Jordan Spieth signs autographs during a practice round ahead of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills in Erin, Wash. on Monday, June 12, 2017. (Copyright USGA/Jeff Haynes)
2015 U.S. Open Champion Jordan Spieth is predicting the winner of the 2017 Open at Erin Hills will go lower than most at a U.S. Open.
Rory McIlroy won in 2011 by finishing 16-under par, but that isn’t par for the course at a normally difficult U.S. Open. In fact, if you take McIlroy’s score out if the equation, the average winning score since 2006 has been 1.1 strokes under par.
Spieth told reporters on Tuesday that someone who has good control of the ball off the tee will have plenty of opportunities to make birdies, given the conditions that are expected.
Those conditions are for off and on rain throughout the tournament, which will leave the green’s soft and receptive to the type of target shooting that the pro’s love.
AUDIO: Jordan Spieth asked what will win this U.S. Open :17
Jason Day, who won the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, said he doesn’t care about the winning score, as long as he figures into the race.
AUDIO: Jason Day says he’s simply hoping to be in the mix, regardless of where that is :15
If Day wins the first ever U.S. Open in Wisconsin, he’ll become an even bigger fan of the state. “I might buy a house up here if I win,” he said. “I might become a Packers fan. I might start eating cheese.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of good memories coming back. The people are fantastic. I love the people up here. Very, very nice. Very genuine people. That would be a really neat thing to be able to win my first two majors in the state of Wisconsin.”
Wisconsin would love to see Day win again, but they’d like to see one of their own, Steve Stricker do it even more. Stricker is playing in his 20th U.S. Open this week and at the age of 50, is still looking for his first major victory.
AUDIO: Steve Stricker would love to be in the hunt on Sunday :14
Dustin Johnson is the defending champion. He arrived at Erin Hills on Tuesday after his fiancée, Paulina Gretzky, gave birth to the couple’s second child on Monday.