Ranking the entire 2023 U.S. Open field at LACC, Nos. 1-156
This will not be your typical U.S. Open.
But will we get a typical U.S. Open champion?
The Los Angeles Country Club (par 70, 7,423 yards) could be one of the lowest-scoring U.S. Opens in recent memory. With benign weather conditions expected, the course’s only defenses will be brilliant architecture, uneven lies and firm-and-fast surfaces. Don’t get me wrong, it won’t be a pushover, but if guys are flushing it, they can score.
The five par-3s, ranging from potentially 80 yards to 290 yards, are one of the more unique aspects of LACC. The finishing stretch, Nos. 16-18, is a brute. There is room for lots of variety around the greens, which makes chipping and bunker play a key separator. The fairways are some of the widest we’ve seen at a U.S. Open, though they’ll be firm and angles will still be important, so don’t ignore good drivers. It’s just strong approach play, especially over 200 yards, and good scrambling should win out over everything else – and this is a U.S. Open, so you have to be able to make a bunch of 5- to 10-footers for par.
Only a handful of players – notably Jon Rahm, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler – have played LACC in competition, so there’s not much course history to lean on.
With all that said, it’s time to identify not just the favorites for LACC, but where EVERY player in the 156-man field stacks up:
(Note: As of Saturday, three spots remained, likely to go to alternates from final qualifying.)
1. Scottie Scheffler: Not a shock, but LACC sets up well for Scheffler, the Tour’s leader in approach play, who is fifth in par-3 scoring and three-putt avoidance, and seventh in strokes gained around the green. He also played the Walker Cup here in 2017. But even without all that, his current form is eye-popping – 16 straight finishes of T-12 or better, a run that includes a couple wins. He’s the favorite.
2. Xander Schauffele: Last year’s U.S. Open marked the first time in six starts that he didn’t finish in the top 7; he was T-14. Might be the best mid- to long-iron player in golf in recent months. Also, he ranks No. 13 in strokes gained putting this season and is fourth on Data Golf’s trending table behind Scheffler, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm. I’m ready to go all-in on X-Man.
3. Brooks Koepka: Major Brooks is back after his T-2 at the Masters and PGA Championship victory. Has all the tools. Has the confidence again. Healthy. And he just doesn’t ever make a ton of bogeys. Maybe that’s why he’s got a couple of these U.S. Opens already.
4. Cameron Smith: Firm and fast conditions, uneven lies and lots of opportunity to get creative around the greens all play right into Smith’s hands. He’s also not been worse than 11th in his last five worldwide starts, including a T-9 at the PGA.
5. Jon Rahm: Has cooled a bit by his standards with a T-50 at PGA and T-16 at Memorial, but there are some positive signs – No. 1 in par-3 scoring, strong mid-iron play of late. Perfect spot to reassert his dominance.
6. Max Homa: Yes, he shot 61 here en route to winning the 2013 Pac-12 Championship. But that’s not why he’s ranked this highly. Owns a handful of top-10s in the past few months. Ranks second in par-3 scoring and fifth in strokes gained putting in addition to being top 12 in strokes gained approach. Some slight wedge play improvement and he can win.
7. Rory McIlroy: His mini-slump appears over, and though his early week will be filled with a few distractions on the heels of this week’s PGA Tour-PIF news, once the championship starts, McIlroy figures to adjust nicely to the layout, which he didn’t see in person ahead of this week. Top 13 in strokes gained approach and around the green, and he’s usually a lethal long-iron player, though recently he’s not been quite as elite.
8. Patrick Cantlay: After slow start to pro career in majors, he now has four straight top-15s in them. Few have been hitting their long irons better. Not going to give away a lot of pars. Has been alternating strong weeks and decent weeks recently; trend indicates a strong week at LACC. Top 15 seems highly likely. Contending will boil down to playing par-3s better than he has (166).
