U.S. Open Preview: Tee Time Draft

We are bringing back the golf coverage for U.S. Open week. Bryan Reynolds will be doing an international preview tomorrow and a Tee Time Draft come Wednesday.  This is our usual major coverage program, but we like doing it plus it provides you with full insight on what is set to happen this weekend in North Carolina at the always tough Pinehurst No. 2. 

Bryan's First Pick: Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel

What better way to draw attention than to put your last three Masters Champions in a Thursday/Friday group together?! It is not to say that their games necessarily fit this course, but this group certainly draws the interest of the common viewer. Every golf fan in America seems to be on Team Bubba these days and who doesn't like Adam Scott? Schwartzel is a great sleeper pick this week due to his consistency which is what you want one a course where the winning score may not be under par.

Charlie's First Pick: Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Webb Simpson 

I love this group for the two Northern Irishmen. This group feels like three guys whom would have some beers together on a casual Saturday admiring their shots and trying to one-up each other. Honestly, I think it is better for these guys in the first two rounds to play with their friends on tour versus their rivals. McDowell and McIlroy are both favorites in the tournament without question as both have won a U.S. Open before. Further, Simpson is a guy we should not be slept on even though he hasn't played well in 2014. He knows Open conditions and finished third last week.

Bryan's Second Pick: Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Martin Kaymer
The dynamics of this group just blows my mind. Besides the fact that Duf and Keegan are best friends, they are also major champions, along with Kaymer. In fact, they are all three PGA Champions and PGA Champions exclusively. I would think there will be a good amount of side bets flying around this week, especially between the two Americans, but keep an eye on Kaymer to ride that Players Championship, to success here.

Charlie's Second Pick: Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar

We can call this group... "Best three guys without a major."  I mean it is fair statement to say because all of these guys had at least one chance to win a major, and if one of these guys have one of the final pairings on Saturdays, no one is going to be shocked in the slightest. Stenson would surprise a ton of people because he doesn't get much media attention, but any golf fan would not be surprised if he held up the U.S. Open trophy by Sunday. Also all three guys are pretty fun to watch.

Bryan's Third Pick: Dustin Johnson, Jimmy Walker, Victor Dubuisson
This group interests me almost as much as it confuses me. Dubuisson, or Dubs as I will call him for the sake of typing, is somehow still riding the success at The Match Play to a premier pairing at a major championship. Dubs short game could reign supreme this week, as some of the rough at Pinehurst looks worse than what he recovered from in Arizona earlier this year. DJ is still scrapping away at that elusive first major, but he will have to stay clean off the tee to find success here. His long iron distance may be enough to put him in contention Sunday.

Charlie's Third Pick: Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler 

Oh hell yeah. This is my group. If there is a group to watch all weekend, it is this group due to their exciting play as well as the opportunity for one of the young guys to make a move towards the top. Here's the crazy thing, Matsuyama might be the hottest player in this group. He won at the Memorial, finished 10th at The Colonial and a top 25 at The Players, that's a pretty strong streak going into the tournament. Spieth will win this tournament at some point of his career, but I am a little worried about him this week. He has a ton of pressure going into this tournament with how he played at Augusta. This could be the one of four majors where the pressure gets to him a bit. Fowler had a top 10 finish at the U.S. Open last season. 

Bryan's Fourth Pick: Justin Rose, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Phil Mickelson
With Lefty going through a hell of an insider trading investigation, the USGA did not do him any favors with this group. They tormented him by putting him with the defending champion in a major that he just can’t seem to win. If Phil wins this week, expect one massive fist pump and body convulsion; this would be a big one.

Charlie's Fourth Pick: Sergio Garcia, Jason Day, Brandt Snedeker 

We can call this group 'Team injury' because Day is bothered by a bad thumb injury where he has been totally limited with what he's been able to do this season. Apparently, everyone thinks he could be full healthy and ready to go for this one. I think he might be the favorite for the Open Championship. Snedeker has been terrible this season for the most part with only one top 10 finish which happened in the month of May. Sergio is the best guy in this group, and one of the funnest players to watch whether you love him or hate him for the antics alone.

Bryan's Fifth Pick: Ian Poulter, Miguel Angle Jimenez, Thongchai Jaidee
When we do this thing, Charlie and I try to not only pick winners, but guys that we would recommend watching. Jimenez is that guy. I can’t guarantee it but at some point, I would think he will have three or four birdies in a row, followed by a string of six or seven pars, that will catapult him to the first page of the leaderboard. That being said, these guys could all shoot a million and I would not be shocked.

Charlie's Fifth Pick: Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Bill Haas 

Honestly, this is a boring group. Are they three guys whom could win this whole damn tournament? No question about it. Stricker is playing good golf on his limited schedule, and trust me, he would be one of the best stories on Sunday if in the lead. Same goes for Haas whose last start saw him get a top 10 with the whole storyline about his dad, Jay, one of the most well-liked guys on the tour. Furyk is about as dry as the Sahara so he could get cut for all I care. 

Bryan and Charlie.