The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Rose coming into full bloom
I’m predicting a new US Open champion and a new world number one in Justin Rose this weekend.
By all accounts Shinnecock Hills is brutal and while there have been a few whispers of discontent already I don’t expect Justin to be concerned at all.
He has been in this position before and won. He won this tournament at Merion five years ago with a four round aggregate score of one over par and is clearly fancying his chances of repeating the feat this week.
The chance to take the number one spot in the world rankings will provide an added edge for him too.
While I am backing Justin to win on Sunday I don’t expect he will have it all his own way.
Dustin Johnson’s win last week, which took him back to the number one spot, will have given him confidence he can make it back-to-back wins while Justin Thomas, the PGA Championship winner, is a wonderful player on his day and he too will be one to watch this week.
The US Open has always been the most intriguing tournament in the United States for me as it seems as if it is the one week in the season where everyone loves to have a good old-fashioned moan.
We’ve had complaints in recent years about the rough being too thick, the greens being impossible, the course being too tough, but it’s a major tournament, it’s supposed to be difficult.
That’s why golf fans love to watch this tournament. There is something perversely enjoyable about watching the best players in the world making a pig’s ear of it all.
I just hope it stays dry as I don’t want a downpour which will soften up the course and make it easier for the field.
The US Open has built its reputation on being a really tough week and we want it to live up to its billing as one of the most formidable challenges of the golfing calendar.
The winner will be whoever can accept those moments when it goes pear-shaped and have the patience to handle the strain and the inevitable disappointments which will come at some point in the next four days.
Justin is that man for me.
He has won on the PGA Tour already this year, was third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 12th at the Masters.
That’s about as consistent a run of results as you could ask for going into a tournament of this magnitude.
In fact, it all seems eerily familiar to the events of 2013 when he won the first major of his career at Merion.
I have a feeling history is about to repeat itself this week.
“Too tough, but it’s a major tournament, it’s supposed to be difficult”