9. Justin Rose: Has missed four of his past seven U.S. Open cuts, but you can ignore that. Great in majors so far this year – T-16 at Masters, T-9 at PGA – and he checks all the boxes. Top 20 in strokes gained approach with stellar long-iron play. T-11 in par-3 scoring. Top 50 in strokes gained around the green and putting.
10. Tyrrell Hatton: Owns three top-15s in last five major starts and has been on a heater with five straight top-20s entering Canada. Ranks No. 11 in strokes gained putting and a nice scrambler – he might just have to rely on those two aspects more than some of the other elite players.
11. Rickie Fowler: A lot to like here – trending (sixth on Data Golf), top 10 in approach, top 25 around the greens and third in par-3 scoring.
12. Mito Pereira: Don’t be surprised if he leads the field in greens in regulation this week. Should do a lot more than just make his first U.S. Open cut. Third in most recent LIV start.
13. Collin Morikawa: Back spasms knocked him out of Memorial when he was just two shots off the lead and about to tee off in the final round. If healthy, he’s an elite iron player who is No. 11 in par-3 scoring. Short putting is always a concern, though Morikawa’s approach play usually always makes up for it. Was one of three players to go 4-0 in the 2017 Walker Cup at LACC; he also teamed with Norman Xiong that week to post a record 8-and-7 foursomes victory. But again, is he healthy enough?
14. Gary Woodland: Should rank among leaders in strokes gained approach (No. 11 this season), and he’ll need to do so considering he’s No. 180 in strokes gained around the green. No top-10s since Riviera, but I have a feeling he has a nice week.
15. Tommy Fleetwood: Bouncing back from a momentum-killing MC at Colonial with a nice performance in Canada. Tops on Tour in strokes gained around the green. Top-50 approach player and putter as well. One drawback is his best U.S. Open finish in four appearances since going fourth-second is T-50.
16. Viktor Hovland: Fresh off a win at Memorial and riding three straight top-7s in majors. Top 13 in strokes gained approach and par-3 scoring. Mid- to long-iron play is spectacular. Slightly improved chipping, though could get into a some tough spots around LACC, so he gets knocked down a few spots for that.
17. Matt Fitzpatrick: Battled a neck injury earlier this year, but he has started to really find his groove again – T-10 at Masters, won RBC Heritage, T-9 at Memorial. Now gets to defend his U.S. Open title. Outside the top 100 in strokes gained approach, but best with the longer irons. Also, a world-class scrambler and putter.
18. Wyndham Clark: Boasts four top-12 finishes, including a Wells Fargo title, in his last seven starts. Can bomb it, hitting his mid-irons very well right now, solid chipper and putter. A definite sleeper this week.
19. Hideki Matsuyama: Even while battling a bad neck, he’s been decent with basically seven straight top-30s. Gets a lot of praise for his ball-striking, but he’s eighth on Tour in strokes gained around the green.
20. Jordan Spieth: His T-5 at Memorial was good to see, but that left wrist injury is worrisome when it comes to betting on the 2015 U.S. Open winner. Firm and fast conditions and uneven lies typically favor Spieth, but statistically, he’s not been elite in any of the major strokes gained categories this season. Might be best to pass for now.
21. Jason Day: Back-to-back MCs since Nelson win, but he’s the Tour’s top scrambler and is No. 15 in strokes gained putting.
22. Si Woo Kim: Top-20 approach player who is No. 11 in par-3 scoring and chips it well. If putter shows up, he’s in the conversation. Recently fourth at Memorial.
23. Patrick Reed: In his last 15 major starts, he’s missed just one cut, and he’s missed just one of eight career cuts in U.S. Opens. Top-notch grinder, scrambles well and been elite with mid-irons this year. Throw out a T-39 at LIV D.C. and he’s got momentum, too.
24. Russell Henley: Six top-20s in his last seven starts, including a T-4 at the Masters. Above average iron player and chipper. Will need to make more putts from 5-10 feet, as he struggles from there (189). Wide fairways, but firm, so being No. 1 in driving accuracy – and good from Bermuda rough – still helps.
