops the money list this season. But he did a lot of his damage early in 2010; he has just one top-15 finish over his last five starts and has even missed two of three cuts entering the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n Luke Donald<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +3550<\/p>\n The numbers really point toward Donald this week. He leads the Tour in scrambling\u00a0and <\/em>sand saves and has posted three straight top-five finishes. The only strike is that everyone above him on this list besides Westwood has a major under his belt. Is Donald ready to take that big step?<\/p>\n Graeme McDowell<\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. Open odds: +6550<\/p>\n It\u2019s not often that you get +6550 odds for a man who won his last tournament. McDowell enters the U.S. Open fresh off a victory in Wales. He leads the European Tour in greens in regulation and has never missed a cut in four tries at the U.S. Open.<\/p>\n Luke Donald is quite a tempting pick and Furyk is Mr. Reliable, but I think it\u2019s Lee Westwood\u2019s time. It\u2019s not an exact science but, to me, coming oh-so close in three straight majors plus a win last week equals first place this time around.<\/p>\n
\nEvent<\/strong>: U.S. Open Championship
\nCourse<\/strong>: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California
\nPurse<\/strong>: $7,500,000
\nDefending Champ<\/strong>: Lucas Glover
\nFedEX Cup Points Up For Grabs<\/strong>: 600<\/p>\nTHE ELITE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE CONTENDERS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nSOLID PICK<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE SLEEPER<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE PICK<\/strong><\/h3>\n