Fantasy golf preview – US Open

Forget the Euros. The 116th US Open starts tomorrow which means you’ve got a great excuse to put your feet up, rekindle your on-off relationship with the local takeaway and send your electricity bill rocketing skywards.

There’s plenty at stake this week as well, and we’re not just referring to your livelihood if you don’t show your partner a bit of attention at some point over the next four days.

There are 50% extra points on offer in the TG fantasy game this week, which makes getting your selection right even more important.

The 7,219-yard par-70 course, complete with 210 bunkers, lightning-fast greens and a near 300-yard par-3, has a fearsome reputation and can make the biggest names in golf look distinctly ordinary.

Angel Cabrera won in 2007 with a score of five-over par and early impressions indicate that this year promises to be just as brutal.

Justin Thomas posted a video on social media last week which showed his ball disappearing, quite literally, in the rough when dropped from waist height.

Golf reporter Doug Ferguson, who plays off five, tried his hand at punching one out of the thick stuff and barely managed to make contact with the ball.

Oakmont’s Head Pro Bob Ford told TG that he expects birdies will be “hard to come by” and believes the course is “set-up perfectly for people who find the fairway”.

He adds: “Even though the rough is graduated, it’s still very difficult to get out of. The US mentality is that par constitutes a good score.”

Oakmont is already being billed as the survival of the fittest and if forecasters are correct, thunderstorms on Thursday could throw another curve ball into the mix.

With this in mind, TG Tipster expects experience to prosper come Sunday as a 156-strong field bid to negotiate one of the toughest courses on the planet.

Top-five fantasy picks this week…

Rory McIlroy (£15m)

The world No.3 hasn’t finished worse than T12 in more than three months and if the predicted rainfall on Thursday softens the course, there will be few better to take advantage. Granted, McIlroy’s experimentations with his putting grip suggests he’s lacking confidence on the greens, but the TG Tipster has seen enough from his recent performances tee-to-green to make him the pre-tournament favourite ahead of Jason Day and defending champion Jordan Spieth. If he can keep his attacking instincts on a leash, he stands a good chance of joining Gene Sarazen as a three-time US Open winner.

Branden Grace (£14.5m)

The world No.12 is often overlooked at the Majors, but past performances on demanding courses makes him a must-pick for fantasy managers. At last year’s US Open, he finished T4 at Chambers Bay and went one better with a third-place finish at Whistling Straits in the 2015 US PGA Championship. He’s also had five worldwide top-10s this year, including wins at the Qatar Masters and RBC Heritage, and his consistent tee game and iron play ties-in nicely with what Oakmont demands.

Brandt Snedeker (£14m)

Snedeker seems to elevate his game to new heights on the toughest courses and produced a stunning performance in brutal conditions to win the Farmers Insurance Open in Torrey Pines in February. In his last five starts at the US Open, he’s never finished worse than T17 and has three top 10s to his name. His prowess with the flatstick makes him a serious threat this week.

Phil Mickelson (£13.5m)

No one has experienced heartache at the US Open quite like Mickelson. He’s come within touching distance of completing the career grand slam six times, but each time he has fallen short. It’s still become something of a tradition to see him compete at the top of the leaderboard on Father’s Day and he certainly has the no-how and experience to master a course where patience is key.

Billy Horschel (£10.5m)

The American hasn’t quite reached the same heights since winning the Tour Championship and FedExCup in 2014, but he’s still racked up a respectable total for fantasy managers so far this season. He’s made the cut at 12 straight events, amassing three top-10s along the way. At the last three US Opens, he’s finished fourth, 23rd and 25th and found 18 greens in regulation during his second round at Merion in 2013. Oakmont’s tight fairways and pin placements should suit one of the game’s best ball strikers.

For the US Open tee times, click here.