25. Dustin Johnson: Won LIV Tulsa, but in majors this year, he’s not cracked the top 40. Hard to gauge him using analytics, but would be shocked to see him finish outside the top 40 again.
26. Tom Kim: Though he enters having missed back-to-back cuts, his approach play (T-21 strokes gained) and long-iron skill should allow him to easily make the weekend. And there’s no mud to fall in at LACC.
27. Adam Schenk: Top-40 putter who is above average throughout the bag. Stopped a missed-cut slide with a runner-up at Colonial and T-7 at Memorial. T-24 in U.S. Open debut last year. Could be this year’s Joel Dahmen.
28. Bryson DeChambeau: If he can survive the early-week media stuff, which will surely include questions about his recent CNN interview, he should have a solid week as he’s been one of the best from 200 yards and out this year and he’s shown great results – two LIV top-10s and a T-4 at the PGA in his past three events. The one concern is the one-length wedges and shorter clubs and LACC’s many uneven lies.
29. Denny McCarthy: Last year’s T-7 at The Country Club is no fluke. He’s fourth in strokes gained putting and sixth in conversion rate from 5-10 feet. Average approach player and around the greens, but his putter usually carries him anyway. Plus, he’s in good form, fresh off a runner-up at the Memorial.
30. Tony Finau: Fits the mold of a U.S. Open champ as a top-5 player in strokes gained approach and good scrambler. But he’s been quiet since winning in Mexico and has gone eight straight majors without a top-10 finish.
31. Justin Thomas: A frustrating year has seen him drop to No. 15 in the world rankings. He’s No. 192 in three-putt avoidance and ranks outside the top 35 in approach play, but he also is ninth in strokes gained around the green. He’ll need to scramble a ton to contend.
32. Eric Cole: He’s just outside the top 50 in strokes gained approach, but he’s essentially top 30 in our other metrics, including par-3 scoring, long-iron play, strokes gained around the green and strokes gained putting. Plus, he’s in decent form with three top-25s in his last five starts.
33. Sahith Theegala: Still making cuts, but he’s not sniffed contention since T-5 at RBC Heritage. Luckily, he’s playing a home game and on a layout that suits his style of play. Also, he’s No. 11 in par-3 scoring and top 40 in both strokes gained around the green and putting, so bet he stops his slide.
34. Andrew Putnam: Solid chance he betters his T-34 finish from last year’s U.S. Open at The Country Club. T-5 at Memorial two weeks ago, and he’s No. 11 or better in par-3 scoring, strokes gained putting and three-putt avoidance.
35. Corey Conners: Known as a flusher, and rightfully so at T-21 in strokes gained approach, but better with the shorter irons and not great around the greens. There’s a reason he’s 0 for 4 in making U.S. Open cuts. At least he had a nice week in Canada.
36. Keegan Bradley: Might still be smiling from that T-7 last summer at The Country Club. Always going to flush it, though he is only No. 57 in strokes gained approach right now, but the key could be his putting – he’s a respectable No. 44 in strokes gained putting and No. 13 in three-putt avoidance.
37. Sam Burns: Posted his best U.S. Open finish in four appearances last year (T-27), and he perhaps has extra motivation this week as Burns was snubbed for the Walker Cup team in 2017. Top 10 in strokes gained putting and par-3 scoring, and back on track after a run of MCs, too. All that said, he’s not top tier on approach (158) and around the greens (88), so it’ll be a surprise if he contends.
38. Adam Hadwin: Rock solid on the greens and does damage on par-3s (eighth on Tour in par-3 scoring). Nearly top 50 in approach play, too. Plus, he’s boosted by a nice week in Canada. Could do a lot worse.
39. Harris English: Has climbed back around No. 40 in the world after dropping almost out of the top 100 earlier this year. Top 30 in strokes gained around the green and putting, just needs a good striking week.
40. Adam Svensson: Has finished better than T-40 once since strong week at The Players. Basically a top-50 ball-striker who is ranked No. 24 in strokes gained putting. Solid on par-3s and with long irons.
