Picking the Winner in the US Open

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This year the US Open will have one glaring absence in the field as Tiger Woods will skip the tournament due to an injury. His loss is another golfer’s gain. This opens up the field for any player to step up and try and tame one of the most demanding courses in golf.

It's a large crop, and tightly bunched, with no clear favorite. Right now, Europeans leading the world golf rankings but American should have an edge at Congressional. The course is familiar to them. Normally, the pros visit the venues for the rotating American majors every dozen years or so. Congressional, on the other hand, has had several stints as a regular Tour stop. So where most major venues are somewhat mysterious to the players - materializing through the mists of history for one shining week in the sun before vanishing once again, dissolving like a mirage, a reverie, waiting to be recalled once again - Congressional will be familiar and comfortable.

In particular, Phil Mickelson's game is finally showing signs of rounding into shape. He played well on the weekend at Muirfield Village, and he always finds a fifth gear for the U.S. Open. Congressional rewards players with length, accuracy and a solid short game. If Phil is near the top of the field in Greens in Regulation, he could win.

Other Americans with a chance include phlegmatic and precise Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker, two of the straightest and steadiest players on the Tour. Also consider the hot hand of David Toms, who has shown remarkable resurgence this spring. Young guns Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar should contend as well. Finally, shot-makers Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson and Ben Curtis should all find the course to their liking and contend.

Rory McIlroy is the most electric of the foreign players, he could lead the field in birdies, but he'll have to have a good week putting, which is where most of his past bids to win a major have gone south. While Martin Kaymer has cooled off since winning the Road to Dubai, he is still a major threat. Despite his highly-publicized public flame-outs, Rory Sabbatini can play well with seemingly everyone rooting against him. Wouldn't that be a story?

Y.E. Yang has cooled off since winning the 2009 PGA Championship, but anyone that can shrug off the pressure of being in contention for a major on their first try and catch Woods from three strokes behind on Sunday has the mettle to be a factor at a U.S. Open. Finally, his performance at Pebble Beach last year proves Els can still win a major, though his window of opportunity is slowly closing.

It’s a grand, hilly golf course just a few miles outside of Washington, in Bethesda, Md. The favorites this week will come in the sentimental form: You can expect the loudest cheers for those with the Stars and Stripes in front of their name.

It’s the perfect setting for a young American — Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan or Ryan Moore — to get his breakthrough win.

For the first time in a long time, golf is indefinitely without Tiger Woods and indefinitely without a true favorite.

That makes this one of the most interesting majors to watch in golf this year and picking a winner will be more difficult than playing the course. Golf handicappers will have to do their homework if they want to wager and win on this year’s US Open.