41. Tom Hoge: Easy to get excited about his ball-striking (No. 4 in strokes gained approach). He also is No. 11 in par-3 scoring and fourth in proximity outside of 200 yards. But his past four major starts have yielded three MCs and he’s not cracked the top 40 since The Players. Don’t get too excited.
42. Ryan Fox: A top-30 machine as he has 10 of them this year, including two in majors. Missed his last three U.S. Open cuts, though.
43. Sungjae Im: Top-25 on Tour around the greens and top 70 in strokes gained approach and putting. Has gone MC, MC, T-41 since that Korean Tour win. About time for him to kick it into gear again.
44. Sepp Straka: Building momentum after T-7 at PGA. Top 10 in strokes gained approach and top-60 putter.
45. Adrian Meronk: Was in as good of form as anyone in the field until a MC by a shot in Canada. Last few starts include a win at the Italian Open and T-5 at KLM Open.
46. Mackenzie Hughes: Strong from 100 yards and in. Nearly top 10 in par-3 scoring. I just wish he was in better form because I think if he’s even average with the longer clubs he’ll be able to notch a third straight U.S. Open top-25.
47. Chris Kirk: Has a chance to keep bogeys off the card – No. 11 in strokes gained around the green and No. 5 in three-putt avoidance – but he’s also got just one top-10 since winning the Honda Classic.
48. Cameron Young: Until he gets better on and around the green (No. 189 in strokes gained putting, No. 140 around the green), Young will have trouble winning a U.S. Open, the only major where he doesn’t have a top-10 or a made cut; he’s 0 for 3 in making weekends. Current form features back-to-back MCs, too.
49. Phil Mickelson: Was his T-2 at the Masters a fluke? T-58 at PGA and back-to-back nearly last-place finishes on LIV may indicate that. But when you consider LACC’s topography and the fact that Mickelson has still been very good of late from 150-200 yards out, don’t count him out of a decent finish.
50. K.H. Lee: Above average ball-striker, chips it very well and good on the par-3s. No top-25s since T-8 at Wells Fargo, though.
51. Nick Taylor: Top 50 in strokes gained approach, around the green and putting. Up and down year, but his good has been really good. Bounce-back week in Canada.
52. Victor Perez: Has missed all three of his U.S. Open cuts, but he’s got some nice performances this year – win in Abu Dhabi, top-10 in Italy and T-12 at PGA.
53. Seamus Power: Was T-12 in his U.S. Open debut last year. Ranks No. 8 in par-3 scoring and is good chipper and elite putter. Ball-striking, especially from outside 200 yards, is a weakness, and would like to see him in better form.
54. Taylor Moore: No top-10s since winning Valspar, but I see some value here. No. 172 in par-3 scoring and just outside the top 100 in strokes gained approach, but he’s No. 16 putting and is best on Tour from 5-10 feet.
55. Matt Kuchar: Second on Tour in strokes gained around the green, just really struggles from 200 yards and out (third to last on Tour). Has made seven of his past eight cuts, with the only miss coming at the PGA.
56. Kurt Kitayama: Has missed 5 of 7 stroke-play cuts since winning at Bay Hill, but during that span he was T-4 at the PGA. Driver is his weakness, but he’s a top-50 approach player who is an above average putter.
57. Joaquin Niemann: Hasn’t done much since T-16 at Masters, as he’s coming off a MC at PGA and T-31 at LIV D.C.
58. Shane Lowry: While he’s No. 14 in strokes gained approach, he’s not chipping it well and his putter has been awful – No. 176 in strokes gained putting, No. 188 from 5-10 feet. While he’s got eight straight top-25s in non-U.S. Open majors, he’s failed to crack top 40 in five of last six U.S. Open starts.
59. Emiliano Grillo: Top-50 approach player who should take advantage of the par-3s. Chipping is a liability. Win at Colonial should give him confidence.
60. Justin Suh: Has cooled off since contending at The Players with just one top-15. He struggles around the greens (183), but can roll it, ranking 12th in both strokes gained putting and make percentage from 5-10 feet. Four-time All-American down the road at USC.
61. Austin Eckroat: Was T-2 at the Nelson a few weeks ago and recently T-30 at Memorial. Good long-iron player and above average putter, though slightly outside top 100 in strokes gained approach and around the green.
62. Frankie Capan III: Will be a nice story this week as his mom, Charlynn, is on the bag, but she will probably have to carry for 72 holes as Capan can play. He stormed through all four stages of Q-School last year and is coming off a T-6 on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he sits 30th in points.
63. Adam Scott: Owns three top-10s in last four starts, but I’m still concerned. He’s not struck the ball well this season and he ranks No. 193 in par-3 scoring. Also, this is his worst major with just three career top-10s.
64. Pablo Larrazabal: Two wins in last three DPWT starts, but yet to do anything in majors.
65. Thomas Pieters: Has looked rough since joining LIV, but he’s still made his last five major cuts and has cracked the top 30 in his last two U.S. Opens.
66. Sam Bennett: People forget that before he contended and tied for 16th at the Masters, he made the cut in last summer’s U.S. Open. He didn’t have an elite college season as a fifth-year senior, but he enjoys these mammoth challenges.
67. Carson Young: Shot 63-62 to qualify for the U.S. Open. Should hit lots of greens, but then again, he’s never played a U.S. Open setup before. So, consider when he misses greens, he’s No. 173 in strokes gained around them.
68. a-Michael Brennan: I have the Wake Forest standout and reigning ACC individual champ as the current favorite for low amateur. Great ball-striker with nice scrambling ability who is streaky with the putter but has been more consistent on the greens since switching to left-hand low late last fall. Also, did you see that up-and-down to get through final qualifying?!
69. Min Woo Lee: Has cooled off mightily since T-6 at The Players, with a T-18 at the PGA the only top 30 he has since. Expect lots of stingers off the tee, but with lackluster iron play of late, he probably won’t factor.
70. Taylor Montgomery: Not a particularly strong approach player (177), but he’s great everywhere else, including being second in strokes gained putting. He’s also second on Tour in conversion rate from 5-10 feet. Tiebreaker may be the fact that he doesn’t have an individual top-10 since AmEx. He’s currently not the player he was in the fall.
71. a-Michael Thorbjornsen: Qualified for U.S. Open for a second straight year. T-4 at Travelers last summer. Won Olympia Fields and Pac-12s this past season at Stanford. A low-amateur candidate as he plays hard golf courses, including USGA setups, very well.
72. Nick Hardy: An early leader last year at the U.S. Open got through Springfield qualifier for the fifth time last week. Loves these tests, but also note that he’s No. 179 in strokes gained around the green and he doesn’t have an individual top-10 – he won Zurich with partner Davis Riley – since last fall’s Sanderson Farms.
73. Sam Stevens: Prolific mini-tour winner has translated into a very steady Tour pro, who was runner-up at Valero earlier this year. Below average chipper and putter, but gets better as the clubs get longer.
74. Alex Noren: Ranked No. 113 in strokes gained approach but he’s No. 10 around the green and T-19 putting. Missed four straight cuts before T-29 at Colonial and T-52 at Memorial, and he’s just 3 for 9 in making U.S. Open cuts.
75. Dylan Wu: Top-50 in approach play and has strung together a few top-25s in the last month or so. Was T-31 in U.S. Open debut two years ago at Torrey Pines.
76. a-Gordon Sargent: As we saw at the Masters, prodigious speed doesn’t necessarily mean Sarge can contend on the major stage right now. His short game is very much a work in progress. Considering that’s the area where I think guys really separate themselves this week, Sargent has his work cut out for him despite an amazing college season – three wins and T-7 or better in all but one start – under his belt.
77. Romain Langasque: Runner-up in Italy has sparked a nice run on DPWT.
78. Patrick Rodgers: Had a nice mid-spring and is coming off a T-30 at Memorial, but still below average with irons (No. 125 in strokes gained approach). Solid putter and great around the greens, though.
79. Sebastian Munoz: T-4 at LIV D.C. and T-14 last year at The Country Club. Good ball-striker, but not a great chipper or putter.
80. a-Preston Summerhays: Shot 63 at Hillcrest and needed an extra day to punch his U.S. Open ticket. Has been red-hot this spring for ASU, winning once and posting four other top-5s while also tying for 18th at nationals.
81. Hayden Buckley: One of Tour’s best drivers of the golf ball in terms of length and accuracy, but he’s No. 187 in strokes gained around the green. Has missed two straight cuts, too.
82. Matthieu Pavon: Has been steady with 10 straight made cuts on the DPWT.
83. Mac Meissner: How many guys in this field have shot 59 in competition this year? Meissner did so on the Korn Ferry Tour in April, yet he finished T-16 at that event, his last top-20 to date. However, he went to school at SMU and played a ton of rounds on a wide, firm and fast course in Trinity Forest.
84. David Puig: Finally cracked the top 20 in his most recent LIV event, tying for 12th in D.C.
85. Simon Forsstrom: Has gone from Nordic League regular to now DPWT winner this year as a 34-year-old rookie.
86. a-Barclay Brown: Two-time Walker Cupper didn’t have to best of senior seasons at Stanford, but he did save his one top-10 for last, tying for fourth at the NCAA Championship. Also made The Open cut after an opening 68 at St. Andrews last summer.
87. Sergio Garcia: Has missed 14 of 22 major cuts since winning the 2017 Masters. Outside top 20 in each of past two LIV starts. He did well to qualify for a 24th straight U.S. Open, but it’s hard to see him anywhere near the top of the leaderboard.
88. Wilco Nienaber: His drives may never stop rolling, so that length will serve him well. But his no top-25s since a T-2 in Abu Dhabi is concerning.
89. Taylor Pendrith: Lots in the tank power-wise, but he’s barely top 150 in strokes gained approach and around the green. No top-20s since T-7 at Pebble.
90. Brian Harman: While he ranks outside the top 125 in strokes gained approach and around the green and has just one top-10 this season, at Harbour Town, Harman has made each of his past five U.S. Open cuts with a T-2 in 2017 at Erin Hills.
91. Jens Dantorp: Runner-up at the DPWT’s Soudal Open last month and ranked just inside the top 175 in the world.
92. Abraham Ancer: Yet to finish better than T-49 in a U.S. Open, missed the cut at the PGA and has been a non-factor on LIV (nothing better than T-17).
93. Padraig Harrington: Making first U.S. Open start since 2013. T-50 at PGA this year. Been solid in his non-senior starts, and he’s got a win and three runners-up in six PGA Tour Champions majors the past two years.
94. Keith Mitchell: Best finish in last seven starts is T-48. Ranks well outside the top 100 in both strokes gained approach and around the green. Putter could save him at times.
95. Jordan Smith: T-6 his last time out at the Porsche European Open, but that’s only his second top-10 on the DPWT this year.
96. Joel Dahmen: It’s difficult to see him repeating his dream performance from The Country Club as he’s not finished in the top 40 this year. Ranks No. 184 in strokes gained putting, though he’s still been solid on the par-3s.
97. Carlos Ortiz: No top-10s since the start of April on LIV, and he’s just 2 of 8 in making major cuts with no top-50s.
98. Cam Davis: Short game needs a lot of work and he’s still only No. 87 in strokes gained approach. Back-to-back MCs since T-4 at PGA.
99. J.T. Poston: No top-30s in stroke play since T-10 at Valspar. Outside the top 100 in strokes gained around the green and putting, and still just No. 86 on approach.
100. Lucas Herbert: While he’s a DPWT winner this year, he’s struggled on Tour with his approach play (185) and around the greens (177). Also, he’s No. 186 in par-3 scoring.
101. a-Nick Dunlap: Had a nice freshman year at Alabama as the former U.S. Junior champ notched a win and seven other top-15s, including a T-11 at the NCAA Championship. Has a lot of power.
102. Kevin Streelman: Has just one top-10 and six MCs in 14 starts this year. Has a pair of top-15s at U.S. Open, in 2016 and 2021.
103. Luke List: Those not paying attention will think List’s ball-striking talent will serve him well this week. But there many red flags, as List ranks nearly last on Tour in strokes gained putting (196), putting from 5-10 feet (196), three-putt avoidance (184) and, somewhat shockingly, par-3 scoring (189). Plus, he’s missed eight of his last 14 cuts.
104. Vincent Norrman: The Candy Man drives it well and is deft with the longer clubs, but he gets worse as he gets closer to the hole and is No. 189 in three-putt avoidance. Coming off a MC in Canada.
105. Ryan Gerard: Snapped a streak of three straight MCs in Canada. Has played well on major layouts in past – Olympia Fields, Oakmont.
106. Charley Hoffman: Top-5 long-iron player on Tour, but just two players have been worse at putting (No. 195 strokes gained). Last top-10 came in Detroit last summer.
107. a-Karl Vilips: Had a solid junior year at Stanford with a trio of top-6 finishes and a T-22 showing at nationals. People may be surprised that up until Thorbjornsen won the U.S. Junior in 2018, Vilips was considered the better Cardinal recruit.
108. Billy Horschel: Just has not struck the ball well this season, and no stat is more glaring than his DFL rank in approach proximity from 200 yards and out. Has missed five of last seven stroke-play cuts.
109. Francesco Molinari: Owns seven career top-30s in U.S. Opens, including a T-13 two years ago. But he’s ranked outside the top 100 in every strokes gained category.
110. Davis Thompson: No top-30s since runner-up at AmEx. Ranks outside the top 150 in strokes gained approach and putting.
111. a-Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira: His short game will get a chance to shine this week, and he’s starting to figure some things out ball-striking-wise after a down final college season.
112. Ryan Armour: Lot of MCs this year, including in Canada, with no finishes better than T-45. The 47-year-old U.S. Open first-timer is a good long-iron player, but he struggles on and around the greens.
113. Paul Haley: Has missed seven of his last eight cuts on the PGA Tour. Top 70 around the green and putting, though.
114. Scott Stallings: Has struggled with ball-striking and putting, which explains why he’s missed five straight cuts.
115. a-Omar Morales: UCLA plays LACC every Friday, so the sophomore will have lots of familiarity with the layout. Missed the Mexico Open cut by a shot.
116. Jacob Solomon: His best finish on the Korn Ferry Tour this season is T-16, but he also hasn’t missed a ton of cuts.
117. Deon Germishuys: Golf’s very own “Primetime” hails from South Africa and sits just outside the top 200 in the world rankings. Was T-3 at the KLM Open recently.
118. Ross Fisher: The 42-year-old is making his first U.S. Open start since 2018. Has nothing better than a T-40 in his last five DPWT events.
119. Hank Lebioda: One of worst around the greens on Tour and has missed four straight cuts.
120. Alex Del Rey: Former ASU player won the Challenge Tour last year to earn DPWT card, but other than a T-3 in Singapore earlier this year, he’s done little.
121. Nico Echavarria: Since winning in Puerto Rico, he was missed 6 of 8 cuts. Ranks outside top 170 in strokes gained approach and around the green.
122. Aaron Wise: While he’s top 10 in three-putt avoidance, he is the Tour’s worst approach player in the field based on this season’s numbers.
123. a-Ben Carr: U.S. Amateur runner-up missed the Masters cut by two shots. Had a win and seven other top-11s this past season with Georgia Southern.
124. Stewart Cink: Missed six straight cuts at one point this year. Has cracked the top 60 just three times in 12 PGA Tour events this year as well. Hasn’t posted a top-25 in a U.S. Open since 2008.
125. a-Wenyi Ding: Reigning U.S. Junior champ and Arizona State signee has made seven straight pro starts and hasn’t missed a cut.
126. Roger Sloan: Journeyman doesn’t have a top-10 since his T-2 at the 2021 Wyndham Championship.
127. Patrick Cover: Just two top-30s in 12 Korn Ferry Tour starts this year.
128. Berry Henson: A lock for low Uber driver. A couple top-10s on the Asian Tour this year, but that’s about it.
129. a-Brendan Valdes: Auburn junior can get hot and string together some birdies, but he also is prone to some big numbers, which will find him if he’s not careful here.
130. a-Aldrich Potgieter: After missed cuts at Masters and Memorial, length could power Sage Valley champ through to the weekend.
131. Brent Grant: Last on Tour in three-putt avoidance and No. 187 in strokes gained approach. Not a great recipe for a U.S. Open.
132. Martin Kaymer: Off the injured list, but still very rusty. His T-25 at LIV D.C. was the first time he’s cracked the top 40 in four starts this year.
133. Thriston Lawrence: Owns just one top-25 in 13 worldwide starts this year. Hasn’t been a great long-iron player oof late.
134. Paul Barjon: Owns just a single top-25 on the Korn Ferry Tour this year.
135. Ryo Ishikawa: Owns a couple top-4s on Japan Tour this year, but hasn’t done much else.
136. David Nyfjall: What a place to make your pro debut. Notched three top-10s in his final spring semester at Northwestern, including a T-9 at Big Tens.
137. Olin Browne Jr.: The 34-year-old son of Olin Browne is playing his first U.S. Open. He was T-34 in Abaco, Bahamas, on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year, his first OWGR-ranked start since 2020. Did win a 54-hole event on the Minor League Golf Tour in April.
138. Gunn Charoenkul: Hot in Asia earlier this year with three top-6s, but has missed three of past six cuts. Clear favorite to be top Gunn.
139. a-Matthew McClean: He said at the Masters that it’s been a while since he’s given an eye exam, and his 11 starts this year prove he’s not some rusty mid-amateur. Coming off a T-7 at the English Amateur.
140. Austen Truslow: One-handed chipper who has been derailed by injuries in recent years. Only two world-ranked starts the past two years – both MCs.
141. Corey Pereira: Lost his Korn Ferry Tour card last August and has played sparingly since then as his girlfriend battles cancer. But he was a talented amateur at Washington, so don’t think he can’t beat some guys.
142. David Horsey: Has made just one of six cuts on the DPWT this year.
143. Ryutaro Nagano: Has missed two of last three cuts on Japan Tour.
144. Alex Schaake: Two-time Big Ten player of the year at Iowa is following his brother Carson’s U.S. Open appearance two years ago. Needed eight playoff holes to get through his final qualifier. Hasn’t played an OWGR-ranked event since missing six of nine cuts on the Forme Tour in 2021.
145. Kyle Mueller: Missed all four of his PGA Tour Canada starts last year as he’s since been relegated to mini-tours. He did win an eight-hole playoff on the GPro Tour last month, though.
146. Jordan Gumberg: Has traveled the world and missed a bunch of cuts in recent years.
147. Andrew Svoboda: The former Tour pro now turned club professional is making his first U.S. Open start since 2013.
148. Yuto Katsuragawa: No top-10s on Japan Tour this year and has missed 7 of 8 cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
149. a-Isaac Simmons: Just one top-10 for Liberty this past season though it came at the ASUN Championship, where he was fourth.
150. JJ Grey: One of the more emotional stories among this year’s qualifiers, but he’s missed 16 of his last 19 cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour.
151. Jesse Schutte: The 35-year-old and first-time dad (as of last week) has played two OWGR-ranked events in his career, and none since the 2014 Barracuda on the PGA Tour.
152. a-Alexander Yang: Former Junior Presidents Cupper has played sparingly in two seasons at Stanford and doesn’t have a top-50 finish since last summer’s World Amateur Team Championship.
153. a-Christian Cavaliere: Boston College product is ranked No. 1,768 in the world amateur rankings, worst among any of the amateurs in the field.